By Robert Wilson

      Madison-Ridgeland Academy senior second baseman Garrett Gardner’s confidence has grown a lot this season, and it took a huge spike upward last week.

      The Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College signee had a .714 batting average, including 2 doubles, 2 runs scored, 2 runs batted in, 3 stolen bases, a .800 on-base percentage and turned four double plays on defense to lead MRA to two wins in the first MAIS Class 6A conference three-game series this season over seven-time defending state champion Jackson Prep, the first time in 11 series that MRA had won, dating back to 2018.

      The series win for MRA ended Prep’s streak of winning 34 straight three-game conference series, which was a span of six seasons.

      For Gardner’s outstanding performance in this significant series, Gardner has been named the BSN Sports/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Baseball Player of the Week.

      Gardner played a big part in the deciding Game 3 of the series. He gave MRA a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning – the go ahead and ultimately the winning run – singled, senior catcher Andrew Phelps hit a sacrifice bunt to get Gardner to second, junior third baseman Will Bizot was intentionally walked, Gardner and Bizot moved to second and third on a wild pitch and Gardner kept running and scored.

      MRA also had double plays – all of them from shortstop (Alex Lambert) to second baseman (Gardner) to junior first baseman Jack Poole – in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to help stop Prep rallies.

       Gardner was 1 of 1 with two walks and helped MRA defeat Prep 3-0 in Game 2, the first time in 231 consecutive games and nine years that Prep had been shut out by a MAIS team and ended a 32-consecutive regular season winning streak in conference games. 

      Gardner was 3 for 4 with 1 RBI in MRA’s 8-5 loss to Prep in Game 1. 

       Gardner is hitting .340 with 15 runs, 5 RBIs, 6 doubles, 1 home run, a .462 on base percentage and a team-high 12 stolen bases this season for 11-10 MRA, which has played the second toughest schedule in Mississippi, according to MaxPreps. He hit .611 (11 of 18) for an eight-game stretch from spring break until after the Prep series.

      “I thought Garrett led us last week with how he played,” said first-year MRA coach Chad Lipscomb, who was promoted after 16 years as an assistant and replaced Allen Pavette, who led MRA to state championships in 2012 and 2016 in his 14 years at MRA. “All three phases of his game (hitting, defense and base running) were exceptional. Garrett has really started changing his approach at the plate with letting the ball get deeper and he has taken off for us. He has always played the game hard but this year he has really been able to slow the game down and it has made him a better player.”

Gardner is the son of Lee and Heather Gardner. Lee played baseball at Mooreville High and at Mississippi College. Heather graduated from Copiah Academy and Mississippi College. Gardner’s sister Avery graduated from Germantown High, Holmes Community College and Mississippi State and graduated from UMMC nursing school. Gardner’s sister Parker graduated from MRA and MSU and will start nursing school at UMMC in May. Gardner’s cousin Preston Johnson played at Hinds CC and at MSU where he was a part of the 2021 national championship team.

      MRA plays host to Presbyterian Christian in Games 2 and 3 of its three-games 6A conference series Friday at 4 p.m. at MRA in Madison.

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: Sawyer Bates, Canton Academy

WEEK TWO: JP Abt, Hartfield Academy