By Robert Wilson
Jackson Academy’s baseball team played in the Buster Kelso USA High School Classic at the USA Stadium Complex in Millington, Tenn., last week.
The event, in its 29th year, features top teams around the South, and is played in front of many fans and scouts who come to the Memphis area to see some of the best players from around the South.
They saw one in JA senior shortstop-pitcher and Southern Miss signee Justin Word, who had a .500 batting average (6 of 12) with 5 runs scored, 4 runs batted in, 2 triples and 1 double and pitched 4 innings and allowed only 1 earned run and helped JA to three victories in four games in the event.
For his outstanding performance, Word has been named the Box Sports Academy/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Baseball Player of the Week.
Word had 2 hits, 3 runs, 3 RBIs, 1 triple and 1 stolen base in a 5-0 victory over Washington School, a stolen base in a 6-0 victory over Houston, Tenn., High, 1 hit in a 13-9 victory over St. Father McGivney, Ill., Catholic and 3 hits, 3 runs scored, 2 RBIs, and 1 triple in a 16-12 loss to IMG Academy Black, which was ranked No. 32 in Florida by MaxPreps.
Word is hitting .468 with 35 runs scored, 18 RBIs, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 6 home runs and 16 stolen bases for JA, which was 16-5 and ranked No. 4 in Mississippi going into this week. He has equaled his runs total and doubled his home run total from last season.
The school record for batting average is .524, set by Dakota Jordan in 2022. Jordan played at Mississippi State and is now playing pro baseball in the San Francisco Giants organization.
“Justin is an extreme perfectionist,” first-year JA head coach Justin Reed said. “He has been working extremely hard and it’s awesome to see him having a great year. We faced some really good pitching and he left a standing impression ‘the sky is the limit for this kid.’ Showing power to all parts of the field and being very versatile on defense is a recipe for success. He’s such a great kid and very fun baseball player to watch.”
Word hit .349 with 35 runs scored, 25 RBIs, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs and 31 stolen bases and helped JA to a 21-15 record and the MAIS Class 6A semifinals last season as a junior.
Word had a .397 batting average and led St. Andrew’s with 51 runs scored, 48 RBIs, 5 triples, 4 home runs, and a .636 slugging percentage and helped the Saints to a 23-7 record and the MHSAA Class 2A state championship two years ago as a sophomore. He had a 5-0 pitching record and 34 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings. Word pitched in 10 games, nine in relief.
He was the designated hitter on the second team on the PriorityOne Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Team. Word was one of four sophomores on the 28-player team.
Word was instrumental in St. Andrew’s playoff run to its first state championship since 2018 and the team’s 32-7 record, one short of the school record for wins.
In addition to Southern Miss, Word had offers from Louisiana Tech, Memphis, Jacksonville State, Troy, South Alabama, Hinds Community College, Meridian CC and Mississippi Gulf Coast CC.
Word is the son of Jason and Melissa Word. Jason was an All-State basketball player for St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Ridgeland and led the Saints to their first MHSAA playoff appearance at the Mississippi Coliseum in 1995. He also played in the North-South All-Star Game. Jason played basketball at Mississippi State and Mississippi College. Melissa played basketball at Ripley High and Northeast Mississippi Community College and Tougaloo College and has been the athletic director and girls basketball coach at Canton High for 28 years. She led Canton to the MHSAA Class 5A state championship in 2013 and state runner-up finishes in 2024 and 2025. Word’s sister, Madison, played basketball at St. Andrew’s and made the Mississippi Scoreboard All-Metro Team. She is a junior at Xavier, La., University and is the leader of the drum line.
Word is the grandson of Jackson State Football Hall of Fame and former NFL player Roscoe Word, Jr., who defensive back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills and New York Giants. Word is the nephew of former NBA and Seattle Supersonics legend, the late Donald Earl “Slick” Watts, who passed away last year.
Word is the nephew of James Story, a legendary Ole Miss fullback (1974-77), is most known for catching two touchdowns in the 20-13 upset of then No. 3 Notre Dame in 1977. It was Notre Dame’s only loss and won the national championship. He was honored with the Distinguished American Award by the Ole Miss Chapter of National Football Foundation in 2024 and named a Mississippi sports legend for his career as an educator and coach.
Word is the cousin to former All-SEC, MSU Basketball Hall of Fame Tony Watts, one the leading scorer in school history; NAIA doubles champion and Xavier, La., University tennis All-American McKenna Wheatley, who was ranked No. 1 in Mississippi in 2022 and played at St. Andrew’s; current Maryland basketball player Isaiah Watts, and former Florida football player David Young, who won a national championship with quarterback Tim Tebow in 2008.
Mississippi Scoreboard selects a baseball player from Hinds, Madison, or Rankin counties each week. Coaches can nominate a player by sending a text to Robert Wilson at 601.506.2276.
PREVIOUS WINNERS
WEEK ONE: Deuce Jenkins, Jackson Academy
WEEK TWO: Henry Abt, Hartfield Academy
