Prior to Thursday, it had been nearly 12 years since a Hattiesburg Tiger last signed a Division One baseball scholarship. Well, that streak is now over as not one, not two, but three Tigers signed on the dotted line on this day.
Joe Gray with Ole Miss, Dexter Jordan with Louisiana-Lafayette and A.J. Stinson with Alabama State. Calling it a special group might be an understatement.
“Growing up with these guys was a big opportunity,” Jordan said. “We knew we would be special players. Joe is really athletic and long, and A.J. had a strong arm on him growing up.”
Jordan, a pitcher and outfielder, went 6-3 on the mound and chipped in 35 hits and 31 RBIs at the plate last season for the Tigers. He says the process got him to this point.
“This is a special opportunity right here,” Jordan said. “Four years of high school, that’s a tough time battling through the process, staying strong and staying humble to get things done.”
Jordan committed to Louisiana-Lafayette last July. Despite rediscovering his love for football, he’s stuck by the Ragin’ Cajuns ever since.
“The atmosphere. It’s a great school. The coaches and family, it’s just a community. They are all one.”
Like Jordan, Joe Gray had been committed for several months. Gray, one of nation’s top-ranked 2018 prospects, chose Ole Miss back in January and made it official with the Rebels on Thursday.
Having attended signing ceremonies for all Hattiesburg sports over the last few years, this was an opportunity Gray dreamed of for quite some time.
“I come in here every single time, and I imagine myself at that table, too,” Gray said. “It’s a really good day.”
Gray, a pitcher and outfielder, led the Tigers in just about every offensive statistic last season and is projected to be a first round pick in next year’s MLB Draft. In not thinking that far down the road, Gray just wants to develop, and he says Ole Miss is the perfect spot to do that.
“Just being able to trust those coaches to potentially develop you while also winning is big,” Gray said. “College baseball is starting to go away from developing kind of. It’s turned into a winning game, but at Ole Miss, I know for a fact I will get that development there.”
“I’ll develop as a player if the draft come next year doesn’t work out.”
A.J. Stinson, arguably Hattiesburg’s best pitcher, committed to Alabama State last month and signed with the Hornets alongside Gray and Jordan.
“It’s amazing and a blessing to be here with the guys I grew up with and played with all my life,” Stinson said.
Stinson went 7-5 on the mound last season for the Tigers and says Alabama State will be a perfect fit for him.
“They let the players be themselves, and that’s what I’m expecting,” Stinson added. “It’s like a family, honestly. It’s just good all together.”
