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Kennett's Trey Bazzell has signed a national letter of intent to play college baseball at Murray State University in western Kentucky after he graduates high school in the spring of 2010.
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A Bootheel Conference Tournament title. Two regular-season Bootheel Conference championships. Two American Legion district championships -- one junior, one senior. Three straight selections to the Daily Dunklin Democrat Dandy Dozen baseball team, just to name a few.
Now it is taking him to a Division I university.
Bazzell has signed a national letter of intent to play for Murray State University in western Kentucky after he graduates from Kennett this spring.
The Thoroughbreds compete in the Ohio Valley Conference with such schools as Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau and the University of Tennessee at Martin.
"Trey came to a showcase camp," Murray State coach Rob McDonald said. "He came to the showcase camp and did a good job. We feel that Trey can help us and be a quality Division I pitcher."
Said Bazzell: "I went to a showcase two weeks ago. (Afterwards) they gave me a call and asked me on a official visit. I had some offers in some other places but I just felt more comfortable with Murray and their coaches. What I like about the school is the campus is very nice, plus I've heard good things about the school and the program."
Bazzell has had a strong career on the mound at Kennett High School, making the Dandy Dozen team all three years at KHS and leading the Tribe in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched and starts as a junior en route to earning all-Bootheel Conference honors.
Bazzell is also expected to be one of the leading contenders to win Player of the Year honors in the conference and also from the Daily Dunklin Democrat.
Bazzell has also been a major factor on the Dunklin County Dodgers American Legion baseball team the last two years, establishing himself as a top of the rotation pitcher and also making some noise with his bat as an outfielder when he wasn't on the hill.
While Bazzell is expected to concentrate on pitching at Murray State, he might get a chance to bat some as well.
"If we feel like a guy has a chance of helping us as a dual guy, we're open to that but we (signed him) as a pitcher," said McDonald. "(But) he was a good high school hitter so we're not averse to that."
Whether he pitches exclusively or bats, Bazzell plans to make an immediate impact.
"I plan on being able to contribute as a freshman," Bazzell said, "working my way up the rotation and continuing to get better."
McDonald is also impressed with Bazzell off the field.
"We do quite a bit of checking on guys and their character, and we've heard good things about him ..." McDonald said. "I know Trey's going to fit very well with the kids we have in our program. He's going to fit with they type of kids we have in our program and that mean a lot here."
Notes: Bazzell will join former Dexter High School catcher and SEMO Conference rival Drew Pixley at Murray State. ... Murray's other sports teams are known as the Racers, while the baseball team is called the Thoroughbreds.
Comments
Buhler, who are his parents? Duh!
Is that supposed to be a stab at Bazzell, saying that he only signed because of his last name? If so, that is an ignorant statement. I don't know him and I don't know his family, but the first time I watched him pitch a few summers ago, I said he could be a D-I pitcher. College coaches aren't interested in politics -- they are interested in building winning programs. We're not talking about the old Kennett High School squads where your parents determined whether or not you played. Kudos to Coach New for doing things the right way and pushing kids like Bazzell to be the best they can be.
I sware aint no sense made of this stuff. Bazzell is Bazzell. Whats Higgins saying anyhow? Seems like Buhler likes Bazzell well enouf, but what Bazzell is it, thats my problem. It aint politics, like Publicans and them Dems, its just I dont know who his parents are and thank Buhler should put that pedigree info in his piece for us to read. What say you Higgins? Do you know? Can you enliten us? You gots to like that name though, Thoroughbreds. Thats keen sounding, like thunder or lightning, aint it?
I thought you were saying that the family he comes from was the reason he was signed because people's last names do a lot for them in Kennett. I was disagreeing with that because Bazzell is a solid pitcher and has tons more potential left in the tank and that is why he was signed. Sorry for the misunderstanding.