2016 Combined

JUCOs harvest county baseball, softball talent

By BOB BAKKEN Sports Editor Updated 15 hrs ago

< >

Bob Bakken1on Four senior members of the DeSoto Central baseball team signed letters of intent to play 1unior college baseball next season Tuesday a~emoon From left, pitcher Reed Logsdon signed with Northwest Mississippi Community College, shortstop Bradley Smith, elso lo Northwes~ 1nfielder-p1tcher Luke Clement to Hinds Community College and first baseman..:iutfielder Donan Herron to Itawamba Community College

DeSoto County high school baseball and softball seniors could sign letters of intent to play their sport of choice in junior college for the first time Tuesday, and no less than seven players put their names on the dotted line.

Three members of the Southaven Lady Chargers softball team signed their letter of intent Tuesday morning and four DeSoto Central baseball Jaguars did likewise Tuesday afternoon at their respective schools.

The three Southaven players were catcher Valerie Dalton and shortstop Joanna Vasquez, both heading to Itawamba Community College, and third baseman Ashley Bartley, who is heading to East Central.

The group of Jaguars who know where they will be going to play baseball next season included shortstop Bradley Smith and pitcher Reed Logsdon to Northwest, first baseman-outfielder Donari Herron to Itawamba and infielder-pitcher Luke Clement to Hinds.

Southaven finished with a 16-10 softball record and a North Half finals appearance last spring. Coach Shane Staten said the trio make up three of the five seniors who are coming back to play this spring, and added the group will then move on to a couple of very good Mississippi junior college programs when they head to school next fall.

"Itawamba has a great program, they are always in the playoffs and (coach) Andy Kirk does a great job over there," Staten said. "East Central is another great program in the state. Kristin Chaney is over that program and she has done a tremendous job down there."

East Central actually ended ltawamba's season back in May with a 7-S defeat of the Indians in the MACJC state tournament.

At Itawamba, Dalton and Vasquez will join another Southaven alum in outfielder Bre Harford, who hit .429 in 35 games last season as a freshman.

East Central went to play in the NJCAA Region 23 softball tournament, where the Lady Warriors finished with a 44-11 record.