PHOTO BY SHELLIE BURGESS The Daily Leader All-Area Most Valuable Defensive Player, Kelly Burgess of Enterprise.

Hard-throwing Enterprise junior Kelly Burgess was once again the man on the mound for the Yellow Jackets.

In 56.2 innings of action for coach Cass Brister and the Yellow Jackets, Burgess struck out 82 batters, finishing with a 2.23 ERA on the mound.

For his play, Burgess has been named the 2025 Daily Leader All-Area Most Valuable Defensive Player.

Burgess was All-Area overall MVP last season after helping EAC reach the third round of the 1A playoffs as a sophomore.

In 2025, he was also a top offensive contributor, finishing tied for second on the team with 31 hits. At the plate, he had eight doubles, one triple, and 19 RBIs.

Like the other players honored for individual accolades on the 2025 team, Burgess has received interest from a number of community college programs during his career.

His continued success will be a key for the Jackets in 2026 as Enterprise makes the move back up to Region 7-2A after the latest round of reclassification.