Vicksburg is a baseball town these days.

No doubt about it.

Former Warren Central standout Beau Wallace, who plays now at Hinds Community College, was named to the NJCAA All-America team and likely will be a high draft pick in next year’s MLB draft.

The rest of the Hinds roster that won the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges state title was populated heavily with such county talent as St. Al’s Pierson Waring and Ryno Martin-Nez, PCA’s Montana McDaniel and Vicksburg’s Jacob Thomas and Taylor Brocato.

The county sent three players — Clyde Kendrick and Lamar Anthony from Vicksburg and Warren Central’s Cody Waddell — to the Crossroads Diamond Club All-Star games this month.

Justin Henry, who played his high school baseball at Vicksburg, is on the verge of finally making the Detroit Tigers squad as a utility man after years of toiling in the minor leagues. He’ll likely make the big league club from triple-A Toledo when rosters expand in September. His younger brother, Jordan, has recently returned from rehab for a knee injury and is playing for the Akron Aeros, the double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.

What do all of these great players have in common? They played, at one time or another, recreational baseball here.

And the next generation of players is coming up strong, as the Vicksburg Warren Athletic Association is sending 14 teams to the United States Specialty Sports Association state tournaments that start today in Oxford, New Albany, Ridgeland, Brandon, Tupelo and Madison.

In the ages 6-and-under tournament, the Vicksburg Stars and Vicksburg Vikings will represent the VWAA. The defending ages 7-and-under champions, the Mississippi Jammers, will get a chance to earn another state title banner. In the the ages 8-and-under tournament, the Vicksburg Volcanoes and Vicksburg Bandits aim for the trophy. The Vicksburg Cannons will represent the city in the 9-and-under tournament, while the Vicksburg Billies, Vicksburg Blue Jays and Vicksburg All-Stars will play in the 10-and-under tournament. The Vicksburg Terminix All-Stars and Vicksburg Braves will play in the 11-and-under tourney, while the Warren County Warriors will represent the county in the 13-and-under tournament.

That’s approximately 150 players who will have a chance to play for a USSSA state title.

Call them the seed corn of the next crop of players that might be leading Vicksburg, Warren Central, St. Aloysius or PCA to a state title, playing at the college level or even getting drafted by the big leagues.

And proof the future is a bright one on the diamond for years to come.