Cody Waddell spent three years doing everything he could to beat Warren Central.

In 2012, he lifted the team up on his shoulders and carried them to the second round of the playoffs.

Waddell transferred from archrival Vicksburg High to WC before his senior season and quickly became the Vikings’ best pitcher. He went 8-1, struck out 97 batters and walked only 11 in 702⁄3 innings, and had an ERA of 0.79. Waddell capped his stellar senior season with a spot in the Crossroads Diamond Club All-Star Game today and the Vicksburg Post’s Player of the Year award.

“I’ve always dreamed about it. It finally came true. I’ve been working hard,” said Waddell, who has signed with Northwest Mississippi Community College.

In his first two varsity seasons at Vicksburg, Waddell showed plenty of potential but never put it all together. He had a 2.05 ERA in 441⁄3 innings as a sophomore in 2010, then slumped in every category his junior year. His ERA went up more than two runs per game, he threw fewer innings, and even his hitting stats dipped. Waddell’s batting average dropped from .347 in 2010 to .265 in 2011.

Waddell said some nagging arm trouble was mostly to blame.

“I had to go through physical therapy and had a little arm trouble, but I was ready to go toward the end of the season,” he said.

His senior season, however, was marked by change. He transferred to WC and got a waiver from the Vicksburg Warren School District and the Mississippi High School Activities Association to compete in athletics. Once at his new school, he had to adjust to a new group of teammates. Waddell had played with several of WC’s players on the Vicksburg Angels all-star team, which he said eased the transition.

“They all accepted me with open arms and everything. I was comfortable wherever I was,” Waddell said. “I’ve known them since I was a kid and playing with them. That helped me.”

So did his development into Warren Central’s unquestioned ace on the mound.

Waddell won his first five starts for the Vikings and earned a save in a relief appearance against Class 6A finalist Madison Central. He had at least eight strikeouts in eight of the nine games in which he pitched at least six innings and won all three of his starts against division opponents.

In a first-round playoff win over Columbus, Waddell won both games. He started Game1 but left after just two innings when WC jumped out to an 8-0 lead. He returned to the mound the next day and struck out 11 batters in 62⁄3 innings to lead the Vikings to a two-game sweep.

He also took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of Game 1 of a second-round series against Northwest Rankin, but WC couldn’t give him any run support and they lost 4-2. Northwest Rankin finished the sweep the following day.

While Waddell’s pitching was his biggest contribution to Warren Central’s success, it wasn’t all he did for the team. He started at shortstop when he wasn’t on the mound and turned in a solid year at the plate. He brought his average up to .333 — nearly 70 points higher than last season — had six doubles and drove in 11 runs. He had six multi-hit games, including a 4-for-4 performance against Vicksburg on April 3.

“He gave us a chance to win every time he pitched. Even when he wasn’t pitching, he competed in the middle of the infield and hit the ball well,” WC coach Josh Abraham said. “Any time he pitched, the offense was more aggressive because we knew there was a certain number of runs we had to get to. Everybody rallied every time he pitched.”

In the loss at Northwest Rankin, Waddell had another career highlight. In the first inning, the radar gun on the scoreboard clocked his fastball at 90 mph. It was the first time Waddell, who normally tops out around 88 mph, was registered at the magical 90 mark.

“I didn’t see it. I just got back to the dugout and they told me. I was surprised,” Waddell said. “You’re speechless. The pros are right up there, and it feels good to be right up there next to the pros.”