Tupelo pitcher Chris Stratton made a verbal commitment Sunday to play baseball for Mississippi State.
The 2008 Daily Journal Player of the Year posted a 10-1 record with a 1.95 ERA in leading Tupelo to the Class 5A state finals. The rising senior struck out 98 batters in 75.1 innings, and he hit .367 at the plate.
MSU has always been on Stratton’s radar, but the recent coaching change sealed the deal. After a successful tenure at Kentucky, Bulldog alum John Cohen replaced the retired Ron Polk.
“I’m just real excited about the new staff and what they’re all about, and the new era of State,” Stratton said. “Coach Cohen, he’s unreal. Coach (Butch) Thompson, the new pitching coach, is real good. He’s real intense, and I’m real excited about getting close to him.”
Stratton, who’s 16-1 over two seasons, throws a mid-to-upper-80s fastball with a good curveball, and he’s working on a changeup. His biggest strength is his pinpoint accuracy.
“He has the ability to throw any of his pitches for strikes at any time in the count,” Tupelo coach Gary Enis said.
Read more about this story in Tuesday’s Daily Journal.
