Germantown alums lead Pearl River to title game

Two former Germantown baseball stars played major parts in leading Pearl River Community College to the NJCAA Division II national title game.

Jackson Hood and Drew Harrison were key contributors for Pearl River this season, Hood being a staple in the lineup and the outfield, while Harrison was one of the top relievers on the team this season. 

Hood had a monster season at the plate this year for Pearl River, compiling a .354 average, 57 RBIs, 14 home runs, and 17 stolen bases. 

Hood was a star for Germantown during his time with the baseball program and racked up plenty of accolades during his high school career. He hit for a .321 average at the plate in his senior season and pitched to a 1.75 ERA on the mound for the Mavericks, while also being a two-time all-state selection.

Harrison was one of the primary arms out of the bullpen for Pearl River this season and came in during several clutch moments throughout the season. He compiled a 1.76 ERA in 30 ⅔ innings, along with 43 strikeouts throughout the year and pitched 3 ⅓ innings during the World Series. He originally enrolled at Tulane, before deciding to begin his college career at Pearl River.

Harrison was dominant on the mound during his time at Germantown, compiling a 2.65 ERA and 61 strikeouts in his senior year for the Mavericks and was a two-time first team all-district selection. 

Pearl River finished as the Region 23 champions, which features the top junior college teams in Mississippi, and went 3-2 at the NJCAA DII World Series, defeating East Central twice and Kellogg Community College (MI) en route to the national title game, where they fell to Pasco-Hernando State (FL) 11-7. 

Hood and Harrison both just finished up successful freshman seasons and will likely be back at Pearl River next season.