Mississippi high school baseball preview: 30 seniors to watch for the 2022 season

The 2022 high school baseball season is upon us, and Mississippi has reloaded again talent-wise. Here's a look at 30 Mississippi high school seniors to keep an eye on this year.

(The list is in alphabetical order)

30 SENIORS TO WATCH IN 2022

Eli Berch, C, Jackson Prep
The Louisiana Tech signee batted .345 as a junior last year, driving in 36 runs in 38 games with five doubles and three homers. 

Emaarion Boyd, OF, South Panola
Few players make the game look as effortless as South Panola’s explosive outfielder. An elite defender who can run, Boyd batted .495 as a junior with 17 stolen bases. He’s currently rated as the No. 48 overall high school draft prospect nationally by Baseball America and remains uncommitted.

Thad Bridges, OF, Jackson Prep
Bridges was an integral part of the MAIS 6A Champion Patriots lineup a year ago, hitting .402 over 129 plate appearances with 10 doubles and two homers. He drew 30 walks, reached base at a .563 clip and scored 38 runs in 37 games with 27 stolen bases.

Beau Bryans, P, Madison Central
The Auburn signee did a little bit of everything for the 6A state-champion Jaguars last year, but he’ll play a much bigger role in his senior year after waiting his turn. He made six appearances last year, including one start, and finished with a 1.85 ERA in 11.1 innings, striking out 23 of the 37 batters he faced.

Spence Coffman, SS, Tishomingo County
Tishomingo County played a limited schedule last year, but should be back to full strength in 2022. Coffman hit .310 in 80 plate appearances in just 21 games, driving in 10 runs. He also finished with a team-best 2.41 ERA in 40.2 innings of work on the mound. He signed with Southeast Louisiana.

Gehrig Conard, P, Stone
There’s not much not to like about Stone’s rock-solid Friday night starter. He went 9-1 as a starter for the Tomcats last season, striking out 133 batters and finishing with an ERA of 0.73 and an opposing batting average of .096. He also batted .337 over 121 plate appearances.

Jake Cook, P, Madison Central
There aren’t many left-handers who can hit north of 92 on the gun who didn’t play a lot last season, but Madison Central’s stellar pitcher had to wait his turn behind some great talent on last year’s 6A championship team. The Southern Miss signee hit .477 in 111 plate appearances with three doubles, three home runs and 27 RBIs.

Karson Evans, UTIL, Taylorsville
Whether playing first base, pitching or crouching behind the plate, the Louisiana Tech signee was an absolute force in Class 2A last year. He hit .510 over 133 plate appearances with 11 doubles, four triples, 10 homers and 47 RBIs. On top of scoring 46 runs in 34 games, he also went 6-2 on the mound with a 0.80 ERA in 35 innings of work.

(Feature photo by Keith Warren)

Aiden Fancher, OF, Winston Academy
The Mississippi State commit was one of the best hitters in the state a year ago, batting .475 with six doubles and 11 homers and 36 RBIs in 119 plate appearances as a junior. He made just four errors in 30 games.

Logan Forsythe, SS, D’Iberville
Forsythe, a Mississippi State signee, pitches and starts at shortstop for D’Iberville. As good as he is defensively, he’s a better hitter. He batted .386 as a junior over 111 plate appearances last year, with 19 RBIs, nine doubles, two triples and two homers.

Patrick Galle, P, Biloxi
The Ole Miss signee hit .310 with 12 RBIs in limited action last season. He went 3-3 on the mound, striking out 47 hitters and allowing just 15 hits in 25.1 innings of work.

Will Gibbs, P, Jackson Prep
As far as pitching goes, it’s hard to argue Jackson Prep’s ace isn’t the best Mississippi’s senior class has to offer. The Mississippi State signee went 10-0 in 15 starts last season, striking out 100 batters against just 17 walks in 59 innings of work and finishing with a 1.07 ERA.

Ross Highfill, C, Madison Central
Any criticism of Madison Central’s stalwart catcher would be nit-picking. The MSU signee can rake — he batted .400 over 137 plate appearances with nine doubles, seven homers and 45 RBIs as a junior last year. He’s also an elite defender, with 25 assists and three errors in 35 games a year ago.

Dakota Jordan, OF, Jackson Academy
A two-sport athlete who also stars on the gridiron, Jordan transferred from Canton Academy to Jackson Academy in June. The Mississippi State signee is the complete package, hitting for a .435 average with 27 RBIs and eight homers in 46 at bats as a junior last year. He’s rated as the No. 35 overall high school draft prospect nationally by Baseball America.

Cole Ketchum, P, Heritage Academy
The Ole Miss signee is no slouch at the plate — he hit .339 in 130 plate appearances with 31 RBIs last year alone — but he really shines on the mound. Ketchum gave up just 12 earned runs in 53.1 innings for a 1.75 ERA last year, striking out 85 hitters against just 17 walks.

Bradley Loftin, P, Desoto Central
This Mississippi State signee is a big reason why the Jaguars are a threat to win it all this year. The left-hander struck out 74 hitters against just nine walks in 54 innings of work last year as a junior. He finished with an 8-2 record and a 2.72 ERA in nine starts.

Brady McGee, OF/P, Lake
On top of being an elite defender, the East Central Community College signee can absolutely rake. He hit .522 over 72 plate appearances as a junior, driving in 17 runs with eight doubles and three homers. He also gave up just three earned runs in 39.2 innings of work on the mound, striking out 76 hitters and walking just six.

Aiden Moffett, P/1B, Taylorsville
Moffett was a star last year for the 2A runner-up Tartars, batting .354 over 124 plate appearances with 12 doubles and three homers. He also went 4-1 on the mound with 82 strikeouts in 42.2 innings of work on the mound. He signed with LSU.

Nick Monistere, P, Northwest Rankin
The Southern Miss signee was electric for the Cougars last season, going 11-1 in 14 starts with a 1.88 ERA over 70.2 innings. He racked up 97 strikeouts and issued just 21 walks to help the Northwest Rankin reach the 6A Championship series.

Mason Morris, SS, Tupelo
Morris played a pivotal role for Tupelo last year and is back for more in his senior season. The Ole Miss signee batted .307 over 128 plate appearances as a junior, with 31 RBIs, 10 doubles and five homers.

Jackson Parker, 1B, Stringer
Parker, a Mississippi State commit, put up some unreal numbers in his junior season, hitting .586 over 112 plate appearances, driving in 48 runs and scoring 43 more in just 28 games. As a junior, his plate discipline was unmatched — he drew 41 walks and slugged 1.371 with 11 doubles and 12 homers.

McClain Ray, UTIL, Tupelo
Tupelo had some great top-line talent last year, and Mississippi State signee McClain Ray was right at the top of that list. He hit .370 over 139 plate appearances with 15 doubles, four triples, three homers and 25 RBIs. He also made a team-high 16 appearances on the mound, finishing with a 1.91 ERA in 36.2 innings of work.

Justin Robinson, P, Pearl River Central
The Louisiana-Monroe signee went 8-1 in 12 starts on the mound last season, finishing with a 1.56 ERA in 63 innings of work and striking out an astounding 116 of the 265 batters he faced. 

J.T. Schnoor, P/1B, Resurrection Catholic
The Pearl River Community College signee played an integral part of Resurrection’s success last season, hitting .379 over 135 plate appearances with eight doubles and 31 RBIs. He also struck out 28 batters and walked just nine in 16.2 innings of work on the mound.

Lincoln Sheffield, 1B, Hartfield Academy
The Mississippi State signee hit north of .350 and consistently tops out in the high-80’s on the mound. He’s been an integral part of one of the fastest-growing programs in the state.

Evan Siary, P, Starkville Academy
The pride of Landrum High in South Carolina couldn’t wait to get to the Magnolia State after signing with Mississippi State. Siary, a right-handed pitcher with a mid-90’s fastball and elite control, transferred in during the off-season and should have an immediate impact for the Volunteers. He went 10-1 on the mound last year, with 108 strikeouts and just 13 walks in 49 innings of work.

James Smith, IF, Northpoint Christian
Smith is an elite defender and ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 7 overall player in Mississippi’s 2022 class. He batted .505 with six home runs, nine doubles and 47 RBIs a year ago.

Brock Tapper, UTIL, Desoto Central
Tapper played a pivotal role for the Jaguars a year ago, spending time at first base, in the outfield and on the mound. He hit .386 over 123 plate appearances with 10 doubles and four homers, driving in 36 runs in 34 games. 

Austin Tommasini, P, Madison Central
The Mississippi State signee has plus-plus talent on the mound. He went 6-1 out of the bullpen for the Jaguars a year ago, giving up just seven runs in 32.1 innings with 42 strikeouts and 17 walks. He’s ready for a bigger role this season.

Tyrus Williams, OF, Lafayette
We’re excited to see what kind of season Lafayette’s stellar outfielder can put together after missing his entire junior season after undergoing surgery to mend a shoulder issue. Williams hit over .500 as a sophomore before missing last year. Perfect Game ranks him as the No. 13 overall player in Mississippi’s 2022 class, and he remains committed to Washington State.