Six area players earn statewide baseball, softball awards

Four area players have been named Miss Softball and two have earned Mr. Baseball honors.

The MHSAA announced Tuesday its annual awards for the top players in the state in each classification for both sports.

The Miss Softballs from the Daily Journal coverage area are West Union’s Addison Collum (Class 1A), East Union’s Lucy Cochran (2A), Kossuth’s Caliann Mitchell (3A) and Itawamba AHS’ Layla Owens (4A). The two area baseball winners are West Union’s Jaxon Herod (1A) and Mooreville’s Wyatt McDaniels (4A).

Here’s a brief look at each winner.

Miss Softball

• Collum, a senior pitcher, has a 2.85 ERA with 120 strikeouts over 168 2/3 innings. At the plate, she’s batting .563 with seven home runs and 40 RBis.

• This award was started in 2023, and Cochran has now won it all four times in 2A. A junior, she has been dominant in the pitcher’s circle this season, with a 0.82 ERA and 175 strikeouts in 94 1/3 innings. Cochran, who is also batting .477 with 46 RBIs, is currently trying to lead East Union to a fourth straight state title.

• Mitchell, a junior catcher, is batting .544 with 11 home runs, 42 RBIs and 39 runs scored. She’s also stolen 15 bases.

• Owens has won the 4A award the past two years. She has IAHS aiming for a second straight championship, as well, with a 0.84 ERA and 183 strikeouts over 100 innings. At the plate, Owens is hitting .447 with 26 RBIs.

The other Miss Softball winners are Sumrall’s Ella Robertson (5A), South Panola’s Grady Beck Wilson (6A) and Germantown’s Presley Merkich (7A).

Mr. Baseball

• Herod, a sophomore shortstop and pitcher, gives West Union a Mr. Baseball winner for the second straight year – teammate Jon Grey Morrisson won it last season. Herod is hitting .485 with five home runs, 31 RBIs and 35 runs scored. On the mound, he’s sporting a 2.33 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 30 innings.

• McDaniels, a junior pitcher and shortstop, is batting .320 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs. He’s even more dangerous on the mound, with an 8-0 record, 0.47 ERA and 85 strikeouts over 44 2/3 innings. His former teammate, Brody Thompson, won this award last year.

The other Mr. Baseball winners are Clarkdale’s Cade Culpepper (2A), West Marion’s Kolby Stringer (3A), Sumrall’s Drew Davis (5A), West Jones’ Clay Tolbert (6A) and Oak Grove’s E.J. Booth (7A).

The Miss Softball and Mr. Baseball winners were selected by a statewide panel of coaches and media members. The players will be recognized on May 6 at the MHSAA Conference Center in Clinton.