NEW HOPE — New Hope senior Dawson Lofton said holding his college signing ceremony alone would have been less than ideal.
“If I would have been by myself, I would have been nervous, man,” Lofton said.
Good thing he had some friends along.
The Trojans pitcher was one of four New Hope seniors who signed Monday morning to continue their baseball careers at junior colleges across the state. Brant Smith, Gates Gerhart and Hunter Carr joined Lofton in celebration.
“We’re proud of them, but we’re proud for our program, too,” New Hope coach Lee Boyd said. “It’s always nice for those guys to get a chance to go on.”
Lofton and Gerhart signed with East Mississippi Community College. Smith is headed to Northeast Mississippi Community College, and Carr will play at Holmes Community College.
Lofton, Gerhart and Smith had planned to sign together Monday — until they found out Carr had an offer from Holmes. Then the trio became a quartet.
“It’s awesome,” Gerhart said. “They’re some good guys. I’d do anything for them.”
Like most New Hope players, the four seniors grew up playing together and have one last year to make an impact before they graduate. New Hope won the MHSAA Class 4A championship in 2019, and Lofton said he thinks the Trojans can go deep in the Class 5A playoffs this year.
“It’s going to be special — just trying to make the most of every moment we can and see how far we can go,” Carr said.
Of the four, only Gerhart was on that state championship team, moved up to the varsity squad as a freshman. He played only a handful of games as a sophomore before COVID-19 shut down the season, and his junior year was his first full season on varsity.
Boyd said Gerhart “did a fantastic job” in center field and got some time on the mound in 2021. He’ll reprise both roles this spring.
“I think Gates will probably hit in the 3 or 4 hole and possibly get some innings,” Boyd said.
Gerhart said he has dreamed of playing college baseball for his whole life and found a good fit in EMCC.
“I know the coaches; I have a good relationship with them,” Gerhart said. “I’ve had some time to hit with the hitting coach down there, and what he does works really well with me.”
Lofton will join his teammate in Scooba at a campus he described as “perfect” for its small-town feel and facilities.
“It’s always been a dream to play college baseball, and East is the place for me,” Lofton said.
The pitcher missed almost all of the 2021 season with a cracked growth plate in his elbow, tossing 12 innings. Boyd said he had a strong summer and will be at full strength this season.
“We’re looking forward to him getting a lot of innings for us on the mound this year, and I think he’s going to do a great job in Scooba for those guys,” Boyd said.
Smith also will be called on to pitch in addition to playing first base, which Boyd said he should be able to do at Northeast.
“Brant’s just a really hard worker, a good kid, loves the game, has worked his butt off in the summer in the weight room,” Boyd said. “We’re looking forward to getting a lot of innings from him on the mound, and he swings the bat pretty good, too.”
Smith said he loved the Booneville campus as soon as he visited. A week later, on Oct. 11, he committed to play for head coach Richy Harrelson and the Tigers.
“It’s a good program, and I like the facilities and everything up there,” Smith said.
In Holmes, Carr found a similar fit. The catcher said a lot of hard work went into his commitment to the Bulldogs on Oct. 25.
“They’re going to be a really good program coming up in the next couple years, and I want to be a part of it,” Carr said.
Boyd said he’s looking forward to having the catcher for another year after Carr came on strong in 2021 — both at the plate and behind it.
“Hunter does a tremendous job behind the plate: receives it pretty well, blocks it pretty well, throws it pretty well,” Boyd said. “He’s probably going to be a mainstay in the middle of our order — going to hit in the 4 or 5 hole for us.”
Given the importance of their roles, it’s clear to see how much New Hope will rely on the group of four seniors this season.
And before they head off to Scooba and Booneville and Goodman, they’ll get back together for one final run.
“I’m looking forward to one more year with these guys,” Boyd said.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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