Outfielder Zach Smith and left-handed pitcher Shane McKinley provided great leadership in Parklane Academy’s run to the MAIS Class AAA State Championship series. With their combined skills at the plate and on defense, they helped their team reach 22 victories in 32 games and claim their third straight South State crown.

     Smith and McKinley have impressed college coaches with their talents and have signed athletic scholarships to play baseball. Smith signed with the Southwest Bears. McKinley signed with the Co-Lin Wolves.

     For their accomplishments, McKinley and Smith have been selected Co-Most Valuable Player on The DAILY LEADER’s 2012 All-Area Baseball Team. Both are seniors.

     The DL’s All-Area Dream Team is composed of players outside Lincoln County. It was selected by the DL’s sports staff, with input provided by high school and college coaches.

     Other special awards went to Lawrence County junior infielder Hunter Stephens, pegged All-Area Offensive Player. Wesson senior catcher Paxton Cupit received the All-Area Defensive Player Award.

     Joining McKinley on the pitching mound are Jacob Fleming of North Pike, Matt Patterson of Lawrence County and Landon Mabile of Parklane.

     Receiving honors along with Cupit as catcher are Jarvis Warner of Hazlehurst and Doug Strait of Copiah Academy.

     The infielders are Anthony Durr of North Pike, Bailey Warren of Wesson, Jordan McCaffrey of Lawrence County, Tanner Whittington of Parklane and Fred Coleman of Franklin County.

     In the outfield with Smith are Jordan Grayson and Jackson Wall of Lawrence County and LaDarrius Coney of North Pike.

     Joining Stephens at designated hitter are Derrick Brumfield of Franklin County and Kurt Collins of Hazlehurst.

     Utility player are Alex Smith of Wesson and Michael Bagley of Copiah Academy. All-purpose player is Willie Ervin of Hazlehurst.

     Shane McKinley,  a 5-foot-8, 180 pounder, was the Pioneers’ left-handed ace on the mound. He compiled a 9-2 record this season and had a 1.52 ERA, striking out 100 batters and walking 27.

     At the plate, McKinley had a .356 batting average with 33 RBIs.

     “Shane McKinley was our No. 1 pitcher,” said Parklane Academy coach Michael Clements. “He was one of our team leaders and I am extremely proud of his effort.”

     McKinley was a member on the South team in the 2012 MAIS All-Star Game that was played in Jackson’s Smith-Wills Stadium last weekend.

     McKinley shared his thoughts on Parklane’s amazing season. “This was a memorable season. This was a great way to end my senior year. I will never forget it and I appreciate the hard work that everyone gave.”

     How did McKinley become such a good pitcher.

     “I never gave up. With the support of my family I wanted to be a good pitcher from the start and kept pushing myself to continue to get better.”

     Zach Smith,  a 6-foot-1, 205 pounder, was the Pioneers’ top outfielder and No. 3 ace on the mound. Smith was a force in the outfield that drove opposing batters crazy with his skills. He also posted a .430 batting average, collecting 32 RBIs.

     On the mound for the Pioneers, Smith compiled a 6-2 record. He earned a 3.12 ERA with a 31 strikeouts and 19 walks.

     “Zach Smith was a our cleanup hitter and No. 3 pitcher in the rotation,” said Clements. “He did a great job driving in runs and found ways to get on base. Overall, Zach was a great team player.”

     Smith was also a member on the South team in the 2012 MAIS All-Star Game. He was selected as the team’s MVP of the game.

     How did Smith become a good player?

     “My dad definitely played a huge role in shaping me into a good ball player that I am now and I will continue it in my college career.”

     Hunter Stephens,  a 5-foot-11, 160 pounder, was Lawrence County’s top hitter at the plate. He batted .397 and drove in 19 runs, hit 6 doubles and 1 triple. He had an .500 slugging percentage. Defensively, Stephens played in the infield or pitched.

     “Hunter had a great year for us offensively,” said Lawrence County coach Corey Keyes. “He showed up every day ready to get better and loves the game. He is a joy to coach.”

     Stephens uses an Easton Surge bat that weighs 29 ounces and is 32 inches in length.

     Asked about his baseball skills, Stephen said, “My dad worked with me when I was younger and I also went to camps to learn more. Now, I use the batting cage at school to work on the drills that I have learned from Coach Keyes.”

     Paxton Cupit,  a 5-foot-9, 170 pounder, was Wesson’s Most Valuable Player. He helped lead the Cobras to the second round of the playoffs. At the plate, he earned a .326 batting average and had a .366 slugging percentage.

     “Paxton has worked hard to improve behind the plate,” said Wesson coach Seth Lofton. “He did a great job with out pitching staff and threw out a lot of runners. He was very consistent for us behind the plate and worked hard every day.”

     How did Cupit become a good defensive player?

     “Coach Lofton urged me to block every pitch. Coach Jerry Brewer helped me a lot on blocking drills.

     “I would like to thank, Coach Lofton, Coach Brewer and Coach Knight for all their support and encouragement,” continued Cupit. “I would also like to thank my teammate for the great year.”

     Cupit’s favorite college team is Mississippi State and his favorite MLB team is the New York Yankees. Cupit is planning to play baseball at the junior college level and later transfer to MSU to pursue a degree in coaching.

     Jacob Fleming,  a junior, compiled a 6-2 record for North Pike with a 2.47 ERA.

     Matt Patterson,  a junior, posted an 4-2 worksheet for the Cougars. He chalked up 23 strikeouts and owned a 2.96 ERA.

     Landon Mabile,  a senior, earned a 6-2 record for the Pioneers. He posted a 2.65 ERA, striking out 24 batters. He had 16 walks.

     Jarvis Warner,  a sophomore, earned a .404 batting average for the Hazlehurst Indians.

     Doug Strait,  a junior, batted .349 at the plate for Copiah Academy.

     Anthony Durr,  a senior, compiled a .396 average for the North Pike Jaguars.

     Bailey Warren  a sophomore, had a productive year for the Wesson Cobras. He had an .326 batting average.

     Jordan McCaffrey,  a junior, helped the Lawrence County Cougars with a .323 average at the plate.

     Tanner Whittington,  a sophomore, played  a huge role in Parklane’s season with a .303 average.

     Fred Coleman,  a senior, provided leadership for the Franklin County Bulldogs. He batted .350 on the season.

     Jordan Grayson  a senior, batted .367 for the Cougars and drove in 18 runs.

     LaDarrius Coney,  a sophomore, posted a .388 average for North Pike.

     Jackson Wall,  a senior, batted .325 for LCHS.

     Derrick Brumfield,  a sophomore, played a huge role for the Meadville-based Bulldogs as he batted .405 on the season.

     Kurt Collins,  a senior, batted .347 for Hazlehurst.

     Michael Bagley,  a senior, posted a .351 batting average for the Colonels.

     Alex Smith,  a junior, earned a .256 average at the plate for Wesson. On the mound, he compiled a 0.82 ERA and strikeout 25 batters.

     Willie Ervin,  a senior, had a productive season for the Indians. He batted .381.