By Robert Wilson
The Pac-12 Conference will find out next season what Mississippi knows about Madison Central senior pitcher-outfielder and Stanford signee Braden Montgomery.
He can take over a game whether he’s on the mound or at the plate.
Montgomery allowed only no hits and no runs with 16 strikeouts in six innings and hit .636 with a home run, two triples, a double with five runs batted in in three Class 6A, Region 4 games against Warren Central last week in Vicksburg.
For his outstanding performance, Montgomery has been named the Two Men and a Truck/Mississippi Scoreboard Baseball Player of the Week.
Montgomery had a two-run homer, a double and triple and two RBIs in a 16-3 victory over Warren Central and a triple and single with two RBI in a 13-2 victory over Warren Central Saturday in a doubleheader.
Montgomery, a right-handed pitcher, allowed no hits and no runs with 16 strikeouts and two walks in six innings before being relieved in a 6-0 victory Tuesday over Warren Central. He also had two singles and an RBI.
Montgomery has a 5-0 record with a 0.00 earned run average and has allowed three hits with 59 strikeouts and only eight walks in 28 innings. He is also hitting .473 with 21 runs, 30 RBIs, 3 doubles, 5 triples and 3 home runs this season for Madison Central, which is 21-0 overall, 6-0 in region play and ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps, No. 2 Collegiate Baseball and No. 9 by Perfect Game entering this week.
“On the mound, Braden’s stuff has been really good,” Madison Central coach Patrick Robey said. “He never gets too high or too low. Braden plays with the mentality of a professional. He has been very consistent at the plate for the majority of the season. Braden has continually improved at gaining an understanding of knowing what he is going to get at the plate as opposed to what he may want to get. In other words, he takes what the pitcher gives him and does damage.”
Coaches can send in nominations by contacting Robert Wilson with a call or text at 601.506.2276 or email at [email protected] by Sunday at 6 p.m.
