The ending to the 2017 season was a disappointing finish for the Hattiesburg Tigers. A year after representing the south in the 5A State Championship, rival Pearl River Central in the 5A South State Series knocked out the Tigers.
It was even more unfortunate for then-junior Letrelle Johnson. The Hattiesburg designated hitter committed the final out to end the season, and to make matters worse, it was a strikeout looking. Johnson, now a senior on the Tigers’ squad, found redemption to help Hattiesburg claim its first state title since 2006.
“It feels amazing,” Johnson said on the field of Trustmark Park after Hattiesburg clinched the state title. “Honestly, you can’t explain it.”
In his final games as a Tiger, Johnson collected two key doubles and two RBI at the 5A State Championship last week. His first double came in the three-run first inning of Game 1, which knocked in a run to make it 3-0, then he added his second RBI double in Game 2 to help the Tigers grab a 7-1 lead through two innings.
Johnson went 1-for-4 in the 9-5, Game 1 win, then added a 1-for-2 day in Game 2.
“As a senior group, these were our two last games so we had to go all out,” Johnson said. “We had to put everything on the line to win state.”
The senior entered last week’s championship series with a .267 batting average and, surprisingly, only four doubles. He nearly matched his season output on the biggest stage of Mississippi high school baseball.
As the team’s designated hitter, he has a simple mindset, too.
“See ball hit ball,” he said. “Wherever it’s pitched, hit it back wherever it is.”
Johnson, a former defensive lineman for the Hattiesburg football team, signed to play football at Southwest Mississippi Community College in February.
