Late Mississippi State offer presents new opportunity for 2024 Lamar School LHP Wes Pritchard
Just days before the beginning of school, Wes Pritchard’s life is taking a major turn.
The Lamar School left handed pitcher has had plans of playing baseball at one of the top junior college programs in the country in East Central Community College. Coach Neal Holliman and his staff locked up the long lefty a couple of years ago and there hasn’t been any hesitation since.
That changed over the last two weeks when Pritchard’s dream school took notice of his standout summer. After performing at a high level in recent weeks, coach Justin Parker pulled the trigger on an offer for Pritchard to come be a Mississippi State Bulldog and he has taken it.
“It was really summer ball that did it. I was happy with where I was but State has always been the dream,” Pritchard said. “I had the opportunity to play on an extremely competitive summer team and I threw well. It’s been the last couple of weeks since coach Parker called me and we got all of this set up. It’s been crazy.
“It was very difficult for me to have the conversation with coach Holliman because he’s such a great man and a great coach and I’ve been so appreciative of what he did for me. But he understood that this was a once and lifetime opportunity for me and told me to take it.”
Pritchard’s velocity beginning to jump
Pritchard is a pitcher that looks like he’s just getting started on the mound.
After throwing in the low 80s with his fastball earlier this year, Pritchard’s velocity is beginning to tick upward. Perfect Game had Pritchard ranked as its top pitching performer at the World Woodbat Association championships for 17U.
Pritchard threw 11.0 innings, struck out 20 batters, walks four and gave up just two earned runs. His fastball was up to 87-89 mph regularly and topped out at 90. Parker likes what he’s already shown on the mound but it’s his potential that really intrigues the coach.
“He likes how I throw and my frame. The biggest thing is that he wants me in here to work with him and I really look forward to that,” Pritchard said.
“I like the way that he coaches, and the numbers speak for themselves. You see the year that they had two years ago and the year they had last year. Developmentally, he’s one of the best in the country. Working in those facilities with one of the best pitching coaches in the country, it’s something I could never pass up.”
Along with the fastball, the 6’3, 170-pounder has a slider, curveball and a changeup and a background as a starter makes him an interesting piece in the future.
Whatever the role, Pritchard is excited for the new journey. It’s a heck of a change in about one week’s time and there’s some scrambling that he and his family have over the next week, but he’s ready for the journey.
“I’ve grown up always wanting to play at Mississippi State. I didn’t really see it possible until lately and it kind of blew up,” Pritchard said. “You look at what coach Parker has done and it’s trending really heavy in the forward direction. You see coach Parker having the most drafted players in college baseball this year and that’s something that I look forward to.
“The school part I’m not worried about, I just want to get in there and compete. It’s been crazy the change coming out of nowhere. Two weeks ago, if you would have told me I was going to Mississippi State, I would have told you I you were crazy. It’s been a whirlwind.”
