Petal's Tanner Beliveau and Jayden Madison are extending their baseball careers in Mississippi. Beliveau will be heading to Mississippi State, while Madison is going to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
"This is the fourth year of me being here," Mills said. "They were part of that first group, and so they have been with me for four years. These two are special, and I've seen them grow not just as players but as people."
Beliveau will have the chance to pitch and catch. Last season, Beliveau hit .231, 17 RBI, two doubles and five homers. As a right-handed pitcher, Beliveau throws between 90-93 mph. Last season, he struck out 43 batters in 30 innings.
"It's my understanding he'll (pitch and catch)," Petal coach Jake Mills said. "He has a big arm and he has a big bat. Everybody knows that. I think he is going to have the opportunity to do both. I think he can do that. He is a game-changer behind the plate. He can shut down the running game with the arm he has got. He has electric stuff in the zone when it's in the zone. Also, with one swing of his bat, he can change any game he is a part of. That's what makes him an all-around player."
Last season, Madison posted a 2.16 ERA, struck out 76 batters and walked 11 in 48.2 innings.
"He has gotten stronger and gained some weight," Mills said. "He's not a very big guy, but the thing about Jayden is the pitch ability. He can throw any pitch at any time at any moment.
"It's not a coincidence because of how he is good. He has worked to be that way. The biggest thing for him is that he can throw four pitches for strikes in really and any counts."
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