Twelve Sign with Baseball for 2021 Season
11/14/2019 11:20:00 AM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss baseball coach Scott Berry announced today the signing of 12 players for the 2021 season, including catcher Blake Johnson (Gulfport, Miss.), left-handed pitcher Justin Storm (Madison, Miss.), right-hander pitchers Jordan Armstrong (McDonough, Ga.), Tanner Hall (Zachary, La.), Garrett Ramsey (Brandon, Miss.), Will Tynes (Bossier City, La.) and Hurston Waldrep (Thomasville, Ga.), outfielders Reece Ewing (Mobile, Ala.), Carson Paetow (Vancleave, Miss.) and Slade Wilks (Columbia, Miss.), infielder/outfielder Michael Latulas (New Iberia, La.), and utility player Chris Sargent (Wilmer, Ala.).
Johnson, at 6-foot, 190-lbs., hit .340 with a team-leading seven home runs, 11 doubles and 34 RBI last season en route to being named first-team All-MACJC. As a pitcher, he was 0-1 with four saves and a 1.64 earned run average. He pitched 11.0 innings with 17 strikeouts and allowed only four hits.
Johnson also was a four-year letterman at Gulfport High School, where he was a team captain during his junior and senior years. The team's MVP his last two seasons posted a .470 batting average while tallying nine home runs, 40 RBI, 34 runs scored, and 45 hits in 2018 on his way to earning first team all-league, District 8 First Team, first team all-region, and first team all-state honors by the Clarion Ledger as a junior and senior. He also was named to the Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen and MAC CrossRoads Diamond Club All-Star Game in 2018.
Storm, at 6-foot-6, 215-lbs., plays at Madison Central High School for coach Patrick Robey and posted a 1-2 record in seven appearances last season. Storm threw 11 2/3 innings and allowed six hits, seven runs (three earned) with nine walks and 12 strikeouts.
Armstrong, at 6-foot-2, 183-lbs., helped lead Chattahoochee Valley Community College to the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colo., last spring. He posted an 8-4 record over 17 appearances (13 starts) with a pair of complete games. He threw 79 innings and allowed 38 runs (28 earned) on 70 hits with 29 walks and 77 strikeouts with a 3.19 ERA.
Armstrong prepped at Ola High School in which he led his team to the Georgia Class AAAAA Elite Eight. He went 5-3 with a 1.84 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings. The Region 4-AAAAA Co-Pitcher of the Year walked just 15. In addition, he was named the Henry Herald Pitcher of the Year his senior campaign.
Hall, at 6-foot, 165-lbs., earned LSWA All-State honorable mention honors last season at Zachary High School, while also earning first-team District 4-5A honors and Louisiana Baseball Coach Association Region 8 Pitcher of the Year and leading his team to the state Class 5A quarterfinals last season.
Ramsey, at 6-foot-1, 190-lbs., played his freshman campaign at Hinds Community College where he appeared in 16 games, including one start. He posted a 3-1 record with five saves over 25 2/3 innings, allowing 20 hits, 12 runs (three earned), 11 walks and 34 strikeouts with a 1.05 earned run average.
Ramsey lettered three years at Northwest Rankin High School under Jeff McClaskey hitting .420 as a senior.
Tynes, at 6-foot-2, 195-lbs., attends Airline High School where he was an honorable mention 5A All-State selection by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association on the strength of a 5-2 record with a 1.51 ERA and 71 strikeouts last season. He also earned 1-5A All-District honors.
Waldrep, at 6-foot-1, 185-lbs., collected Region 1-AA first team accolades and went on to represent Team Georgia last summer in the prestigious Junior Sunbelt Classic, played in Oklahoma. He also earned Class AA All-State honors by the outlet Georgia Dugout Preview Magazine.
Ewing, at 6-foot, 185-lbs., played last year at Pearl River Community College, hitting .300 with 12 doubles, a triple, 11 home runs and 49 RBI. He added 44 runs and four stolen bases. In addition, he posted a 3-0 record on the mound over seven games (five starts) with a 3.29 ERA. He fanned 25 and walked 23, while allowing just six hits over 13 2/3 innings.
Ewing played at Faith Academy for his high school baseball.
Paetow, at 6-foot-3, 200-lbs., preps at Vancleave High School where he batted .430 (34-of-79) last season with 32 runs, nine doubles, four triples, five home runs and 36 RBI. He earned a spot on the Sun Herald's All-South Mississippi team and the Clarion-Ledger's All-State squad last spring.
Wilks, at 6-foot-2, 220-lbs., plays at Columbia Academy where he has posted a .420 career batting average over his last five seasons, dating back to seventh grade. His batting mark included a .414 average his junior campaign last spring and a .560 average as a sophomore.
His career numbers include 32 doubles, seven triples and 44 home runs along with 155 runs and 138 RBI. Wilks earned Clarion-Ledger All-State second-team honors as a sophomore and was a first-team selection last spring. He also participated in the 2019 Under Armour All-Star game at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Latulas, at 6-foot-2, 195-lbs., prepped at Loreauville High School and batted .526 with eight doubles, three triples and five home runs last season on his way to being named All-Metro by The Advocate newspaper. In addition, he sported a .607 on base percentage, with eight doubles, three triples, five homers with 35 RBI for his team that finished third in district and advanced to the Class 2A semifinals a year after winning the Class 2A state championship.
Latulas was also a first-team All-District 7-2A selection at first base.
Sargent, at 5-foot-11, 184-lbs., batted .401 with 16 doubles, 1 triple, 11 home runs and 53 RBI during his freshman season at Coastal Alabama Community College earning honorable mention All-America honors by the NJCAA. He also garnered ACCC South Division Player of the Year honors for his play.
Sargent played his high school baseball at Faith Academy.
Johnson, at 6-foot, 190-lbs., hit .340 with a team-leading seven home runs, 11 doubles and 34 RBI last season en route to being named first-team All-MACJC. As a pitcher, he was 0-1 with four saves and a 1.64 earned run average. He pitched 11.0 innings with 17 strikeouts and allowed only four hits.
Johnson also was a four-year letterman at Gulfport High School, where he was a team captain during his junior and senior years. The team's MVP his last two seasons posted a .470 batting average while tallying nine home runs, 40 RBI, 34 runs scored, and 45 hits in 2018 on his way to earning first team all-league, District 8 First Team, first team all-region, and first team all-state honors by the Clarion Ledger as a junior and senior. He also was named to the Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen and MAC CrossRoads Diamond Club All-Star Game in 2018.
Storm, at 6-foot-6, 215-lbs., plays at Madison Central High School for coach Patrick Robey and posted a 1-2 record in seven appearances last season. Storm threw 11 2/3 innings and allowed six hits, seven runs (three earned) with nine walks and 12 strikeouts.
Armstrong, at 6-foot-2, 183-lbs., helped lead Chattahoochee Valley Community College to the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colo., last spring. He posted an 8-4 record over 17 appearances (13 starts) with a pair of complete games. He threw 79 innings and allowed 38 runs (28 earned) on 70 hits with 29 walks and 77 strikeouts with a 3.19 ERA.
Armstrong prepped at Ola High School in which he led his team to the Georgia Class AAAAA Elite Eight. He went 5-3 with a 1.84 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings. The Region 4-AAAAA Co-Pitcher of the Year walked just 15. In addition, he was named the Henry Herald Pitcher of the Year his senior campaign.
Hall, at 6-foot, 165-lbs., earned LSWA All-State honorable mention honors last season at Zachary High School, while also earning first-team District 4-5A honors and Louisiana Baseball Coach Association Region 8 Pitcher of the Year and leading his team to the state Class 5A quarterfinals last season.
Ramsey, at 6-foot-1, 190-lbs., played his freshman campaign at Hinds Community College where he appeared in 16 games, including one start. He posted a 3-1 record with five saves over 25 2/3 innings, allowing 20 hits, 12 runs (three earned), 11 walks and 34 strikeouts with a 1.05 earned run average.
Ramsey lettered three years at Northwest Rankin High School under Jeff McClaskey hitting .420 as a senior.
Tynes, at 6-foot-2, 195-lbs., attends Airline High School where he was an honorable mention 5A All-State selection by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association on the strength of a 5-2 record with a 1.51 ERA and 71 strikeouts last season. He also earned 1-5A All-District honors.
Waldrep, at 6-foot-1, 185-lbs., collected Region 1-AA first team accolades and went on to represent Team Georgia last summer in the prestigious Junior Sunbelt Classic, played in Oklahoma. He also earned Class AA All-State honors by the outlet Georgia Dugout Preview Magazine.
Ewing, at 6-foot, 185-lbs., played last year at Pearl River Community College, hitting .300 with 12 doubles, a triple, 11 home runs and 49 RBI. He added 44 runs and four stolen bases. In addition, he posted a 3-0 record on the mound over seven games (five starts) with a 3.29 ERA. He fanned 25 and walked 23, while allowing just six hits over 13 2/3 innings.
Ewing played at Faith Academy for his high school baseball.
Paetow, at 6-foot-3, 200-lbs., preps at Vancleave High School where he batted .430 (34-of-79) last season with 32 runs, nine doubles, four triples, five home runs and 36 RBI. He earned a spot on the Sun Herald's All-South Mississippi team and the Clarion-Ledger's All-State squad last spring.
Wilks, at 6-foot-2, 220-lbs., plays at Columbia Academy where he has posted a .420 career batting average over his last five seasons, dating back to seventh grade. His batting mark included a .414 average his junior campaign last spring and a .560 average as a sophomore.
His career numbers include 32 doubles, seven triples and 44 home runs along with 155 runs and 138 RBI. Wilks earned Clarion-Ledger All-State second-team honors as a sophomore and was a first-team selection last spring. He also participated in the 2019 Under Armour All-Star game at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Latulas, at 6-foot-2, 195-lbs., prepped at Loreauville High School and batted .526 with eight doubles, three triples and five home runs last season on his way to being named All-Metro by The Advocate newspaper. In addition, he sported a .607 on base percentage, with eight doubles, three triples, five homers with 35 RBI for his team that finished third in district and advanced to the Class 2A semifinals a year after winning the Class 2A state championship.
Latulas was also a first-team All-District 7-2A selection at first base.
Sargent, at 5-foot-11, 184-lbs., batted .401 with 16 doubles, 1 triple, 11 home runs and 53 RBI during his freshman season at Coastal Alabama Community College earning honorable mention All-America honors by the NJCAA. He also garnered ACCC South Division Player of the Year honors for his play.
Sargent played his high school baseball at Faith Academy.
True Grit: Final Episode
Friday, October 20
Episode 1: War Damn Golden Eagle
Tuesday, August 22
Episode 5: Battle for the Belt
Thursday, August 17
Episode 4: Battle for the Belt
Saturday, August 12