Five MCC Eagles are headed to the next level.

MERIDIAN - Four MCC baseball players and one Lady Eagle soccer player signed to continue their athletic careers at four-year institutions in a signing ceremony held in the Tommy Dulaney room at MCC on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.

Head Coach Dillon Sudduth said, "Days like today are why players come to MCC; to put themselves in a position to play at a higher level. At MCC, we have a tradition of sending players to the next level."

Sophomore catcher Blaise Priester(Live Oak High School ) is returning to the LSU Tigers. Blaise redshirted at LSU before joining the Eagles in 2022. As a freshman at MCC, Priester hit .357 with 10 home runs and 36 RBIs. Those numbers earned Priester a spot on the first-team All-MACCC team. Priester said, "I can't believe I get to live out my childhood dream."

Sophomore pitcher Landon Waters(Grenada High School) will pitch for the Rebels at Ole Miss. Landon was 5-0 as a Freshman for the Eagles and had a 4.42 ERA with 36 strikeouts. Waters is the fifth Eagle in a row to sign with the University of Mississippi, following Banks Tolley, Braden Luke, Bo Gatlin, and Gunnar Dennis.

Sophomores Caleb Hall and Rhett Ketchum have been teammates since high school at Heritage Academy. They will continue the trend when they join the Bulldogs at Louisiana Tech University, where former MCC player Lane Burroughs is the head coach. As a Freshman for the Eagles, Caleb was 4-0 with a 2.98 ERA and 49 strikeouts. Caleb said, "Playing Division 1 baseball has always been one of my dreams, but I was always unsure where I wanted to play. As soon as I stepped onto LA Tech's field and interacted with the coaches and players, I knew that moment I wanted to be a Bulldog." Hall added, "I'd like to thank my family and friends who have all pushed me to be the best I can be in everything I do. I give all the glory to God."
Rhett Ketchum hit .328 with 25 RBIs and 7 extra-base hits as a Freshman for MCC. Rhett said, "I'm really excited to get the opportunity to continue playing the game I love at the Division 1 level."

Sophomore defender Taylah Ross(Terry High School) signed with The Tougaloo Bulldogs. As a 2-year starter, Ross anchored a strong back line for the Lady Eagles. Ross said, "I'm forever grateful for being a Lady Eagle, but once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog."

Head coach Mike Smith said, "I'm extremely happy for Tay. She's worked her tail off for me the past 2 seasons and has improved so much, and she deserves this."