MGCCC right fielder named player of the year

There are 133 baseball teams in the NJCAA division II ranks and one of them is Mississippi Gulf Coast.

The Bulldogs have a 31 man roster so bust out the online calculator and that’s more than 4,000 players in the nation give or take.

Now, narrow that down to the best player in the nation and you’re left with West Harrison alum Brandon Parker.

Today, the MCCC right fielder was named the NJCAA Division II All-American baseball player of the year by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings.

Parker couldn’t have been a more deserving recipient after posting record numbers as a freshman up at Perk. In 2018, the former Hurricane cranked off a school best 24 home-runs to go along with a nation leading 81 RBIs and .500 on-base percentage.

Head Coach Rodney Batts says he’s never seen another season like it at the junior college level. “When we saw Brandon out of high school we knew the potential was really, really high. He had the tools, he had the speed, he had the power, you just didn’t know how far he would take it. But he’s always had it, it’s always been in him, I’m just excited for him and the year he had. And just the way he stayed humble with it all year says a lot about him, a lot about him as a person and his character. He could have handled that a whole lot differently, but just the way he handled that with being as humble as he was I think it says a lot about him as a person”

According to the sports information department up at Perk, Parker is the first national player of the year in school history for any sport. He became the 24^th All-American in baseball earlier this month.

Parker is currently on his way back from Virginia, but he tells News 25 “This is unreal. I never would have imagined getting this award. I’m so humbled and honored to be called the National Player of the Year, knowing how many great ball players there are out there and for all of the coaches to believe in me and select me.”

He goes on to say “I’m just so humbled and appreciative of it and that just makes me even hungrier for success, to push harder and be a better version of myself every day.”