Bryce Stanton said playing in the Mississippi Association of Coaches All-Star Baseball Game for 1A and 2A schools was a fun experience competing with and against some of the best players in the state. “You get to see how good you are.”
Stanton certainly showed how good he is. He was named MVP for the South team. In an 8-6 loss at William Carey College in Hattiesburg, he had a single, double was hit by a pitch and drove in two runs.
It was a fitting end to a high school career that saw him help Nanih Waiya win the MHSAA 1A state championship the past two years. “It's unreal,” he said. “Not many guys get to be on one and we won two.”
As a senior, Stanton was a star with his bat and his arm as the Warriors compiled a 29-2 record, best in the state. He batted .416 with four doubles, one triple, one homer, 24 RBIs and 37 runs scored. On the mound, he was 9-1 with a 2.33 ERA.
Stanton has signed to continue his baseball career at Northeast Mississippi Community College. He expects to continue as a two-way player. He also hopes to play some football after running and passing for more than 2,000 yards last fall as the Warriors reached the state championship game.
His Nanih Waiya teammate, Roper Ball, also played in the All Star game, starting at shortstop. “We've been playing together since we were in T-Ball,” Stanton said.
Ball was the Mississippi Association of Coaches 1A Player of the Year. He batted .449 and was 6-0 with an 0.94 ERA.
The two friends could end up as rivals on he field since Ball signed with East Central Community College. “It will be fun. We're both competitive. We'll have a little smack talk,” Stanton said.
