Former pro baseball player aims to revitalize the Murrah baseball program

WE’RE BACK WITH SPORTS. AND OUT IN MURRAY HIGH SCHOOL, A FORMER PRO BASEBALL PLAYER HAS COME BACK TO HIS HOME STATE TO REVITALIZE THE MUSTANGS PROGRAM AND PLANT THE SEEDS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF BASEBALL PLAYERS TO COME OUT OF THE JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. THIS WHEN THE CRACK OF THE BAT IS MUSIC TO THE EARS OF KENT WILLIS. NOW HE’S TRYING TO TEACH THE RIGHT NOTES TO HIS NEW BASEBALL TEAM. THE MIRROR MUSTANGS. >> YOU GO KIDNEYS. >> THEY SEND THEIR MISS SOLOMON WAS DRAFTED BY THE CINCINNATI REDS IN THE LATE EIGHTIES. BACK THEN, THERE WERE A LOT OF BLACK BASEBALL PLAYERS. ACCORDING TO YAHOO! SPORTS, ONLY 7% OF NORTH AMERICAN BLACK MEN WERE IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AT THE START OF OPENING DAY LAST YEAR. KIT IS ON HIS OWN MISSION TO CHANGE THAT. YOU KNOW, YOU GET A START EARLY ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, TO BE CONSISTENT ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE DOING WITH THEM. >> THEY DIDN’T KNOW THAT YOU GENUINELY CONCERNED ABOUT THEM. THESE ARE VISUAL FELLOWS. THEY DESERVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY THE GAME AND UNDERSTAND HOW TO PLAY CORRECTLY. YOU HAVE ONE PLAYER AND THAT’S WHAT WE WANT TO DO. WE WANT TO CREATE A GOOD ENVIRONMENT FOR THESE KIDS IS CONDUCIVE TO LEARNING TO SWIM, AND THEY WILL LEARN BY TEACHING THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE GAME. >> MS. NEW HEAD BASEBALL COACHES EMPHASIZING TO HIS PLAYERS THE POTENTIAL THEY HAVE TO TURN THE PROGRAM AROUND AND MAYBE EVEN MAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL. YOU GOT HERE DOING THE SAME THING THAT ALL THE MAJOR LEAGUE GUYS ARE DOING. >> THEY START FROM HERE AND THEY KEEP WORKING. THEY KEEP WORKING. NEXT THING YOU KNOW, YOU JUST GET BETTER AND BETTER, BUT YOU JUST WANT TO MOTIVATE A LITTLE MORE GENUINELY CONCERNED ABOUT AND LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU REALLY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR WELFARE AS A HUMAN BEING AND YOU WANT TO SEE THEM SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE AS WELL AS ON THIS FIELD. >> THE COLUMBUS NATIVE WAS A PITCHING COACH IN COORDINATOR IN THE BRAVES ORGANIZATION FOR 16 YEARS AFTER PLAYING IN THE REDS, ROYALS AND EXPOS ORGANIZATIONS. HE’S BRINGING ALL OF HIS EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE TO MIRROR HIGH SCHOOL TO DEVELOP TALENTS LIKE THEY HAD IN THE ZACKERY BIRD DAYS. >> WE GOT SOME OTHER SCOUTS IS GOING TO COME IN AND WATCH THEM PLAY AND WORK WITH THEM AND KIND OF GIVE THEM THE WHOLE ATMOSPHERE OF WHAT BASEBALL IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, ON THAT LEVEL. SO WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A TASTE OF WHAT IT’S LIKE FROM WHERE MY EXPERIENCE IS TO BRING DOWN TO HERE AND EVERY DAY SHOWING UP, PLAY THE GAME AND GO OUT THERE AND BATTLE A LITTLE BATTLE. WE’VE GOT SOME KIDS THEY’RE GOING TO BATTLE REALLY AFRAID IT WILL GIVE THEM WHAT WE’VE GOT. ALL RIGHT. >> EMERY’S BASEBALL SEASON BEGINS ON FEBRUARY THE 18TH. WILL TRY TO WIN THEIR FIRST REGION GAME SINCE 2016. THIS SEASON. ALL RIGHT. THAT’S ALL FOR SPORTS.

Former pro baseball player aims to revitalize the Murrah baseball program

Kent Willis is giving all his knowledge from his days a pro player and coach to the next generation of players at Murrah HS.

Updated: 9:46 PM CST Jan 23, 2023

Southern Miss product and former pro baseball player Kent Willis is the new head baseball coach at Murrah High School. Willis’ goal is to not only to develop players and revitalize a winning culture at Murrah but to encourage, motivate and inspire the team to embrace the sport of baseball in ways they may not have before.

JACKSON, Miss. —

Southern Miss product and former pro baseball player Kent Willis is the new head baseball coach at Murrah High School.

Willis’ goal is to not only to develop players and revitalize a winning culture at Murrah but to encourage, motivate and inspire the team to embrace the sport of baseball in ways they may not have before.