West Marion pitcher Kemarieon Akins signed his letter of intent April 18 to further his baseball career at Holmes Community College.
Akins became the fifth senior Trojan to sign on scholarship and will join teammate Jude Stringer in Goodman next season. Akins said he’s excited to join Stringer, calling him “a roommate that I know,” and that it was Stringer who helped facilitate Akins’ move to Holmes.
“My teammate, Jude Stringer, signed with Holmes and told the coach about me,” Akins explained. “Their coach talked to our coaches about it, and our coaches were like, ‘He’s a good player.’ I went down there and threw a (bullpen session), and they offered me right after.”
College baseball didn’t always seem to be in the cards for Akins, who credits improved pitch command and hard work with his coaches at West Marion for gaining the attention of college scouts.
“I didn’t imagine myself playing college baseball,” he said. “Coach (Greg) Sanders developed me a lot as a pitcher. And when I first hit 80 (MPH), I knew I could play college baseball.”
“He’s a kid that has a special place in my heart,” West Marion head coach Derrick Jerkins said. “He’s been with us for six years now. I knew when he came out for junior high baseball tryouts in seventh grade that he was going to be a great athlete with a great arm, and you could see it with the way the ball came out of his hand. He’s put in a lot of work over the last several years.”
Akins, who will serve as a relief pitcher for the Bulldogs, is looking forward to the facilities at Holmes the most, calling the field and campus “beautiful.” Akins and Stringer will join former Columbia Academy pitcher Holton Hartzog in Goodman.
Jerkins said that he’s excited to watch Akins next season at Holmes, but what he’s most excited for is seeing him and the rest of the Trojans compete in postseason play after defeating Crystal Springs in Round 1.
“I think Holmes is getting a great athlete and a kid with a great opportunity to throw the baseball hard. I hope he continues to work and put in the time for baseball, and I think that this young man can play baseball for a long time,” Jerkins said. “I’m really proud of him, and I’m really excited for the next five weeks with this team that we’re going to have.”
