There was a celebratory mood at New Hope High on Thursday as baseball players Hayden Dodson and Sam Malone signed letters of intent to play for East Central Community College and East Mississippi Community College, respectively.
The Trojans baseball team has seen a few talented players come through and reach the next level, and their senior pitcher and third baseman are the next up from the ranks.
“It’s always neat, especially when it’s a goal of theirs since they were playing in our program since the seventh grade, but really their whole life,” Trojans head coach Lee Boyd said. “It’s awesome to see them both get a chance to continue on and play, because I don’t think people realize how hard it is to get to the next level. We’re excited for them, and they’ll represent our program well.”
To Boyd’s knowledge, he’s not sure the two have played against each other too much, so it will be a bit of a change when they square off at the next level with Dodson on the mound and Malone at bat for rival programs.
Dodson is taking his pitching talents to Decatur next year, joining a Warriors team and an environment that drew him in quickly after a summer visit.
“I went on a visit there this summer after a travel ball game, it’s a very welcoming place,” Dodson said. “It felt like home, and they have a good reputation with their baseball program.”
He’s thankful for his time as a Trojan, and the platform it gave him to craft the ability and work ethic to get the chance to play college baseball. According to Dodson, that work is matched by his head coach.
“Coach Boyd does everything in his power to make sure we get to the next level,” he said. “And with baseball having a winning program, it’s been a really great seven years here.”
Malone echoed that sentiment, crediting his time with the program for fueling his hard working attitude, and his desire for a program that reflects that is what led him to Scooba.
“The coaching staff, the atmosphere, all the players there are just dogs,” Malone said of EMCC. “They’re ready to work; everyone has to work for their spot. Nobody is getting anything just because of who they are.”
Earning what’s given is important to Malone, and he hasn’t taken his time as a Trojan for granted.
“Coach Boyd has helped me every step of the way, and he has instilled a work ethic in us,” Malone said. “We’re not going to get what we want just because we’re committed somewhere.”
Both players are excited about their opportunity to play beyond high school, but both are still focused on finishing their time as Trojans strong. Boyd is happy to have them as well, having lost several starting seniors last year, and he gets one last ride with pupils he’s watched grow into college-level baseball players.
“We lost a lot from last season, but we’ve got a lot of talented boys coming back,” Boyd said. “Those two specifically. Hayden on the mound has been really good for us since his 10th-grade year, throws pitches for strikes, always keeps us in the game. Sam does a wonderful job at third base. He’s a good hitter, and we’re looking for him to maybe hit top of the order for us. With the guys we’ve got coming back, I think we’ve got a chance to be very competitive. We’ll just have to see how it turns out.”
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