After stellar careers at Nanih Waiya High School and East Central Community College Wyatt Ball has been given the opportunity to continue playing the sport he loves and excels at by signing a baseball scholarship with the University of Mississippi.
This past baseball season, Ball was informed that a scout from Ole Miss would be coming Decatur to watch him play. Ball gave the scout, Coach Carl Lafferty, a highlight show by hitting back-to-back homeruns. Soon after, Lafferty contacted Ball to inform him that the Rebels wanted him on their team.
Ball said, “It was a dream come true. I never thought I’d get that far. I graduated with 33 people, and I’m the first one to go to the SEC from Nanih Waiya. I’ve always wanted to go as far as I could, but I thought juco was going to be it, and then two more years going to college at Mississippi, and then the real world comes around. If you just get your head on straight, and do what your mind is set to and you can do anything.”
Ball stated that he has played baseball for as long as he could remember, but his parents, Will and J.J. Ball, thought he might be more of a football sort of athlete. He added that as a youngster he could not even catch a pop-up, but by around age 12 or 13 things began to come together.
Ball plays second base, but is really known for his hitting prowess, finishing his high school senior season with a batting average of around .580, after hitting as high as .630 during his senior season.
One of his best high school memories is of senior night, hitting the first pitch over the right-field fence and over a 50-foot batting cage. He stated the drive probably traveled around 450 feet.
After high school, he played for Coach Neal Holliman at ECCC. Ball said the years at ECCC helped not only as a baseball player but as a person, as Holliman wanted to see his players become good people.
Baseball seems to run in his family; he and his brothers, Stewart and Roper have six State Championships between them, two each.
Ball advice to those following him is to not take anything for granted. He said, “Take those extra reps, and run every sprint as hard as you can.” He added, not only does it make you a better athlete, but it makes you a better man, also.
