Omaha dreams lure WC star

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, August 28, 2001

Brian Pettway, shown with his new state championship ring in Warren Central’s fieldhouse, verbally committed to Ole Miss Thursday night. He batted .483 with 20 doubles, eight home runs and 37 RBIs to lead the Vikings to a 36-3 record and their first baseball state title this year. He will be the first Warren County player to play on Ole Miss’ baseball team in more than 30 years.(The Vicksburg Post/C. Todd Sherman)

[08/225/01] Brian Pettway is a senior of few words. He lets his bat do the talking for him.

All he had to do Thursday night was say “yes” to some coaches who have heard his bat loud and clear for the past three years.

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The strapping 6-foot, 210-pound senior verbally committed to Ole Miss on Thursday night in the first step in what has been a dream throughout life.

“It seems like the right place for me,” said Pettway, who will be the first Warren County player to play for Ole Miss since Johnny Mims more than 30 years ago. “That’s where I wanted to go my whole life. I love the school and the baseball program.”

If Pettway keeps playing like he has his first three seasons at Warren Central, the Rebels’ coaches could soon fall in love with him.

Pettway, a three-time Vicksburg Post All-County selection, hit a gaudy .483 with 20 doubles, eight home runs and 37 RBIs in leading the Vikings to their first baseball state championship in 2001. He was the only junior to make all-state this year.

“He’s one of the best (hitters I’ve seen), no doubt,” said first-year WC coach Randy Broome, who was an assistant for Pettway’s first three years. “I played with a guy named David Steed at Meridian who went on to Triple-A in the Dodgers organization and he was a solid hitter all the way through.

“Shane Pullen is another one that stands out in my mind. He went to Southern Miss and was drafted by the Phillies.

Right now, Brian ranks right up there amongst them. And I think that will continue.”

Pettway, who gave up football after his freshman year to concentrate on baseball, said he learned most of his skills from his father, Joe, an accomplished player in the 70s at Warren Central, then at Mississippi College.

“He taught me a lot,” said Brian Pettway, sporting a brand new state championship ring to commemorate a 36-3 season.

Although he can play anywhere on the field catcher only in emergencies, he said with a chuckle he said he thinks he’ll be an outfielder in college.

He went 4-2 on the mound, but had a nagging elbow injury and two undefeated pitchers in front of him, so he wasn’t called on to pitch much.

“We had Taylor (Tankersley) and Carl (Upton) and whenever they needed help, I was there,” Pettway said. “They did a great job and carried the team.”

It’s the bat, though, that had Rebels’ coaches wanting to land him early. Southern Mississippi and Mississippi State showed interest, but coaches from Ole Miss, he said, called every week.

Players aren’t allowed to sign letters of intent until Nov. 14 and Pettway said he will sign then. Coaches are not allowed to comment on recruits who have not signed.

The Rebels (39-23-1), under first-year coach Mike Bianco, an assistant for LSU coach Skip Bertman for many years, advanced to the NCAA Regionals in New Orleans, losing in three games.

“He’s a great coach,” Pettway said. “He’s brought that program a long way and hopefully we can bring it farther. He knows what to do.”

Last week, the Rebels secured the services of first-round draft choice Alan Horne, who turned down Cleveland’s $1.6 million signing bonus. Fellow pitcher Pete Montrenes also spurned the pros to return for his senior season.

The Rebels, who finished 39-23 and tied for second in the Southeastern Conference’s Western Division last year, return a solid nucleus of hitters, too, including Burney Hutchison and Josh Christian. They led them in every major statistical category.

Pettway paused, then brought up the “O” word Omaha, the home of the College World Series.

“He’s been to Omaha before and, hopefully, he’ll go again,” Pettway said with a grin. “… It’s my dream to go and I think I picked a college that can get there. Ole Miss is on the rise right now.”

One year ago, Tankersley committed to play at the University of Alabama in August to rid him of the

distractions of the recruiting process. Pettway said he doesn’t think those distractions would have bothered him, but he wanted to get the decision out of the way.

“Once I get inside the fence, I’m focused on baseball,” Pettway said. “It’s all business.”

The business decision may come next June during the amateur baseball draft. Pettway is listed on many lists of top prospects and he knows pro scouts are certain to flock again to Viking Field.

“Taylor had a lot of scouts looking at him and that just helped us out,” Pettway said. “By them looking at him, they also saw us. I try not to look at it as a distraction. I just try to focus on the game.”

In the past four years, Warren County players in Division I baseball have skyrocketed. In addition to Tankersley, WC’s Shea Douglas and Kevin Coker are at Southern Miss, while VHS’ Michael Brown and Robby Goodson are at Mississippi State.

Several other seniors on this year’s Warren Central roster are garnering serious attention from D-I schools.

Broome has little doubt the first in the Class of 2002 to sign with be a hit in Oxford.

“There are a lot of Rebel fans around here that will get excited,” said Broome, who grew up in Baton

Rouge and watched Bianco as a player at Ole Miss. “I talked to some coaches at Ole Miss and they want him to swing the stick.

“It’s always been said that if you can hit, they’ll find a spot for you. Brian Pettway can hit.”