EMCC freshman Tyler Odom chosen NJCAA All-Region 23 to headline quartet of Lion baseball honorees

SCOOBA – Freshman third baseman/pitcher Tyler Odom headlines East Mississippi Community College's quartet of baseball honorees by being selected to the 2013 NJCAA All-Region 23 Team.  Chosen by the head baseball coaches of the Mississippi Association and Community and Junior Colleges, this year's all-region and all-state baseball selections were officially announced Monday.

All-state honors went to EMCC sophomore pitcher Smokey Ethridge and freshman outfielder Colton Caver, who were selected to the MACJC All-North Division First Team.  In addition, Lion freshman Trent Waddell was tabbed as the NJCAA Region 23 nominee for national consideration on the NJCAA's Gold Glove Team after compiling the highest fielding percentage among all Region 23 starting first basemen this past year. 

Odom batted a team-high .390 for head coach Chris Rose's Lions to rank fourth among all Region 23 hitters, which comprise the states of Mississippi and Louisiana.  The former Oak Grove High School standout also stood second on this year's EMCC squad with 27 runs batted in and nine doubles.  Odom also maintained a .544 slugging percentage, including 13 extra-base hits, and a .451 on-base percentage as a collegiate rookie.

A dual threat for this year's EMCC ballclub, Odom also posted a 3-1 pitching record with a 3.56 earned run average and a save.  The rookie right-hander allowed just 21 hits and struck out 17 in 30.1 innings of work on the mound.

For the second straight year, Ethridge was the Lions' pitching ace by matching his win total from his freshman campaign.  Along with his 6-1 mark as a sophomore, the 6-foot-1 right-hander registered a 2.86 earned run average with 39 strikeouts and just 19 walks in 13 pitching appearances.  The former West Lauderdale High School hurler completed his two-year EMCC career with a 12-3 pitching record.         

A first-year outfielder, Caver finished just behind Odom for the Lions' batting title by hitting .389 in 44 games.  The former Gulfport High School product posted a .490 slugging percentage, tying for second on the team with nine doubles and adding a pair of home runs.  Caver also drove home 20 runs and scored 27 times as a collegiate rookie.

Waddell, who prepped at Tuscaloosa's Northridge High School, fielded at a .994 clip this past year by committing only two errors in 315 total chances at first base.  With the bat, the southpaw hit .261 on the year with a team-most 10 doubles in addition to tying for third with four home runs.  In addition, Waddell led all EMCC regulars with a .476 on-base percentage, aided by a club-high 42 bases on balls.