LIVINGSTON, Ala. - Northwest right-hander Judah Buckner has become the latest Ranger to move on to the four-year level, as the sophomore pitcher announced his commitment to the University of West Alabama on Wednesday morning.

Buckner spent three seasons on the Northwest roster, but missed most of the 2022 campaign due to injury. The Starkville native and Starkville Christian School alumnus ended his Ranger career with 25 appearances and 51 innings pitched, tabulating a 3-4 record and 54 strikeouts.

"Judah has been one of the hardest workers we have ever had," Northwest baseball coach Mark Carson said. "He has improved consistently since arriving on campus. He has been such a great role model and has expressed tremendous work ethic. West Alabama is getting a good player and I have no doubt that he will continue to do great things there."

This season, Buckner struck out 35 batters in 33 total innings, tossing a career-high six strikeouts twice against Illinois Central (February 17) and Parkland College (March 15). He finished the year with a 2-3 record, notching wins against Illinois Central and Mississippi Delta (March 21).

In his shortened 2022 season, Buckner delivered four strikeouts in a pair of relief outings. Three of those punch-outs came in an early-season loss to Lake Land College.

Buckner appeared in 11 games during his 2021 freshman season, posting a 1.38 ERA and a 1-0 record. He struck out 15 batters in relief, including a season-high three batters in losses to Pearl River and Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Throughout his tenure at Northwest, Buckner was a consistent President's List honoree, while also earning multiple academic accolades from both the MACCC and NJCAA. Most recently, he was named to both the President's List and Athletic Director's Honor Roll for the Spring 2023 semesters.

Buckner joins a growing list of his 2023 Northwest teammates that have signed or committed to NCAA or NAIA programs, including fellow pitchers Brayden Sanders (Memphis), Brooks Rice (Samford), Logan Eldridge (Delta State) and C.J. Lofton (Mississippi College).

Buckner is the first Ranger to join the West Alabama baseball program since Luke Latham in 2015. The Tigers compete at the NCAA Division II level in the Gulf South Conference.