By Robert Wilson
Madison Central is on its way to possibly its best baseball season since the Jaguars won the MHSAA Class 6A state championship and finished ranked No. 1 in the country in 2021.
A large reason for its success this season has been the play of senior pitcher-third baseman and Southern Miss signee Chase Russell.
Russell threw a three-hit, shutout with 11 strikeouts and no walks and had two hits and led Madison Central to a 1-0 victory over Tupelo last Tuesday night in a key Class 7A, Region 2 game at Madison.
For his outstanding performance, Russell has been named the PriorityOne Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Baseball Player of the Week.
Russell also had two hits and two runs batted in in Madison Central’s 5-4 win over Tupelo Friday night in Tupelo.
Russell – a member of the PriorityOne Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Preseason Elite 11 Team – has a 4-4 record with a 0.99 earned run average and 74 strikeouts and only two walks in 49 innings and has led Madison Central to a 16-7 record going into this week. He also has a .300 batting average with 7 doubles, 1 home run and 13 RBIs.
Madison Central is tied with Starkville for first place with 4-2 region records going into this week.
“Chase has been outstanding on the mound this year,” said Madison Central coach Patrick Robey, who was named the National High School Baseball Coach of the Year by the National High School Baseball Coaches Association after leading his team to a 34-2 record, the 6A state title and No. 1 ranking by Baseball America three years ago. “His strikeout to walk ratio is phenomenal. Chase pounds the zone with three pitches. He’s a great competitor. There are no easy games on our schedule. We have had to play well every day and he has been our catalyst.”
Russell had a .416 batting average and a .787 slugging percentage and had 7 doubles, 1 triple, 8 home runs, 29 runs and 20 RBIs and helped Madison Central to a 14-17 record and a MHSAA Class 6A first-round appearance last year as a junior. He had a 4-2 record with 1 save, a 2.52 ERA, 59 strikeouts, only 11 walks in 50 innings last season.
Russell was a second-team All-Metro Jackson selection last season.
Russell is the son of Dawn and Dale Russell. Dawn was a cheerleader at Northwest Rankin and graduated from LSU. Dale played baseball at Northwest Rankin and graduated from Southern Miss and Ole Miss Law School. Russell’s brother, Rhett, is a sophomore at Madison Central and plays football and is class president. Russell’s grandfather, Gibby Russell, played baseball at Florida State.
Mississippi Scoreboard selects a baseball player from Hinds, Madison, or Rankin counties each week. Coaches can nominate a player by text or call to Robert Wilson at 601.506.2276.
PREVIOUS WINNERS
Week One: Drew Harrison, Germantown
Week Two: Konnor Griffin, Jackson Prep
Week Three: Parker Ishee, Ridgeland
Week Four: Peyton Puckett, Jackson Prep
