Konnor Griffin, LSU commit and nation's No. 2 prospect, has Jackson Prep baseball near sixth straight title
Konnor Griffin had retired 11 consecutive batters in Jackson Prep's matchup against Presbyterian Christian in Game 1 of the MAIS Class 6A semifinals. The LSU baseball commitment had two outs in the fourth before two walks derailed the inning.
A flash of frustration ran across Griffin's face when he gave up a two-run single. It was one of three hits the junior allowed in Jackson Prep's 10-2 victory Tuesday. Griffin had seven strikeouts and moved to 6-1 with a team-best 1.28 ERA in 10 appearances.
Jackson Prep coach Brett Heavener had no doubt Griffin would recover. Griffin is the ace pitcher and standout shortstop for a Patriots team chasing its sixth consecutive baseball state championship and 22nd MAIS title. Jackson Prep finished the series with a 10-0 win in Game 3. South Alabama signee Duncan Mathews had two home runs and six RBIs in the victory. Jackson Prep will face Madison-Ridgeland Academy for the state title with Game 1 on Tuesday.
"You can't teach what (Griffin) has on his shoulders," Heavener said. "He's got such a strong head. He goes out there and he just want to compete. When he walked a couple and gave up that hit, he was frustrated about the walks. Not the hits."
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Griffin reclassified to the Class of 2024 last May and is the No. 2-ranked prospect in the nation, according to Perfect Game. The hype surrounding Griffin is only a portion of the pressure he's under despite the Patriots winning 20 of their past 21 games. Winning the MAIS title is the expectation.
"Outside of baseball, you can feel the pressure," Griffin said. "Once I step on this field, it's just fun. It's a kid's game. I'm going to go out there have fun and compete for my team."
"I'm going to put in the work to put me in a good spot in my baseball career. I have a lot of faith in God that he's going to lead me, and I trust in him."
Griffin leads the team with a .537 batting average and 44 hits. He also has 30 RBIs, six doubles, two triples and eight home runs in 28 games. Griffin also has become the No. 1 starter for Jackson Prep this season after being the second selection after Mississippi State's Will Gibbs last year.
"How many guys go out there and throw 95-to-96 on the radar gun?" Heavener said. "He's the kind of guy that wants the ball in his hand, and us as coaches, we trust him. We let him go out there and do his thing."
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The right-handed pitcher also learned from Riley Maddox and Mason Nichols as a freshman. The pitching duo won a NCAA championship with Ole Miss last season.
Jackson Prep's pedigree, boasting 60 college signees, helps comfort Griffin. He's on a long list of recruits to play at the next level, according to Heavener. The expectations don't change, and Heavener and his staff will hold everyone accountable.
That accountability starts with practice. Griffin's motto is "train and trust" and that's exemplified through his work ethic, according to Heavener.
"It just starts every day with practice," Griffin said. "Every day we come out here and we work. Many people may think that just because we have a pretty good record we don't work hard, but this is probably one of the hardest- working teams that I've been with, and it shows on the scoreboard.
Mathews, a senior catcher, has seen Griffin's work translate on the mound this season.
"His maturity level has risen 10 times from this last year to this year," Mathews said. "He's got three pitches now. His off-speed is working 10 times better than last year. Whenever he really commits to himself and trusts every pitch, that's when he's really good."
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Konnor Griffin: LSU baseball commit leads Jackson Prep to MAIS finals
