Josh Hill, Wesley Lester and Will Davis all sign with their respective colleges. On top right, Hill puts ink to paper to sign with Mississippi State as his parents Allen and Julia Hill look on. On the bottom, Wesley Lester signs with Northwest Mississippi Community College as parents Hubert and Tracey Lester join him. On top left, Will Davis inks with East Central Mississippi Community College as parents Patrick and Robin Davis sit with him.
Photo: Bryan Davis
With Indianola Academy teams turning in a consistent trend of success while playing the game of baseball, there is a growing list of Colonels being offered the opportunity to play beyond high school.
That list grew significantly longer Tuesday morning when Will Davis, Josh Hill, and Wesley Lester signed their names to play college baseball for three different programs.
“I am extremely proud of all three of these guys”, said IA Head Coach Clete Putnam.
“They have all put in a lot of work to have these opportunities that are in front of them,” he continued. “They have all been vital to the success of our program and I am confident they will be assets to the programs they are joining.”
Not since four players from the 1998 IA baseball team have so many Colonels at one time received such an opportunity.
Now 21 years later, and one year removed from a State AAA Championship, the IA baseball program now features these three players who have committed to play collegiate baseball – one of which will take his talents to a premiere SEC baseball school.
IA pitcher Josh Hill has committed to take his pitching talents to Mississippi State University in Starkville.
With his signing, Hill also becomes the first-ever Colonel baseball player to ink with a Division 1 school upon graduating from Indianola Academy.
This trend of seeing IA baseball players receive the opportunity to compete at the highest collegiate level continues after current Northwest MS CC player Ben Van Cleve recently signed with the Ole Miss baseball program.
Interestingly, the stage is now set for a possible match-up in the future between this pair of ex-Indianola Academy stars when they compete on the turf of Dudy Noble Field or Swayze Field.
However, there is another pair of high-quality, All-State IA players who are moving on to play additional baseball.
Also committing to taking their baseball talents to the highly competitive junior college ranks are Davis and Lester.
Davis will take his right arm and athleticism to East Central Community College in Decatur while Lester’s potent bat has the potential to hammer baseballs far distances while at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia.
