Jackson State baseball trio earn preseason All-SWAC honors

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Two Jackson State baseball infielders and one outfielder received All-Southwestern Athletic Conference preseason team bids Friday afternoon.

Second basemen and JSU’s star player Ty Hill received a first-team spot for the second time entering his third year as a Tiger. He was a second-team All-SWAC nominee in the 2022 season.

First baseman Jaelen Williams and outfielder Jatavious Melton were named to the All-SWAC second-team by conference officials.

Hill has had a stellar career so far at JSU, particularly at the plate. The Saltillo, Mississippi native had a batting average of .432 in 2021 and hit .338 last season, which was the fifth highest in the SWAC. For his career, he averages a ridiculous batting average of .406.

In 93 career games played for JSU, the second baseman has recorded 140 hits, 101 runs, and 84 RBI’s. Last season, Hill scored 60 runs (fifth in the SWAC) with 80 hits and 20 doubles (both second in the SWAC).

Williams hit .319 last season with five home runs and 41 RBI in 50 games with 48 starts. He had 18 multi-hit games and 10 multi-RBI games as well.

In his Jackson State career thus far, the junior has batted .320 at the plate, recording a total of 65 hits, 34 runs, 46 RBI’s and 5 home runs.

Melton, a Natchez, Mississippi native, had a batting average of .317 with two home runs and 32 RBI. Melton was tied for fourth in SWAC in runs scored last season, crossing the plate 62 times.

The senior has compiled 114 hits, 108 runs, and 61 RBI’s while batting a career average of .320 at the plate entering his third year in the capital city.

Jackson State was predicted to finish fourth in the SWAC’s Eastern Division this upcoming season.

The Tigers will open the 2023 season next Friday, Feb. 17, in the Houston Astros Cactus Jack HBCU Classic, facing BoomBox Classic rival Southern at 7 p.m. at Minute Maid Park, home of the current World Series winners.

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