Stanton PriceClint WilkersonAfter a postseason run that saw him pitch 43 innings over five week, Vicksburg High senior Stanton Price needed a break.

Following the last out of the Class 4A championship series against East Central at Trustmark Park, Price has gotten some rest. Now, it’s time to get back on the field and Price will do so Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Crossroads Diamond Class 4A-5A All-Star Classic at Trustmark Park in Pearl.

St. Aloysius baseball coach Clint Wilkerson will coach the South All-Stars in the 1A/2A/3A game on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Price, who led the Gators to their best finish in school history with a 28-10 record and a state runner-up trophy, began preparing for the All-Star Classic last week.

“Just tossing the ball around to loosen up my arm. I was pretty tired at the end of the season. I just needed to get my legs back underneath me,” Price said.

Price is hoping to get more time in the field rather than on the mound. He was one of the state’s best left-handers, going 11-2 with a 1.35 earned run average with 101 strikeouts in 88 innings.

“I could probably go a couple of innings, but what I really hope is to to play in the field,” he said.

Price’s bat may be an even bigger weapon. He hit .467, with nine home runs, 14 doubles while driving in 43 runs.

“He’s the best hitter we’ve faced this year,” Ridgeland coach Brian Rea said of Price.

Prep baseball all-star gamesSaturday, 1 p.m. – Class 4A/5ASaturday, 6 p.m. – Class 1A/2A/3AGames at Trustmark ParkThe game will also be another showcase for college suitors. Price remains unsigned. He had another contact with Southern Miss this week and Gulf Coast Community College also called.

But his focus after the all-star game is to find a job. He also didn’t rule out playing for a Jackson-area summer team.

In four years at St. Al, Wilkerson has compiled an outstanding 95-38 record for the Flashes. That success has made him a candidate for a handful of jobs, including Pearl and Warren Central.

“I’m just waiting to see how things shake out. I’ve been contacted but that doesn’t mean I’ll leave St. Al. We had a team that went 23-7 and started seven sophomores and a freshman so I know I have a good team coming back,” he said.

He’ll have another impressive team to coach in the South All-Stars.

“It’s going to be good. A lot of these kids I’ve seen play or heard about. We have the Hawkins kid who signed with Southern Miss and the kid from Southeast Lauderdale who throws in the upper 80s,” the coach said.