Like every other high school baseball player in Mississippi, Maddox Lynch envisioned a lot of big moments ahead when Warren Central took the field on opening day.

An embarrassing faceplant was not one of them.

“I fell going around third and the ligaments just popped in my hand. I had to go have surgery,” Lynch said.

The injury during a jamboree game against Clinton cost Lynch a month of his senior season. While sidelined, he cheered on his teammates and helped where he could. And when he finally got back on the field he helped even more.

Lynch had a hit in 14 of 21 games after his return. He finished with a .350 average and 18 RBIs, posted a 4-1 record and 2.52 ERA as a pitcher, and was a catalyst for a hot streak that propelled Warren Central to the Class 6A semifinals for the second year in a row.

After falling down, Lynch picked himself and Warren Central back up to claim the 2025 Vicksburg Post baseball Player of the Year award for Warren County.

“It’s always a big deal to be able to win something in the city,” Lynch said. “It’s a blessing that God gave me the ability to be able to play the sport. Even though it started out with the injury, to be able to come back, He just blessed me.”

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Lynch led the Vikings in home runs, doubles and RBIs in 2024 as they reached the Class 6A championship series, and was poised for another big year. That was thrown into question, however, when he tripped rounding third against Clinton on Feb. 8.

He had surgery to fix the ligaments in his throwing hand two weeks later, then sat out two more weeks to rehab it. In the meantime, he did what he could to help the team while wanting to do a lot more.

Lynch was one of only four returning starters and taking his big bat and arm out of the lineup was a blow early in the season. The Vikings were only 3-7 before he returned on March 13.

“Watching, supporting, still trying to be a team player through it all. Even though you’re injured you can still play a role by cheering your teammates. Even if I wasn’t out there playing I was still part of the team and still helping,” he said. “It’s tough. But during that time I still played a role in helping the team stay together and not flipping out after losing all those games in a row. Even though I was in here in the dugout I was still part of those losses. It hurt me just like it hurt them.”

Lynch returned for a spring break tournament in mid-March. After going 0-for-4 in his first game against Biloxi, Lynch got hot and so did the Vikings. He had two hits in each of his next three games — all victories — and a seven-game hitting streak.

His first pitching start of the season came on March 21, and he had nine strikeouts in four innings. Lynch and Ryan Steed combined for a five-inning perfect game as the Vikings beat Columbus 14-0. It was part of a run of 17 wins in 18 games that did not end until the Class 6A North State championship series vs. Saltillo.

“I was eager, for sure. Whenever I got out there it was go time. I didn’t let anything stop me from there,” Lynch said.

Although the Vikings had plenty of talented players and got contributions from almost of them, Lynch’s return was the spark they needed to turn things around after the rough start.

With Lynch leading the way, Warren Central won its third consecutive Region 2-6A championship, won 20 games for the first time since 2019, and reached the state semifinals in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history.

Lynch said he was proud of what he and his teammates accomplished. Lynch, Hayes Loper, Lester Martin and Hayden Blok are the only seniors on the roster.

“It shows that Warren Central is back and they’re here to compete every year. I think, in the upcoming years, with all the young guys I played with it’ll set the tone and make them more hungry and they’ll push past North State and win state,” Lynch said. “We may not be a big (senior) class — there’s only four of us — but we paid our time and everything paid out for us. With winning all those district championships it makes us proud, because no other class has been able to do that. We’re the first in a long time.”

The end of the 2025 season also marked the end of Lynch’s baseball career. He was a three-year starter for both the baseball and football teams at Warren Central, and signed with South Alabama to play the latter sport.

He had some offers to play baseball, or both sports, but opted to go with the one he enjoyed more.

“I had the opportunity to play baseball. It’s always been baseball up until the ninth grade. But as soon as I started playing varsity football in 10th grade it was like a new atmosphere. A new feeling. I fell in love with it more than I fell in love with baseball,” he said. “I had to think about it, but at the end of the day I’d rather go play football because I love it more than baseball.”

Getting to play in college in any sport, he added, was a blessing he is not taking for granted.

“It’s a blessing, for sure, that I get to continue what I do and put myself out for the glory of God and spreading His name on a bigger stage, and show myself in that kind of way,” Lynch said. “He gave me the ability so I’ll use it for Him.”

Vicksburg Post baseball Players of the Year
2025 – Maddox Lynch, Warren Central
2024 – Conner Watkins, Warren Central
2023 – Blake Channell, Warren Central
2022 – Gage Palmer, Porter’s Chapel
2021 – Wes Warnock, St. Aloysius
2020 – Kendrick Bershell, Vicksburg
2019 – Vantrel Reed, Warren Central
2018 – Vantrel Reed, Warren Central
2017 – Christian Oakes, Warren Central
2016 – Conner Wilkinson, Warren Central
2015 – Marcus Ragan, Warren Central
2014 – Carlisle Koestler, Warren Central
2013 – Hunter Austin, Warren Central
2012 – Cody Waddell, Warren Central
2011 – Beau Wallace, Warren Central
2010 – Stephen Evans, St. Aloysius
2009 – Stephen Evans, St. Aloysius; and Montana McDaniel, Porter’s Chapel
2008 – Stanton Price, Vicksburg
2007 – Michael Busby, Porter’s Chapel
2006 – Jordan Henry, Vicksburg
2005 – Michael Busby, Porter’s Chapel
2004 – Mark Different, Warren Central
2003 – Justin Henry, Vicksburg; and Ryan Hoben, Porter’s Chapel
2002 – Brian Pettway, Warren Central
2001 – Taylor Tankersley, Warren Central
2000 – Robby Goodson, Vicksburg
1999 – Shea Douglas, Warren Central
1998 – Shea Douglas, Warren Central
1997 – Cody McCain, St. Aloysius
1996 – Stacy Williams, St. Aloysius
1995 – Stacy Williams, St. Aloysius
1994 – Jason Wilbanks, St. Aloysius