SENATOBIA - Three members of last year's Northwest baseball squad will take their talents to the Division I level next season.
Infielders
Noah Hattier,
Peyton Mills and
Peyton Puckett have all committed to join Tennessee Tech, Charleston Southern and UAB, respectively. They join seven more of their teammates in moving on to the four-year level, including
Hammer Franks (Delta State) and six newcomers to Blue Mountain College -
Colton Peel,
Alonzo Hunt,
Kelton Hall,
McGreger Lee,
Dylan Hale and
Garrett Riggs.
Hattier started every game at shortstop during his two seasons at Northwest, batting .259 with four doubles, a triple, a home run and 18 RBIs. The Collierville native also tallied a .905 fielding percentage and turned 11 double plays last year.
A consistent force at the plate and in the infield over the past three years, Mills was named First Team All-MACCC after posting a strong 2021 campaign, finishing with a .311 batting average and seven doubles, 15 home runs and 44 RBIs. His 15 homers placed him in a tie for fourth most in a single season, joining Eduardo Pena (1998), Seth Walker (2009) and Hayden Leatherwood (2018).
For his career, Mills finished with a .316 batting average, 20 doubles, 22 home runs and 86 RBIs. The Southaven native's 22 homers tied him for fifth all-time with teammate Hall and current Ole Miss players Ben Van Cleve (2018-19) and Hayden Leatherwood (2018-19). Additionally, his 86 RBIs pushed him into 10th all-time, tying Seth Walker (2008-09), while his career .651 slugging percentage sits at ninth in program history.
A Mississippi State bounceback prior to last spring, Puckett finished as the team's fourth-leading hitter with a .296 average, eight doubles, five homers and 20 RBIs. The Tupelo native also compiled a .938 fielding percentage with 60 putouts on 64 total chances.
Northwest concluded the 2021 season with a 24-18 overall record, marking the 14th full season with a winning record since coachÂ
Mark Carson took over in 2006. The Rangers have also finished with 20 wins or more in every season since 1995, excluding the shortened COVID-19 season in 2020, where the team posted a 14-1 record.
