POPLARVILLE — Wednesday proved to be a proud day for Pearl River baseball coach Michael Avalon and his staff as they saw 11 players who were instrumental in claiming the 2018 MACJC State Championship sign with four-year programs.

Along with members of the softball and men's basketball programs, 14 Wildcats in total signed during Wednesday's ceremony, which was held in the Marvin R. White Coliseum lobby.

"This is the final product. This is something we talked to them about during the recruiting process. These guys have dreams and goals and it's our job to help them reach those heights," Avalon said. "This is a very good day for them, for their families and for this program."

Jerod Meggs (Kosiusko) and Miles Smith (Laurel; Northeast Jones) signed with South Alabama; Matt Taylor (Raleigh) and Colin Danley (Lucedale; East Central) signed with Southeastern Louisiana; Reis Trager (Hurley; East Central) and Deyton Lingle (Lake) signed with Spring Hill College; Shemar Page (Raleigh) signed with Louisiana Tech; Noah Barron (Hoover, Ala.) signed with New Orleans; Wiley Cleland (Columbia; Columbia Academy) signed with Louisiana-Monroe; Luke Harper (Meridian; Northeast Lauderdale) signed with North Alabama and Trenton Lee (Picayune) signed with West Alabama.

Although he was busy jumping in and out of each signee's photo session, Avalon caught himself stealing away a couple moments to reflect on his talented group of sophomores.

"When you saw that group sitting up there together, and how excited they are, that's why we do what we do," he said. "We're just very humbled by it all and thankful that these guys and their families trusted us, this place and this program. For it to come to fruition, it's an awesome feeling."

NOAH BARRON

Barron was an offensive leader for PRCC in '18, hitting .325 with four homers, a team-high 17 doubles, 39 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. 

WILEY CLELAND

Cleland hit .255 with three homers, 13 extra-base hits, 32 RBIs and a .331 on-base percentage plus a .404 slugging percentage. He also stole six bases.

COLIN DANLEY

The right-hander was 3-1 in in 18 appearances for PRCC. He struck out 39 in 28 1/3 innings and boasted a team-best 12.39 K/9 to go along with a 4.76 ERA.

LUKE HARPER

Harper hit .327 with two homers, nine extra-base hits, 22 RBIs, eight stolen bases and a .433 OBP plus a .465 slugging percentage.

TRENTON LEE

Lee played an important reserve role for PRCC a year ago, hitting .389 with a .450 OBP and .611 slugging percentage. He also recorded seven RBIs, scored six times and collected two stolen bases, one double and one homer.

DEYTON LINGLE

Lingle appeared in 11 games and posted a 1-1 record. In 8 1/3 innings, Lingle struck out 10 with a 10.80 K/9.

JEROD MEGGS

Meggs was second on the team with three saves and posted 1 -0 record on the bump. In 29 2/3 innings, Meggs struck out 27 and finished with a 8.19 K/9.

SHEMAR PAGE

Page led the team with 10 wins and a 2.73 ERA. In 59 1/3 innings, Page struck out a team-best 77 against just 19 walks. His 11.68 K/9 was fourth highest among regulars on last year's team. Avalon deployed Page as a dual threat, which paid off big-time for the Wildcats as the Raleigh native hit .307 with two homers, seven doubles, 16 RBIs and a .480 slugging percentage.

Page earned a spot on the All-MACJC and All-Region XXIII teams. He used his standout season to earn a spot on the NJCAA's National Baseball Team, which competed in August in the National Baseball Congress World Series in Kansas.

MILES SMITH

Like Page, Smith was a reliable starter for the Wildcats and finished with a 6-2 mark on the hill. In 55 2/3 innings, Smith struck out 50. His 3.23 ERA was the third-highest mark among regulars. As a freshman, Smith earned a spot on the All-MACJC Second Team. 

MATT TAYLOR

Taylor was a terror on the base paths for the Wildcats a year ago, leading PRCC with 19 stolen bases. He was also on base plenty, hitting .372 with a .454 OBP and .476 slugging percentage. He finished the season with 10 doubles, one triple, one homer, 26 RBIs and struck out just 19 times in 145 at-bats — the lowest mark among Wildcat regulars. Taylor also earned a spot on the All-MACJC Second Team.

REIS TRAGER

An important reserve for PRCC, Trager hit .538 with a .600 OBP and .538 slugging percentage. He also scored five times.

The Wildcats finished 2018 with a 38-11 overall record, won their second state title and advanced to the semifinal round of the MACJC Region XXIII Tournament for the second consecutive season.

REIGNING CHAMPS

While Wednesday was certainly a day the Wildcats and their families will never forget, Avalon wanted to take a moment to point out there's still work to be done while they're all together at The River.

"They got something special started, and you'd like to think there are a few more chapters to write," he said. "Without a doubt, that's the character of these young men, their work ethic and abilities, they speak for themselves. If I know them like I think I do, they're going to work harder now and make sure they add to their legacy."

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