Murray County baseball players Chandler Puryear and Josh Ensley signed athletic scholarships with Shorter College on Thursday in Chatsworth, while teammate Tyler Jones announced he will attend Maryville College and play baseball with the Scots.
Puryear, a Daily Citizen All-Area Team honorable mention selection his senior year and also a basketball standout with coach Greg Linders Indians, chose Shorter over Faulkner College in Alabama and Tennessee Temple.
Shorter was the first school I visited, said Puryear, a left-handed pitcher who helped the Indians to a 14-12 overall record and 8-8 Region 7-4A mark last season. I liked it and wanted to go there. I visited Faulkner and Temple offered me a scholarship, but I like the coach at Shorter. He knows what hes talking about and the team plays good fundamental baseball.
Puryear said he never considered playing college basketball and had a philosophical reason for making that decision.
I dont have the speed or jumping ability to play basketball, he said.
Indians baseball coach Jason Lanham said Shorter will benefit from signing Puryear.
He was one of our leading pitchers and a solid first baseman throughout his high school career, Lanham said. Hes going to pitch at Shorter, but if he goes down there and hits well theres no telling what will come of it. Hes a great leader and great in the classroom. Shorter is getting a special kid.
Ensley has been told by Shorter coach Matt Larry that he will primarily pitch for the Hawks, who were 18-31 overall and 7-20 in the Southern States Athletic Conference this past season.
I feel great about this opportunity to go down there and continue my baseball career, said Ensley, who was 4-0 and saved three games as a senior. I didnt know if I was going to play any more baseball.
Ensley said he has envisioned playing at Shorter for the past two years. He attended a tryout at the school in Rome and threw for coach Larry.
About a week later they said they wanted me on the team, Ensley said. I cant wait to get down there and get started.
Ensley missed two weeks of his senior season at Murray County due to strained tendons in his pitching arm, but made up for lost time with a solid season.
He threw well for us down the stretch and was working in some tough pitching situations, Lanham said. He started some games and relieved quite a bit for us. Im really proud of what he did in terms of rehabbing and getting ready to pitch. A lot of people didnt think he would be able to do anything last year. In fact, I was concerned about how much that arm would hold up, but he performed well.
Jones will attend Maryville College, an NCAA Division III school located in Maryville, Tenn., about 10 miles from Knoxville in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains. The Scots went 22-18 and captured a second straight Great South Atlantic Conference championship in 2009.
Jones is expected to utilize his versatility to gain quick playing time at Maryville.
He caught the eye of Scots coaches at a showcase in Sevierville, Tenn., put on by the Tennessee Smokies, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs who are managed by Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg.
The Maryville coach (Daniel Washburn) saw my performance and called me, said Jones, who played summer ball with the East Cobb Orioles. He offered some (academic) money for me and I cant wait to play up there. Its going to be a whole new level of baseball, but its what Ive been working for the past few years.
Lanham said Jones has a strong arm and used that ability to pitch and play in the outfield.
Hes got a fastball around 83 or 84 (mph) and can throw out runners from the outfield, Lanham said. He came off the bench some in pinch-hitting situations and delivered some big hits. Hes very versatile and probably will fill several different roles at Maryville.
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Murray Cty High School Indoor Drumline Performance 2009by eviljenie1430 views
omg i know ur cousing josh i hate u!!!
ll1c3yll 8 months ago
Does nobody freakin notice that the captions says "sings with X college" wtf retards
tbhammontree 1 year ago
good luck guys, yall deserve it
MCBaseball4 2 years ago