POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference announced its All-Conference teams Wednesday morning, and for the second year in a row, the Pearl River baseball team paced the league with 10 selections.
KK Clark (Brandon), Jackson Hood (Madison; Germantown), Jacob Johnson (Carriere; Pearl River Central), Topher Jones (Hernando), Jacob Keys (Brandon) and Caston Thompson (Jayess; Brookhaven Academy) each were First Team. Keegan Giger (Petal) and Drew Harrison (Madison; Germantown) landed on the Second Team. Carson Fair (Southaven) and Jaxon Milam (Phenix City, Ala.; Glenwood Academy) were Honorable Mention selections.
All six of PRCC's First Team selections also earned All-Region 23.
Additionally, Clark was named the conference's Pitcher of the Year, and Thompson grabbed Player of the Year. PRCC took home both of the awards in the same year for the first time since 2021.
"When you look at this list of these individual awards for this team, it makes sense how this team set the school record for wins," head coach Michael Avalon said. "Each one of these young men are cut from the same cloth. They have a tremendous work ethic, a desire to lead and a hunger to be the best.
"The most humbling thing is that each of these guys would tell you that none of this would be possible without their brothers pushing them to be their best. Iron sharpens iron."
PITCHER/PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Clark earned the conference's top honor and a First Team selection after dominating his competition all season long. The right-hander is second in the MACCC in ERA (1.75), second in strikeouts (101) and third in wins (10). He currently has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.61, walking just 18 batters. He also has a WHIP of 0.94. Clark's 101 strikeouts make him the fifth Wildcat pitcher to eclipse the century mark in the modern era.
Clark is the second Wildcat in the Avalon era to receive MACCC Pitcher of the Year, joining Landon Gartman (2021).
Thompson has ed the way for Pearl River at the plate all year long. The left-handed hitter led the team in batting average with a mark of .372 and racked up 71 hits so far this season, with 30 of them going for extra bases. He's currently second on the team in RBIs with 73 and has scored 60 runs. Thompson became selective at the plate in his redshirt sophomore season, working 42 walks.
The selection makes back-to-back MACCC Player of the Year awards for Pearl River and the third since 2021. He joins Hollis Porter (2024) and Tate Parker (2021).
"One of the toughest things to do in sports is to handle the expectation and pressure of winning," Avalon said. "Caston and KK were both marked men throughout the year and continually made big pitches or delivered big hits when we needed them most. They embraced the challenge and consistently set the tone for this program."
JACKSON HOOD
Hood has excelled as a freshman for Pearl River and heads into the World Series with a .344 batting average, 12 homers, five doubles and one triple. Through 57 games, Hood has driven in 51 runs and scored 51 runs. He was named MACCC Player of the Week once during the season.
JACOB JOHNSON
A future Auburn Tiger, Johnson has looked every bit like an SEC pitcher in 2025. The right-handed pitcher currently holds a 1.62 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP through 15 appearances. He is 12-1 on the season and has struck out 66 batters against 19 walks.
TOPHER JONES
After joining the team in January, it took Jones some time to adjust, but when he did, it was electric. From April 1 through the Region 23 Tournament, Jones hit .494 to improve his season batting average to .377. He has belted 10 long balls and had a team-high 67 RBIs. He added 15 doubles, two triples and scored 59 runs.
JACOB KEYS
Keys has made an impact behind the dish and in the batter's box this season. Heading into the World Series, the Southeastern Louisiana signee is hitting .341 with 10 homers and 16 doubles. He has driven in 47 runs and scored 67. Behind the plate, he has a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and has gunned down 12 runners trying to steal bases.
KEEGAN GIGER
Giger has been a human highlight real at second base during his sophomore season, making just six errors across 199 total chances and taking away numerous hits. In addition to his defensive efforts, Giger has been a true table setter as the leadoff man, hitting .346 with a .423 on-base percentage. He knocked tacked on 16 doubles, four homers and three triples.
DREW HARRISON
Harrison has been an elite bullpen arm for Pearl River in 2025. He has tossed 27 1/3 innings and has an ERA of 1.32 and a WHIP of 1.17. So far, he is 3-0 with a save, punching out 38 batters along the way.
CARSON FAIR
Fair has held down the closer role throughout the season and has been elite while doing it. He has racked up eight saves to tie the PRCC single-season record. Additionally, the future Memphis Tiger has a 3.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and has punched out 29 batters in 21 innings pitched.
JAXON MILAM
After transferring in from South Alabama in the fall, Milam anchored the shortstop position for PRCC. On top of being a plus-defender at the position, Milam hit .332 with 15 doubles, five homers and two triples. The left-handed hitter tallied 48 RBIs, 61 runs scored and 67 hits.
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