Clyde Kendrick and his mother Patricia A. Lee

Vicksburg High School’s two-sport star, Clyde Kendrick, has committed to play baseball and football at Hinds Community College.  A wide receiver and defensive back in football and an outfielder and left handed pitcher in baseball, Kendrick will give the Eagles coaches many options as he develops as a collegiate athlete.

Kendrick has participated in several RBI clinics and also joined three other RBI players (including 2012 Hinds CC signee James Adams) on a baseball trip to the Dominican Republic in July 2011.  Kendrick was a part of a USA All-Star team that competed against Major League Baseball Dominican league affiliates during the trip.

The USA team went undefeated against teams representing the Brewers, Diamondbacks, Rangers and others.  The trip was led by Indiana University head baseball coach Tracy Smith.

Kendrick in the D.R. with other RBI players

Kendrick, 6-1 175, is a powerful left handed pitcher and left-handed hitter.  Kendrick was named to the State Games of Mississippi Jackson Metro area region team during the summer of 2011.

Kendrick hit .365 for the Gators in 2011 with an OPS of 1.074 and drove in 28 runs.  Kendrick picked up nine stolen bases and 15 of his 31 hits went for extra bases.

Kendrick is even more valuable on the mound as evidenced by his 2011 campaign.  The lefty owned a 2.21 ERA and allowed just 15 earned runs in 47 innings while striking out 66 hitters.  Kendrick allowed 31 total runs in 47 innings pitched. Opponents could only muster a . 147 average against him.

“Clyde is good player and a good person and he is fortunate enough to get to play two sports at Hinds,” said RBI coach Brian Emory.  ”He’s going to be a key part of our summer league all-star team that we’ll take to the RBI Regional next July.”

Franklin Hayes with the ECCC coaching staff and his mother

Hayes recorded eye-popping stats as a junior for the Trojans.  The undersized lefty struck out 63 hitters in 33 innings while allowing only 30 hits.

Hayes faced 161 batters while giving up four runs and just one (1!) extra base hit according to MaxPreps.com

Hayes will be an important part of the RBI summer league travel team.

“Franklin is excited about our summer league and has expressed an interest in playing in a few tournaments with the RBI Warriors,” said RBI Coach Brian Emory.  ”I look forward to taking him with us to the RBI regional tournament  in July and hopefully the RBI World Series the following week.”

What: Scout Day – Check-in 8:30am-9:30 – Speaker, Antonio Wright, at 10am.  Expect to finish around 3-3:30. 

When: Saturday, January 28.

Where: Bob Braddy Field at Jackson State University

What to bring: Bring your own equipment although some will be provided. Wear baseball pants and any t-shirt. Bring a snack. Powerade/water will be provided.

Confirmed player list (70 total):

               NAME:                                              B/T and Pos.

James Adams signed with Hinds CC

At 6-2 185, Adams, is a natural athlete that played multiple positions for the Cougars and head coach Shane Kelly in 2011.

Adams hit .451 with 6 homeruns and 49 RBI, and a .820 slugging percentage in the middle of the Cougars lineup.  Adams was also a top performer on the hill throwing 37 innings and racking up 33 k’s and a 3.40 ERA.

Adams was named 1st team all district, 2nd team all-MAIS (Mississippi Association of Independent Schools) and was voted best pitcher by his teammates.

“I’m proud of James,” said Brian Emory, Mississippi RBI coach.  ”He has worked hard to make himself in to the player that he is now and he’s very talented.  After playing the next two years in a college program he will get stronger, faster and gain skills that will send him to the next level, God willing.”

Adams is the 4th RBI alum to sign or commit with Hinds Community College in the last two years joining Carl Brice (2011, Callaway HS), Josh Townes (2011, Terry HS) and Clyde Kendrick (2012 commit, Vicksburg HS).  A fifth commit, RBI newcomer Brian Mills (2012 commit, Magee HS) and Kendrick are expected to sign within a week.

LaDerik Williams with Bulldogs head coach Kenny Dupont

Williams is a slick-fielding and athletic middle infielder. An rising senior and honor roll student, Williams has been on the radar of recruiters for some time.  Hard work and desire to play baseball is what will carry the 5-11 160 pounder to the next level. Williams recently ran a 6.4 in the 60-yard dash further showing his athleticism.

Williams, who started at shortstop during his sophomore and junior seasons or the Chargers, hit at a .348 clip with eight doubles and 31 runs scored in 2011.  Williams stole 28 bases in 29 attempts.  He also led the Chargers infielders with a .955 fielding percentage.

“You could tell early on that LaDerik had the ability to play beyond high school, but it was not until he decided he would work on the finer points of the game that he really took off,” said RBI Warriors coach Brian Emory.  ”He’s got great hands, he’s good around the bag, he can take the extra base and he can hit.  He’s a good all-around player.”

Williams joins Mississippi RBI alums Deanzel Johnson and Denzel Goolsby as “Dirtbags” for head coach Kenny Dupont in Goodman.

We’ll have 10-15 coaches on hand because we expect a record number of players to compete in the game.  The event is free for all involved.  We may need to play 14-15 innings to get all the players plenty of AB’s, but I doubt anyone will complain.  Pitchers are limited to 30 pitches each.

Check out the 2012 Scout Day Rosters listed below the photo (the rosters could change leading up the game to even out the teams)

The photo below from the last Scout Day game features 1 MLB draft pick (couple more possibly in 2012) and 17 college signees.

Rain shortened the first Scout Day game in Nov (2010) at Hinds CC

Seniors/2012 guys are in BOLD  - “UTL” means the player can play multiple positions or even pitch

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

****I know I probably left some guys off, but not on purpose…contact me if you don’t see your name.  A bunch of players will be playing high school basketball games that Saturday so they won’t be there and I did not include them on the rosters****

Kendrick at a RBI clinic at Tougaloo College

Vicksburg High School’s two-sport star, Clyde Kendrick, has committed to play baseball and football at Hinds Community College.  A wide receiver and defensive back in football and an outfielder and left handed pitcher in baseball, Kendrick will give the Eagles coaches many options as he develops as a collegiate athlete.

Kendrick has participated in several RBI clinics and also joined three other RBI players on a baseball trip to the Dominican Republic in July 2011.  Kendrick was a part of a USA All-Star team that competed against Major League Baseball Dominican league affiliates during the trip.  The USA team went undefeated against teams representing the Brewers, Diamondbacks, Rangers and others.  The trip was led by Indiana University head baseball coach Tracy Smith.

Kendrick on the Dominican Republic trip

Kendrick, 6-1 175, is a powerful left handed pitcher and left-handed hitter.  Kendrick was named to the State Games of Mississippi Jackson Metro area region team during the summer of 2011.

Kendrick hit .365 for the Gators in 2011 with an OPS of 1.074 and drove in 28 runs.  Kendrick picked up nine stolen bases and 15 of his 31 hits went for extra bases.

Kendrick is even more valuable on the mound as evidenced by his 2011 campaign.  The lefty owned a 2.21 ERA and allowed just 15 earned runs in 47 innings while striking out 66 hitters.  Kendrick allowed 31 total runs in 47 innings pitched. Opponents could only muster a . 147 average against him.

“Clyde is good player that is fortunate enough to get to play two sports at Hinds, said RBI coach Brian Emory.  ”He’s going to be a key part of our summer league all-star team that we’ll take to the RBI Regional next July.”

Youngstown State has an incredible indoor facility and the Penguins play all their home games in Eastwood Field, home of the High-A Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the New York-Penn League. YSU head coach Rich Pasquale is thrilled to have the switch-hitting outfielder on his squad.

Sweet hit .450 in the leadoff for for the Warriors

“Daniel is a switch-hitting, lead-off type hitter with power from both sides of the plate,” Pasquale said. “He is a very good defensive outfielder and a tremendous athlete.”

Sweet earned Best Offensive Player accolades while leading his squad to a runner-up finish at the Mississippi 2A State Championship in 2010. He was an all-district honoree in 2011 and was a member of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Scholar-Athlete team.

The Cougars, who were 25-7 in 2011 on the season and made an impressive run in the playoffs that ended in the third round against Tupelo HS, hit Sweet all over the lineup, but a majority of his at-bats came at the top of the order.

Sweet picking up one of his two doubles in this game

Sweet (6-1, 195) made back-to-back spectacular catches in centerfield during the RBI Regional championship game in July. The switch-hitter launched one HR, two triples and two doubles, all from the left side.  A 6.7 runner in the 60 shows how his speed can be deceptive because he is a thick-bodied outfielder.

Sweet’s .281 average as a junior does not seem to reflect the contributions he made to the nationally ranked Cougars.  Sweet scored 31 runs, hit four homerun’s and even stole nine bases.  Skilled at getting on base, Sweet drew 18 bases-on-balls and led his team with seven hit-by-pitches.

Sweet hit the first pitch of the first game of the season from All-Metro First Team pitcher Nick Johnson, of Ridgeland HS, over the fence.

“Daniel is such a great athlete,” said RBI Warriors coach Brian Emory.  ”He should be mentioned not only with the best players in the Jackson-Metro area but also the state of Mississippi.  I expect he will put up monster numbers over his career in Ohio.”

An RBI participant since he was 14 years old, Bird has worked hard to improve his game and he’s sought out as much competition as possible all over the country to achieve his goals.  A driven individual, Bird was convinced he could be the first player in a few years to sign with one of the state “Big 3″ universities.

Bird (Summer 2011)

His athleticism and ideal pitchers frame are tailor-made for the college game and the Southern Miss coaches should groom him into a workhorse starter for the next few years in Hattiesburg.

Bird earned Clarion-Ledger second team All-Metro honors following his junior season and was a Perfect Game Honorable Mention Underclassmen High School All-American.  Bird has a great shot at being named to the CL’s Dandy Dozen list grouping him with the top 12 players in the state prior to his senior season.

Bird is joining a team in Hattiesburg that is on a run that could place the Golden Eagles at the top of the polls for years to come.  Back-to-back great recruiting classes over the last two years will pay dividends right away for head coach Scott Berry.

Bird (Spring 2011)

Bird will be the first player from the Jackson Public School system to take the field for the Golden Eagles since Provine’s Toddric Johnson in 2006. Johnson has participated in several RBI clinics as an instructor.

Bird was being recruited by some of the best baseball schools in the south before choosing USM. His father played football at Southern Miss from 1971-73 (and was drafted by the NY Jets) and his older brother went to school there as well.

Bird (bat on shoulder) at an RBI clinic in Jan 2009

Bird also has achieved high marks in the classroom by finishing with a GPA above a 4.0 over the last academic year as well as serving on the student council. In addition, he was named to the National Honor Society.

Bird collected a 3.05 earned run average and struckout 58 batters, while walking 17 over 39 innings last spring.

James Adams started the regional championship game

“James is a player that we’ve been recruiting for some time and we really wanted him at Hinds,” said Temple.  ”He was drawing interest from several schools and we thought we may lose him, but I was very excited to hear that he wants to stay close to home.  Our coaching staff can’t wait to see him play this spring.”

Adams is expected to help the Eagles on the mound as well around the diamond.

James Adams with one of two doubles he hit in the regional

“James can hit, not many know that about him,” said Temple.  ”Most people know him as a pitcher, but we expect him to help us all over the field.”

Many more members of the 2011 RBI Regional team are expected to sign with colleges soon in what could be a record number of signees for the RBI program.

“I’ve followed RBI since it began three years ago,” said Temple.  ”I am thrilled that the program is producing college baseball players…I would only expect it to get better.”

“I’m proud of James,” said Brian Emory, Mississippi RBI coach.  ”He has worked hard to make himself in to the player that he is now and he’s very talented.  After playing the next two years in a college program he will get stronger, faster and gain skills that will send him to the next level, God willing.”

Several other RBI Warriors in the signing class of 2012 have a chance to sign with colleges in the near future.

“I really think that the entire team has a chance of getting signed and we have several more young players coming up that love playing the game and are very coachable.  We’ll continue to provide exposure for them to scouts and college coaches and provide top-notch instruction.”

Adams joins Murrah HS standout Zach Bird as the second prospect and RBI participant in the class of 2012 to commit to a college in 2011.

All photos below by Ed Gardner

2011 RBI Warriors - Front row from left: LaDerik Williams, Josh Townes, Davaughn Jackson, Kedryn "Peter Rabbit" Wright, Sanchez Cameron, Chris "Mook" Chandler, Vidal Cox, Carl Brice, Coach Dewitt Robinson. Back row from left: Coach Darryl McCoy, Coach Brandon Benton, Marcus Mangum, Tommie Brown, James Adams, Wallace Owens, ReMarcus Stalling, Deanzel Johnson, Daniel Sweet, Coach Brian Emory.

Pitcher Carl Brice threw nine total innings in three games in the tournament. Brice struck out 12 mixing in a mid-80's fastball and solid curveball. Brice also hit two homeruns, including a 400-foot shot out of Dickey-Stephens Park.

Deanzel Johnson hit two homers in the tournament including a grand slam on the swing pictured above. Johnson hit over .500 in five games and played error free at 1st.

Daniel Sweet hit .450 in the leadoff spot and made two back-to-back spectacular catches in centerfield during the championship game. The switch-hitter launched one HR, two triples and two doubles, all from the left side.

Catcher Sanchez Cameron went 6-9 and caught three games. "Toro" hit a triple, two doubles and three singles.

Tommie Brown went 9-15 with six RBIs. The undersized power hitter hammered one homerun and added two triples, two doubles, four singles and struck out twice.

MANY MORE PHOTOS HERE  -Brian

Sanchez "El Toro" Cameron (photo by Ed Gardner)

The 6-1 225lb masher began playing in the RBI summer league a few weeks ago, including a team workout at Tougaloo in May, where Bulldogs head coach Bobby Franciskato got his first look at Cameron.

Cameron has hit several home runs over the past few weeks in games and during controlled scrimmages in practices with the RBI Regional team earning the nickname, “El toro de Mendenhall,” or the “Mendenhall Bull.”

“We’ve never had players from outside of Jackson play summer ball with us, but in the case of Sanchez, he needed exposure to college coaches and scouts this summer and he found us,” said Brian Emory, Mississippi RBI director.  ”I’m thrilled it worked out for him because he is a hard worker and a leader on the field and he deserves a shot at the next level.”

Cameron with another impressive homerun (photo by Ed Gardner)

This summer players from around the Jackson Metro area have signed up to play because their area did not offer a summer league with their school teammates. Players from Meridian, Terry and Yazoo City among others are represented in the summer league.

Championship game(s) will still be played at Dickey-Stephens Park

The championship game will still be played in Dickey-Stephens Park, the Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, but the games Friday and Saturday will be played at two different locations.

Central is a huge 7A district public school with a quality baseball field

Friday ‘s games will be played at one of the most storied and historic locations from the Civil Rights era, Little Rock Central High School.  The school came into national prominence in 1957 when an incident involving nine African-American students, now famously known as “Little Rock Nine”, were denied entrance into the high school in defiance of the 1954 Supreme Court Ruling, Brown vs. the Board of Education, ordering racial integration in public schools.

Central became a national emblem of the often violent struggle over school desegregation. Army soldiers were sent to protect the "Little Rock Nine"

The institution’s refusal to let these students study challenged the then testy waters of American government’s policies on racial segregation. The iconic image of 101st Airborne Division soldiers escorting the nine students burned itself into the national consciousness. The school was designated a National Historic Landmark on May 20, 1982.

Buddy Coleman Field has undergone several renovations since 2003

The Central Tigers baseball field, Buddy Coleman Field, was built in 2003 and renovated in 2006 (bleachers), 2009 (press box, backstop improved), and a permanent fence was installed in 2011. Dimensions are 320′ in right field, 325′ in left field and 365′ in center field, although there is 15-foot wall in dead center.

Historic Lamar Porter Field

Lamar Porter Field was built in 1937 and now hosts all types of amateur baseball.  It appears to be well maintained, probably due to the fact that it is on the Register of Historical Places.  The most famous player to have ever played here is MLB Hall of Famer and Little Rock native, Brooks Robinson, a 3rd baseman for the Baltimore Orioles. Lamar Porter Field, located at 7th and Johnson near Stifft Station was a playground and melting pot for kids from all parts of the city.  The photos were taken in the winter so the grass is lush and green today.

It will be a honor to play in a historic ballpark like Porter Field.

Lamar Porter was the son of Mr. And Mrs. Q. L. Porter of Little Rock, born August 17, 1913.  He was educated in Little Rock’s public schools, attended Little Rock High School, and graduated from Sewanee Military Academy in Tennessee in 1931. Porter was a junior at Washington and Lee University in Virginia when he was killed in 1934, in an automobile accident. The family of Lamar Porter, in attempt to memorialize his life, provided the land and money required to build the baseball field.

Founders of the Ignite Sports Camp, Todd Dyess and Chris Kellum, have a mission to influence high school athletes in the Jackson Metro area while preparing them for high school athletics.

While planning the 3rd annual Ignite Sports Camp, set to begin tomorrow (July 14), they reached out to Mississippi RBI by awarding 10 scholarships for players to attend their camp for free.

Their mission statement: “To educate and equip kids of all ages on the importance of pursuing academic, physical and spiritual excellence through faith in Jesus Christ.  Through the use of sports clinics, sports camps, concerts and community events kids will have the opportunity to be taught, trained and mentored by both current and ex-college and professional athletes and musicians.”

The following ten players received scholarships and will have the opportunity to learn from former NFL and MLB players.

From Callaway HS: Marcus Mangum, LaDerik Williams, Kaelyn Young, Kedryn Wright

From Murrah HS: Robert Lard, Devon Mannery, Josh Murphy

From Wingfield HS: DeAlvin Bullock, Cedric Smith

From Chastain Middle: Chris Williams

UALR - Gary Hogan Field

Upon entering the stadium you walk down stairs to the seats.  You immediately notice that the field is turf in the infield and grass in the outfield area. A first class indoor hitting facility is located beyond the first base side down the right field line.  There are three batting cages indoors and room for two pitchers to throw at the same time.

Indoor hitting facility and pitching area

It’s a great place to watch a game and there is plenty of shade for fans to take in the action.  Many of our players parents have let us know they will be traveling to watch the tournament.  Contact Beth Boyd at Crowne Plaza Hotel on South Shackleford Drive in Little Rock if you want to stay in the same hotel as your son.

Hogan Field is a great venue for baseball

The championship games will be played Dickey-Stephens Park, home of the Arkansas Travelers, AA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.  It’s a beautiful downtown ballpark right on the river.  It is similar to our AA ballpark in Jackson, Miss, Trustmark Park. This is an unforgettable trip and the lucky 15 players that get to attend will never forget it, no matter the outcome.

View from the 3rd base dugout last July