Lawrence, Forristall join NFL clubs; Justus assigned by Marlins
ATHLETES BEYOND BARTOW With the congested collegiate schedule starting to wind down, the professional athletes from Bartow County got to take center stage this past week.
Most notably, Cartersville High legend Trevor Lawrence became the first athlete from the county drafted No. 1 overall in any of the major sports. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected the standout quarterback Thursday night, ending months (years, even) of speculation that Lawrence would be the top pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
It should also be pointed out that Lawrence's former high school teammate Miller Forristall signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent.
The 6-foot-5, 244-pound former quarterback posted 23 receptions for 253 yards and one touchdown during his redshirt senior year. In his Alabama career, which included winning two national championships, Forristall recorded 44 catches, totaling 505 yards and five scores.
In baseball, Sam Howard has received plenty of attention in this space for his exploits over the first month of the MLB season — and rightfully so.
But it's time to give a look to the minor league players from the area, particularly those whose seasons are set to begin Tuesday. That includes former Canes Connor Justus, who recently signed with the Miami Marlins organization and will start out at Double-A Pensacola, and Anthony Seigler, who will begin the year with the New York Yankees' High-A affiliate Hudson Valley.
Not to be outdone, A.J. Mosby remained on fire to begin his tenure with the Shreveport Mustangs of The Basketball League. A former member of the NBA G League, Mosby totaled 51 points, 17 rebounds and 15 assists across two games this past weekend.
PRO BASEBALL
Sam Howard (Pittsburgh Pirates; 8th-year pro; Cartersville HS) — Howard tossed a scoreless eighth inning last Tuesday with one strikeout to earn his fifth hold of the year as the Pirates won 2-1 at home over the Kansas City Royals. In Saturday’s 12-5 home loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, Howard was inserted with one out in the sixth inning with the Pirates trailing 5-3 and a base runner at third. The southpaw got a strikeout and a fly out to end the frame. He then started the seventh inning, issuing a walk and a single before being lifted. Unfortunately, both of those runners were his responsibility and scored later in the inning to elevate his season ERA from 1.80 to 3.38 in 10 2/3 innings across 14 relief appearances.
Connor Justus (Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Miami Marlins organization; 6th-year pro; Cartersville HS) — The former Cartersville Purple Hurricane and Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket recently signed a minor league contract with the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. Justus, who last played for the Independent League St. Paul Saints, signed with the Los Angeles Angels organization in 2016 and spent four seasons with Inland Empire and Mobile prior to being released. The utility infielder signed with the Marlins organization April 21. Pensacola will play in the newly formed Double-A South League that will include the Biloxi Shuckers, Mississippi Braves, Montgomery Biscuits, Birmingham Barons, Chattanooga Lookouts, Rocket City Trash Pandas and Tennessee Smokies. The schedule will include weekly six-game series (Tuesday through Sunday) which were slated to begin Tuesday. League play runs through mid-September.
Anthony Seigler (Hudson Valley Renegades, New York Yankees organization; 4th-year pro; Cartersville HS) — The Yankees 2018 first-round pick was recently assigned to the High-Class A affiliate Renegades, who play their home games in Wappingers Falls, New York. Seigler, who will wear No. 74, has battled some injuries during his professional career, spending time with the Gulf Coast League Yankees West, with Pulaski in the Appalachian League and with the Low-Class A Charleston RiverDogs. Hudson Valley was scheduled to begin play Tuesday at the Jersey Shore Blueclaws.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Mason Barnett (Auburn So., Cartersville HS) — Barnett pitched the sixth inning in a 4-0 loss Thursday at 20th-ranked Georgia. Barnett gave up a pair of earned runs on two hits, including a home run, and a walk, while striking out two of the six batters he faced. Auburn (19-21, 5-16 SEC) bounced back Friday and Saturday to win their first conference series since April 2019. The Tigers were slated to host UAB Tuesday night before entertaining LSU Thursday through Saturday.
Clifton Dempsey (Toccoa Falls Sr., Cartersville HS) — Dempsey finished 3-for-7, including a double, a run scored and one RBI in Saturday’s doubleheader split at home against Alice Lloyd College (Kentucky). The Screaming Eagles (14-24) will play next and host the National Christian College Athletic Association Division II South Region Tournament May 13-15.
Jake Gooch (Central Alabama CC So., Cartersville HS) — Gooch started three of four games for the Trojans last week and was hitless in a series with Wallace State-Hanceville. In 50 games this season, Gooch hit .311 with 43 RBIs. Central Alabama (23-33, 11-21) did not qualify for the Alabama Community College Conference playoffs.
Lane Griffith (West Georgia Sr., Adairsville HS) — Griffith started in two of three home wins against Christian Brothers over the weekend. Griffith was 1-for-7 at the plate with a double, three walks, three runs scored, one RBI and a stolen base. The Wolves catcher has started in 29 games and appeared in 33 this season with a .303 batting average in 128 plate appearances. He has two home runs and 19 RBIs. Seventh-seeded West Georgia (18-21, 17-19) takes on No. 2 seed West Florida Friday in both teams’ first-round game of the double-elimination Gulf South Conference championship tournament at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama.
Brycen Jones (Central Alabama CC Fr., Cartersville HS) — Jones pitched 1 2/3 innings Saturday allowing three runs (two earned) on one hit and two walks in an 11-5 Trojans loss at Wallace State-Hanceville. For the season, Jones made 19 appearances, including one start, and finished with a 2-1 record. He worked 25 2/3 innings with a 3.86 ERA and 24 strikeouts.
Kenny Jinks (Shorter So., Woodland HS) — Jinks worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings last Monday in the Hawks’ season finale — a 13-11 home loss to Union (Tennessee). Jinks gave up a pair of hits and a walk, while striking out six of 12 batters faced in the appearance. The lefty finished the regular season with a 3.60 ERA in five innings pitched. Shorter (26-13, 23-13) heads to the Gulf South Conference tournament this Friday in Oxford, Alabama. The Hawks will be the No. 3 seed and will open the double-elimination tournament bracket against Alabama-Huntsville.
Harrison Osborn (Point Jr., Cartersville HS) — Osborn gave up seven earned runs on six hits, including a home run, in a third-inning appearance during a Skyhawks 15-0 loss last Tuesday at fifth-ranked Faulkner. He then bounced back with a scoreless inning Saturday, facing five batters, in a 9-5 loss to 17th-ranked Bryan College. Point (22-22, 15-14) were slated to compete in the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament Tuesday through Friday in Kingsport, Tennessee.
Preston Welchel (Coastal Alabama-Bay Minette Fr., Cartersville HS) — Welchel went 1-for-5 with a home run, two walks, and three RBIs in a home doubleheader Friday with Lurleen B. Wallace CC. Welchel finished the regular season with a .305 batting average. He has four home runs and 34 RBIs with six stolen bases. The Sun Chiefs (23-32, 15-17) qualified for the Alabama Community College Conference Tournament as the South’s No. 5 seed. Coastal-Bay Minette has a single-elimination game Thursday against Southern Union, with the winner qualifying for the double-elimination portion of the bracket that runs Friday through next Tuesday.
Jordan Wilkie (Augusta Fr., Cartersville HS) — Wilkie made a start at second base Friday, finishing 0-for-3 during a 7-0 loss at Young Harris. Wilkie appeared in 19 games this season with a .156 batting average in 45 at bats. He had a double, four walks, and two RBIs. Augusta finished the year 8-28 overall and 7-27 in the Peach Belt Conference.
PRO BASKETBALL
A.J. Mosby (Shreveport Mavericks; Cartersville HS) — Mosby continued his torrid pace in The Basketball League with two more stellar performances over the weekend. The Alcorn State product flirted with a triple-double in a victory over Lewisville (Texas), finishing with 17 points and nine each of rebounds and assists. Mosby followed that up with 34 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a loss to Houston.
PRO FOOTBALL
Miller Forristall (Tennessee Titans; Cartersville HS) — Following the conclusion of the NFL draft Saturday, Forristall agreed to sign with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent. The former Alabama tight end recorded 44 catches, 505 receiving yards and five touchdowns across parts of five seasons — two of which ended with national championships.
Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars; Cartersville HS) — The former No. 1 prospect in the country became the top overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, landing with the Jacksonville Jaguars Thursday night. Lawrence, who won two state titles at Cartersville and added a national championship at Clemson, is the third Bartow County football player to be selected as a top-10 pick since 2005, joining Ronnie Brown and Vic Beasley Jr. During his three seasons with the Tigers, Lawrence threw for more than 10,000 yards and ran for just under 1,000. He tossed 80 touchdown passes and cemented his status as a legitimate rushing threat with more scores on the ground (18) than interceptions (17).
SOCCER
Havyn Isaac (Georgia Military So., Adairsville HS) — Isaac and the Bulldogs suffered a 1-0 loss last Wednesday at South Georgia.
SOFTBALL
Bella Carnes (Georgia College Fr., Woodland HS) — Carnes stole a base and scored a run as a pinch runner in Saturday’s 10-8 win at Flagler College. She saw action in 22 games as a freshman with the Bobcats — mostly as a pinch runner. She did have a handful of starts as an outfielder and made 35 plate appearances. She finished with a pair of hits, five walks, seven runs scored and two stolen bases. Georgia College finished 2021 with an 11-25 record and missed the Peach Belt Conference playoffs with a 5-15 conference record.
Skylar Chappell (Cottey College So., Woodland HS) — In the final games of the regular season Saturday, Chappell went 0-for-2 in a doubleheader loss at Science and Arts (Oklahoma). She has a .357 batting average with four home runs and 13 RBIs this season in 28 at-bats. The Comets (25-9) play Thursday in the opening round of the Association of Independent Institutions tournament. Cottey squares off with Edward Waters (Florida). The tournament continues through Saturday at Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville.
Lauren McElhaney (West Georgia Fr., Cartersville HS) — McElhaney saw action in a doubleheader loss Saturday at Mississippi College. McElhaney had an at bat in the first game as a pinch hitter and drew a start at catcher in the second game, finishing 0-for-3 for the day with a walk. Having wrapped up the regular season with the pair of defeats, the Wolves (23-14, 17-11 Gulf South Conference) will play in the conference championship tournament Thursday through Saturday at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama.
Hannah Todd (Kansas Sr., Cartersville HS) — Todd pitched a scoreless sixth inning Saturday, retiring all three batters faced with one strikeout in a 6-5 loss at Baylor. She then worked 2 1/3 innings Sunday in a 6-1 loss to the Bears. Todd allowed one earned run on two hits, while striking out three. The Jayhawks (22-23, 2-13) close out their regular-season slate Friday through Sunday with a home series against Iowa State. The Big 12 Softball Championships are May 14-15 at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City.
TRACK AND FIELD
Stephen Smith (Kennesaw State So., Cass HS) — Smith wound up fifth in the men’s pole vault, clearing 4.75 meters, at the UNF Invite Thursday in Jacksonville, Florida.
— Nicholas Sullivan of The Daily Tribune News contributed to this report.
