By Robert Wilson
Presbyterian Christian School came within one game of doing the unthinkable last year, defeating nationally ranked Jackson Prep and National Player of the Year Konnor Griffin for the MAIS Class 6A state baseball championship series, and ending Prep’s six-year state title reign.
PCS and star pitcher Bankston Walters want to finish with a state crown this year and got the conference season off to a great start Tuesday night in Game 1 against Jackson Academy.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Southern Miss commitment was consistently around the plate and had great endurance, allowing just five hits with 13 strikeouts for a complete game, 121-pitch performance and hit a two-run home run to power PCS to a 4-2 victory before an estimated 200 at Raider Park in Northeast Jackson.
PCS – which has played a strong schedule, including nationally ranked Bob Jones (Ala.) High and defending MHSAA Class 7A state champion Brandon to get ready for the conference schedule – improved to 10-7.
JA – which has tied last year’s win total already this season – dropped to 13-3 and ended a 12-game winning streak. The Raiders’ two other losses are to nationally ranked and six-time defending MAIS Class 5A state champion Magnolia Heights.
The two teams will play a doubleheader Friday at PCS in Hattiesburg. First pitch at 4 p.m.
No. 2 seed PCS pushed No. 1 seed Prep – which finished with a school record 39 wins and ranked No. 4 in the nation – to a third game in the Class 6A state championship series last season with a 5-2 win at PCS in Hattiesburg in Game 2. PCS finished 23-11 with a 1-5 record against Prep. Prep came back and beat PCS 9-4 in the third game to win its seventh straight state championship and 23rd in school history.
PCS has its eye on the state title prize this year.
Walters – who improved to 4-0 on the season – finished strong against JA Tuesday night. Clinging to a 4-2 lead, Walters entered the seventh inning after throwing 109 pitches. But he was still throwing well – as fast as 87 miles per hour – and struck out the last two batters, including JA sophomore outfielder and Northwest Rankin transfer Deuce Jenkins – rated as the No. 1 best player in Mississippi and No. 41 in the country in the Class of 2027 by Perfect Game – to clinch the win. Jenkins came into the game hitting .357 and tied for the Class 6A lead with four home runs this season.
Walters also hit a two-run homer in the top of the fourth inning to ignite PCS and give them a 2-1 lead and the momentum for the rest of the game.
“Bankston was phenomenal tonight,” said PCS coach Jarrett Hoffpauir, a former Southern Miss star who is in his fourth season at PCS. “That’s just the competitor in him. Bankston wanted the ball the last inning and we thought as a staff that he deserved that opportunity to finish the game. The home run couldn’t have come at a better time. It took the momentum away from there and we kept it on our ide from that point forward. It was a really gutty effort by our team tonight. JA has a really good ball team and it’s tough to win at their place.”
“This win is huge and sent a message to the state,” said Walters, whose father, Kris, played baseball at Southern Miss. “I feel like we are at our best when we play together and put together good at bats. This really gives us the boost we need. We came out kind of slow and not aggressive. I was getting chirped at and he left me one up. The home run really boosted the energy and shut up all the noise. My fastball slider combo was really working for me tonight and I was really getting ahead in counts early. I felt that when I get ahead, I am a very good pitcher.”
Walters had a tremendous season last year, especially on the mound. He had an 8-2 record with a 2.07 earned run average with 85 strikeouts and only 16 walks and hit .330 with 10 doubles and two home runs.
Walters has started off where he left off last season as a sophomore. He came into the game high in many categories in Class 6A this season. Walters was first with 18 earned walks, second with a .590 on base percentage, fourth with a .683 slugging percentage and 10th with a .390 batting average. He was also tied for fourth with three wins, and second with 43 strikeouts.
After Walters hit his home run, PCS added two more runs in the fifth inning for a 4-1 lead. Senior left fielder JT Smith hit a two-out, RBI double to score junior shortstop Cash James and sophomore third baseman Brennon Thoms followed with an RBI single to score Smith. Smith and Thoms had two hits each. Thoms’ dad (Josh), uncles (Hank and Lake) and cousin (Rusty) all played at Mississippi State.
JA scored one run in bottom of the fifth when junior first baseman Crew Hassell scored on a passed ball to close the gap to 4-2 but couldn’t get any closer.
Despite the loss, first-year JA coach Corey Dickerson is optimistic about the rest of the conference season as well he should be. The Raiders have made tremendous improvement over last season. JA has matched last season’s win total. The Raiders finished with a 13-20-1 record and in fifth place in the six team Class 6A conference last season.
Dickerson, an 11-year Major League outfielder and Brookhaven Academy and Meridian Community College alumnus, has brought in some outstanding assistant coaches with a wealth of playing and coaching experience. In addition to the returning players improving from last season, two key additions – junior shortstop, St. Andrew’s transfer and Southern Miss commitment Justin Word (rated No. 8 in Mississippi by Perfect Game) and sophomore outfielder-pitcher Deuce Jenkins (rated No. 1 in Mississippi and No. 41 in the country in the Class of 2027 by Perfect Game and is the son of former All-State Pearl High, All-SEC Mississippi State and NFL wide receiver Justin Jenkins) – have given JA more talent and leadership.
JA hasn’t won a state championship since 2011, but Dickerson feels this team has potential.
“Our team has come light years in such a short amount of time,” Dickerson said. “I’m excited to see how they keep growing as men. Our team is learning how to buy into a plan for a common goal. We have to compete while also being simple and focused on details. Walters competed all night on the mound. Sometimes what makes a kid good is his will power. We didn’t match that in the right way tonight.”
