Local Pride on the Diamond: Wallace State Lions to Battle in ACCC Baseball Tournament

Wallace State Community College's baseball team, the Lions, will compete as the No. 7 seed in the Alabama Community College Conference/National Junior College Athletic Association South District Division I baseball tournament. The tournament starts on May 9 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, AL. The Lions will play against the No. 2 seed, Delgado Community College from New Orleans, at 2 p.m. Coach Randy Putman, who has led the team to the conference tournament nearly every season, will guide them again, except for the COVID-affected year and 2011.

Despite injuries that sidelined several players, Wallace State has kept a competitive record against conference teams. The team scored 258 runs this season, with a batting average of .285, an on-base percentage of .380, and a slugging percentage of .416. They hit 39 home runs this season.

Freshman pitcher Luke Fernandez from Cummings, GA, has excelled with 94 strikeouts, leading the conference. Freshman Connor Cosby from Auburn has also performed well, with 33 runs, 52 hits, 10 home runs, and 13 stolen bases. His batting average is .287 and his slugging percentage is .582. Another freshman, Colten Payton from Huntsville, has 36 RBIs, 30 runs, and six home runs.

The tournament will be streamed on the ACCC Sports Network. More details and the tournament bracket are available on the ACCC Athletics website. General admission is $15 per day, with a $50 tournament pass available. Admission is free for children under six, scouts, four-year coaches with ID, and ACCC members.

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