SENATOBIA – Throughout the summer, several current and former Northwest baseball student-athletes have received the benefit of organized competition in collegiate and professional baseball leagues around the country.

In the majors, former Ranger pitcher Cody Reed is gearing up to begin the season with the Cincinnati Reds later this week. The Reds are scheduled for a pair of scrimmages against Detroit on July 21-22 and will face Detroit again June 24-26 to open the shortened 60-game MLB regular season.

Drafted by Kansas City in the second round of the 2013 MLB Draft, Reed was traded to the Reds in July 2015 and worked his way up through the minor league system before making his professional debut on June 18, 2016. Since then, Reed has worked his way back and forth between the Reds and the club's Triple-A affiliate in Louisville. 

Used primarily as a relief pitcher last season, Reed delivered seven strikeouts with a 1.42 ERA in 6.1 innings of work with the Reds. For his career, the Horn Lake native has tallied 109 strikeouts with a save and two victories at the major league level.

Former Northwest and Southern Miss pitcher Jarod Wright has also kicked off his season with the United Shores Professional Baseball League in Utica, Mich. The league is designed for former college and minor league players to earn a second shot at earning a professional baseball contract.

Playing for the Westside Woolly Mammoths, Wright has made two appearances with three strikeouts and a 1.29 ERA, with his most recent outing coming last Thursday against the Eastside Diamond Hoppers.

At the collegiate summer level, several current and former Rangers have been playing close to home in the Cotton States Baseball League since the start of June. Founded in 2009 and based at BNA Bank Park in New Albany, the Cotton States Baseball League is a pro-style collegiate wooden bat league for players with college eligibility.

Northwest boasts of the five top hitters on the North Delta Dealers squad, including the duo of Peyton Mills and Dylan Hale. Mills ranks second on the team with a .389 batting average, a double and a pair of RBIs, while Hale ranks third with a .375 batting average along with three doubles, two home runs, 16 RBIs and a .656 slugging percentage.

Cade Spratlin rounds out the top five hitters for the Dealers, batting .324 with two doubles and five RBIs. Both Hale and Spratlin are also 2-for-2 in stolen bases so far.

In addition to his skills at the plate, Hale has also seen time on the mound with a 2.45 ERA in one appearance. Northwest pitchers Trent Bunting and Will Logsdon have also five appearances apiece for the Dealers, with Bunting fielding a 4-0 overall record, a 4.32 ERA and a team-best 32 strikeouts in five appearances.

Much like the Dealers, the Golden Triangle Jets have also benefited greatly at the plate with a trio of Rangers, led by Mississippi State commit Brayland Skinner, infielder Kelton Hall and outfielder Hammer Franks. All three players are top five hitters for the Jets, led by Skinner's .354 batting average with six doubles, seven RBIs, a .521 slugging percentage and a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen bases.

Hall ranks just behind Skinner with the Jets' third-best batting average (.318) with three home runs, 10 RBIs and a .727 slugging percentage. Franks is currently batting .276 with a pair of doubles and a home run.

On the mound, Zach Willingham leads the Jets with a team-high 20 strikeouts against three walks, along with a 0.00 ERA in three starts. Franks has also made three appearances, two in relief, posting six strikeouts.

For the Tallahatchie Rascals, Cade Bell has accounted for a pair of doubles and four RBIs in 15 games, while also tallying the team's second-best fielding percentage at .963. Right-hander Dillan Fiveash is 1-4 on the mound with a 2.60 ERA and 44 strikeouts.

Joel Wilkinson ranks third as the team's third-best hitter for the Tippah Tribe, batting .344 with a double and five RBIs. Outfielder Landon Rogers is also batting .250 with three RBIs and is 8-of-9 on stolen bases, while posting a .944 fielding percentage.

Games in the Cotton States Baseball League will run through early August. For a complete schedule and updated stats, visit cottonstatesleague.com.