By Robert Wilson
Jackson Prep senior outfielder Cy Craig had 11 plate appearances in the MAIS Class 6A best-of-three state championship series against Madison-Ridgeland Academy.
And the Northwest Mississippi Community College signee reached base every single time.
Craig went 7 for 7, including 3 doubles, scored 6 runs, and had 8 runs batted in in three games to lead Prep to its fifth consecutive state championship.
For his outstanding performance, Craig has been named the Priority One Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Baseball Player of the Week.
Craig had a great week despite battling a virus, which was so bad that he was taken out of the first game of the series after his first two at bats.
He had a bunt single and a two-run double in Prep’s 11-run first inning in the 14-3 victory in Game 1 before being taken out of the game. He also made an outstanding catch while he ran into the fence down the right field line for the first out of the game.
Craig had two singles, a double, was hit by pitch twice and scored two runs in a 12-11 loss in Game 2. He had two singles, a double, was hit by pitch once, scored two runs and had two RBIs in a 12-2 win in Game 3.
In addition to his outstanding week at the plate, Craig came into Game 3 as a relief pitcher and got the final three outs.
Craig, who missed 12 games earlier in the season with a hand injury, finished with a .526 batting average (20 of 38) with 24 runs, 18 RBIs, 6 doubles, 1 triple and 1 home run. He had a .684 on-base percentage and a .815 slugging percentage. Craig’s batting average is the eighth highest in Mississippi, according to MaxPreps. Also, a left-handed pitcher, Craig had a 3-2 record with a 3.58 earned run average with 28 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings.
Craig helped Prep to a 31-7 record and a No. 19 national ranking by Perfect Game.
“I’m so proud of Cy and what a great competitor he is,” Prep coach Brent Heavener said. “He may have finished the season the hottest hitter in the state. Cy showed his true colors, battling back from his hand injury by working hard (to get back into the lineup). I don’t know if anybody was any better at the plate than he was.”
