Derek Atkins - Atkins, a 6-2, 220-pound right-handed pitcher at Copiah-Lincoln Community College, posted an 8-3 record with a 3.92 earned run average his freshman season. (He has recently had Tommy John surgery and is having to sit out the remaninder of his sophomore season.-Gene) Coached by Keith Case and former MSU pitching standout Pete Young, Atkins earned MACJC All-State honors as a freshman last spring. He drew 15 starts and registered 73 strikeouts in 75-2/3 innings. "Experienced pitchers are vital to the success of college baseball programs, and after another season on the mound for Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Derek will be ready to compete in the Southeastern Conference," said MSU coach Ron Polk. "We welcome Derek and his family into our university and baseball program." Atkins was a three-year starter in baseball at E.D. White High School in Thibodaux, La., where he was coached by Boyd Hebert. He was a three-time all-district, all-region and all-parrish standout. The Cardinals' ace earned first-team all-state laurels as a senior, capping his prep career with a 10-1 record, a 1.40 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 78 innings. He also batted .395 with 49 RBI and eight home runs. He compiled a 21-5 career pitching mark with 221 strikeouts. Atkins was also a three-year letter-winner and all-district standout in basketball and track at WHS, earning all-state honors in track his senior season. "I am very excited about having the opportunity to play for one of the top teams in the Southeastern Conference," said Atkins. The MSU baseball signee is the son of Steve and Donna Barras of Thibodaux, La., and Dave Atkins of Thibodaux.
Brooks Dunn - Dunn, a 6-1, 190-pound left-handed pitcher, earned honorable mention all-state and first-team all-county honors after helping lead Daphne High School to a 37-4 finish and the 2001 Alabama Class 6-A state championship. Dunn compiled a 9-3 record as a junior with four saves and a 1.95 earned run average at DHS, where he was coached by Mike Power. He will compete his senior season in the Birmingham metro area at Vestavia Hills High School, coached by Sammy Dunn. "Brooks pitched last year for the state championship Daphne High School baseball team and has now joined another state championship baseball program at Vestavia Hills High School," said MSU coach Ron Polk. "He was a tremendous asset to the program at Daphne and will be an equally fine asset to the programs at Vestavia Hills and at Mississippi State." Dunn is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the National Honor Society. He is the son of Mike and Tina Dunn of Vestavia Hills, Ala. [Brooks is rated the 13th best senior player in the state of Alabama by Prospects Plus.-Gene]
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Casey Hamilton - Mississippi State University has signed infielder Casey Hamilton of Catlettsburg, Ky., to a national letter of intent in baseball, MSU head baseball coach Ron Polk announced. Hamilton, a 6-1, 180-pound left-handed hitting infielder, is a three-year starter at Boyd County High School, where he is coached by his father, Jody Hamilton. Hamilton placed third in voting for Kentucky's 2002 Mr. Baseball honors as voted by the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association. A two-time Kentucky all-state selection and three-time all-area performer, Hamilton hit .473 in helping lead the BCHS Lions to a 33-6-1 record and the 2001 state title. "Casey is an outstanding young man who has displayed tremendous skills in the infield and with the bat playing for his father at Boyd County High School," said MSU coach Ron Polk. "He was a highly-recruited young man, and we are excited that he has chosen Mississippi State University to continue his baseball career after he completes his senior year in high school." He has compiled a .458 batting average in three seasons as a starter at Boyd County, piling up 167 hits (40 doubles), 143 runs batted in and 38 stolen bases in 41 attempts. Hamilton led the Kentucky prep ranks with 67 RBI as a sophomore and with a senior season remaining stands to finish second on Kentucky's all-time high school career hits list. He was named to the all-tournament teams in both regional and sectional competition, selected for the 2001 Kentucky East/West All-Star Series and invited to the 2001 East Coast Professional Showcase in Wilmington, N.C. "I'm very excited about becoming a part of the Mississippi State baseball program and its outstanding tradition," said Hamilton. "The family atmosphere surrounding the program is unique and I really felt at home during my visit there. It is an honor to be welcomed by Coach Polk and his excellent coaching staff." He is the son of Jody and Denise Hamilton of Catlettsburg, Ky. [Casey is rated the 363rd best senior player in the nation by Prospects Plus.-Gene]
Tyler Scarbrough - Scarbrough is a 6-3, 180-pound third baseman at Meridian Community College, where he earned NJCAA All-American, All-Region 23 and All-Miss/Lou Conference honors as a freshman in 2001. He compiled a team-leading .385 batting average with 65 hits, a team-high 19 doubles and five home runs, playing for coach Russ McNickle, now a member of the Mississippi State coaching staff, and current head coach Michael Federico. The right-handed hitting Scarbrough helped lead the MCC Eagles to a 37-18 finish during the 2001 campaign and was honored as the Miss-Lou Conference Player of the Year. "All of us at Mississippi State are pleased that this fine student-athlete has decided to attend our university after he completes his sophomore year at Meridian Community College," said MSU coach Ron Polk. "He enjoyed a stellar freshman season in community college baseball and we expect he will enjoy an equally impressive sophomore year before he begins play here at Mississippi State." The Bulldog played high school baseball for two seasons at Meridian High School under coach Vince McLemore. As a senior he paced the Wildcats with a .479 batting average, 35 RBI and 15 stolen bases, earning team MVP, MHSAA All-Star and Collegiate Baseball Blue Chip honors. He compiled a .431 career batting average with 53 RBI and 29 extra-base hits in two seasons at MHS. "I feel very fortunate to get the opportunity to play for Coach Polk at Mississippi State," said Scarbrough. "I am looking forward to playing in the Southeastern Conference and hopefully winning a national championship." The MSU signee was a 2000 honor graduate at Meridian High School and is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at MCC. He is the son of Phil and Susan Scarbrough of Meridian, Miss.
Daniel Tackett - Tackett is a 5-9, 175-pound middle infielder at Hinds Community College, where he is coached by Rick Clarke. As a freshman on the HCC Eagles baseball team he hit .325 with 52 hits, 32 RBI and 17 extra-base hits last spring. "What a pleasure it is for the Mississippi State University Baseball Program to announce the signing of Daniel Tackett to a national letter of intent," said MSU coach Ron Polk. "He comes from two fine baseball programs in Jackson -- Hillcrest Christian High School and Hinds Community College. Both of these programs have prepared Daniel to take his game to the next level." Tackett was a four-year standout performer under coach Paul Wyczawski at Jackson's Hillcrest Christian, where he set school career records with 159 games played, 390 at-bats and 180 runs scored. He hit .341 with 30 RBI as a senior, earning Mississippi Private School Association All-State and MPSA All-Star honors. A two-time all-district selection as a shortstop, Tackett hit a career-best .350 and set a school single season record with 51 runs scored as a junior in 1999. During his career he played on teams that advanced to four state championship series and captured state championships in 1998 and 1997. "Playing baseball for the Bulldogs has always been a dream of mine," said Tackett. "Mississippi State has a tradition as a powerhouse in Southeastern Conference baseball ... who better to play for than Mississippi State?" The MSU baseball signee is the son of Karen and Donald Tackett of Terry, Miss.
Jeff Butts - Butts, a member of the silver medal-winning 2001 USA Junior National Team, is a 6-0, 175-pound left-handed hitting all-state outfielder from Daphne High School. Hit .395 with 5 home runs and 26 RBIs as a senior. He was selected to the Alabama Sports Writers Association's Super All-State team for the second year in a row and was selected the 6A Player of the Year. He also was honored as the Mobile Register's 2002 high school baseball Player of the Year. As a junior he compiled a .455 batting average and set school records with 65 hits and 17 doubles while helping lead coach Mike Power's DHS Trojans to a 37-4 record, a No. 3 national ranking by Baseball America and the 2001 Alabama Class 6A state championship. "We are very excited that this highly-recruited young man has signed a national letter of intent to become a student-athlete at Mississippi State University," said MSU coach Ron Polk. "Jeff should be an impact player very early in his college baseball career." Daphne High School's co-captain in 2001, Butts is a two-time All-Baldwin County performer. He earned Class 6A all-state honors, was named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association's Super All-State team, the Mobile Register's Deadly Diamond team, Alabama High School All-Star South team, and the 2001 National High School Baseball Coaches Association All-District III team. He was a member of the USA Junior National Team that captured the silver medal at the COPABE Pan American Tournament held in Camaguey, Cuba. He hit .345 and set a school single season record with 52 hits as a sophomore, helping lead the Trojans to a 37-7 record and a runner-up finish in the state tournament. Including a freshman baseball season at Fairhope (Ala.) High School, Butts has registered 60 stolen bases in 67 career attempts. "I am very excited about the opportunity to have a chance to play in a first class program," said Butts. "Mississippi State Baseball is always going to be at the top and they have great fan support." Butts is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the National Honor Society. He is the son of Frank and Elizabeth Butts of Daphne, Ala. [Prospects Plus rates Jeff the 187th best senior player in the nation.-Gene]
Brad Corley - Corley is a 6-2, 195-pound dual position standout (OF/RHP) at Louisville's Pleasure Ridge Park High School. The three-time all-state, all-district and all-region selection had a career batting average of .433 with 179 hits, 174 RBI and 35 home runs. After going 10-1 with a 1.17 earned run average and 85 strikeouts in 54 innings his senior season, Corley compiled a career record of 24-4 with almost 200 strikeouts. "What a tremendous addition Brad Corley makes for Mississippi State as a legitimate dual position player," said MSU coach Ron Polk. "Brad is a product of one of the nation's finest high school baseball program, Pleasure Ridge Park High School, and has all the tools to be an impact player in our baseball program." Corley, a 16th-round selection by the Colorado Rockies' in the 2002 Major League Baseball draft, won Kentucky's 2002 Mr. Baseball honors as voted by the Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association. He has also been honored as the Junior of the Year, Sophomore of the Year and Freshman of the Year in Kentucky over the past three seasons. "It feels great to sign with one of the top baseball programs in the nation," said Corley. "Mississippi State has the best coach and the best fan base in the country." He is the son of Blandon and Mary Corley of Louisville, Ky. [Brad is rated the 108th best senior player in the country by Prospects Plus.-Gene]
Joseph Hunter - Hunter is a 6-1, 180-pound right-handed hitting outfielder and two-year starter at Germantown (Tenn.) High School. A 2001 Tennessee Sports Writers All-State selection, Hunter hit .358 and helped guide coach Phil Clark's Red Devils to a 30-10 mark and the Tennessee Class AAA state championship. "We are certainly pleased that Joseph Hunter will soon become a part of our Mississippi State University baseball program," said MSU coach Ron Polk. "He plays in one of the best high school baseball programs in the nation and should be an impact player in our baseball program." The MSU signee started in the outfield playing primarily in center field for GHS and earning all-district, all-Shelby County and all-state tournament honors. Hunter was tabbed as the MVP of the state tournament after hitting a tournament-record .900 (9-for-10) with a 1.700 slugging percentage. "Joseph will be a great addition to the MSU program," said Germantown coach Phil Clark. "He is the best defensive outfielder in Germantown history. He is so looking forward to playing at Mississippi State and for Coach Polk, and I look forward to being able to see Joseph play with the other Germantown players at State." Hunter hit .353 as a sophomore and helped lead GHS to a 35-5 record and a No. 3 finish in the 2000 Tennessee Class AAA state playoffs. His Germantown summer league team won the 2001 National High School Baseball Tournament in Louisville, Ky., and the summer league teams on which he competed the two previous summers captured back-to-back National Amateur Baseball Federation (NABF) World Series titles. This summer Hunter was invited to participate in the 18-and-under National USA Team Trials, the East Coast Professional Showcase in Wilmington, N.C., and the Ohio Valley Professional Scouting Association Showcase in Louisville, Ky.. This fall he was invited to compete at the Perfect Game Tournament in Jupiter, Fla., where Baseball America ranked him among the top 50 players in the 64-team event. "It is an honor to be asked to play baseball for Mississippi State," said Hunter. "There is no better coaching staff in the country than the MSU staff led by coach Ron Polk. I look forward to being a part of this tradition-rich program." He is the son of Chip and Janet Hunter of Germantown, Tenn. [Prospects Plus rated Joseph the 167th best senior player in the nation. Joseph, at the end of his senior season, was projected to go anywhere from the 3rd through the 8th round prior to calling all MLB clubs to let them know not to draft him because he was going to attend Mississippi State-Gene]
Brian LaNinfa - LaNinfa is a 5-11, 195-pound, two-time all-area and all-state 1B/OF at Venice (Fla.) High School, where he has starred for coach Craig Faulkner. He hit .396 as a junior, leading the Indians with 38 hits and 10 doubles. He hails from the same VHS baseball program that produced former four-year MSU standout outfielder/first baseman Jon Knott. "Our coaching staff was very impressed with Brian's baseball ability at our summer baseball camp," said MSU coach Ron Polk. "Based on our evaluation and the fine career he is enjoying at Venice High School, we feel he will be a quality performer at Mississippi State." LaNinfa received the VHS Best Offensive Player Award as a sophomore, leading his team with a .442 batting average, 42 hits, 37 RBI and 13 doubles. A two-year letter-winner, the MSU signee will carry a .419 career batting average into his senior campaign next spring. "It has been a dream of mine to play college baseball in the Southeastern Conference, and I'm really excited about the opportunity at Mississippi State," said LaNinfa. "I can't wait to begin." He is the son of Barbara and Gerry LaNinfa of Venice, Fla.