Seven Indians earn postseason baseball honors

Seven Indians earn postseason baseball honors
Adam Gore/LetsGoICC.com

FULTON, MS – The Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) has released their All-State and All-Region 23 baseball selections for the 2017 season with Itawamba Community College having seven different Indians earned postseason honors.

Sophomore first baseman and outfielder Tyreque Reed (Houlka) was a unanimous First Team selection on the MACJC All-State and NJCAA Region 23 list of honorees. 

Reed finished the season with a nation-leading .504 batting average, tallying 71 hits and 57 RBIs, and a team high 15 home runs. He was walked 46 times and only struck out 11 times in 141 at-bats.

The Houlka native finished the year ranked in the Top 9 in five categories in the country including; a nation's best on-base percentage (.638), slugging percentage (.943), batting average, walks, and home runs. He was named MACJC Player of the Week twice during his sophomore season.

Reed recently committed to Coach Andy Cannizaro and the Mississippi State University baseball program.

In his two seasons at ICC, Reed had a .416 batting average with a .535 on-base percentage and a .814 slugging percentage. He totaled 89 runs scored on 112 hits with 26 doubles, 25 home runs, and three triples while being walked 63 times and striking out 39 times in 269 career at-bats.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher JT Salter (Bay Minette, AL) was named to the MACJC All-State First Team and the NJCAA Region 23 Second Team. He finished tied for 16^th nationally in strikeouts.

Salter wrapped up his sophomore campaign with a 3.31 ERA with 84 strikeouts and 32 walks while giving up 45 hits resulting in 30 runs, 24 earned, to finish 7-2 on the year in 65.1 innings of work. He earned back-to-back MACJC Pitcher of the Week honors and was named NJCAA Pitcher of the Week.

Salter committed to Coach Greg Goff and the University of Alabama baseball program in May.

After two years in Fulton, Salter finished his career with a 3.89 ERA with 126 strikeouts to 59 walks in 104 innings pitched. He surrendered 54 runs, 45 earned, on 78 hits to finish with a 12-3 career record.

Sophomores Steffon Moore (LHP/West Point), Jon Morgan Payne (RHP/Belmont), Hagan Box (2B/French Camp), Austin Carpenter (1B/Belmont), and Keith Stepter (OF/Hernando) were selected to the MACJC All-State Second Team. 

The Indians finished 31-16 on the season and hosted an opening round best of three series in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament.

For more information on ICC baseball, follow ICC Athletics on Twitter (@LetsGoICC).