The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN baseball players in the US continue to perform at a high level and, in the collegiate ranks, a pair from Jackson State University have been pegged as pre-season standouts.

Desmond Russell and Stephen Curtis were two of four members of the Jackson State baseball team named to the College Sports Madness Southwestern Athletic Conference Preseason All Conference team.

Russell was named to the first team along with Jose Cruz and Charles Epperson. Curtis was named to the second team..

JSU is scheduled to open the 2012 season February 17 against Florida A&M at the Robert "Bob" Braddy field on the JSU campus.

In 2011, Russell played and started in all 51 games for the Tigers and hit 61-197 for an average of .309 at the plate. His total included five home runs, four triples and 13 doubles. He scored 37 runs with a slugging percentage of .492 and an on base percentage of .363.

On the mound, Russell finished with a record of 4-6, an ERA of 4.52 and third on the team with 79 strikeouts. His highlight of the year came in the second game of a double header against Alabama State University last March when he went the distance in a complete game shutout.

Russell allowed just five hits and tallied 14 strikeouts in the victory, while he also helped his cause at the plate with two hits.

Curtis appeared in 48 games and received 43 starts. He hit .288, 43-149, with three home runs and five doubles.

Curtis also finished with 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts with a fielding percentage of .952.

Russell, a native of Freeport, Grand Bahama, came out of the Legacy Baseball League programme, while Curtis got his start with New Providence's Freedom Farm Baseball League.

Both players are members of the Bahamas national team and helped Team Bahamas defeat China at the prestigious World Baseball Challenge last year in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.

It was the first time the Bahamas defeated a country at that level since 1979 at the Pan Am Games in Puerto Rico, almost 32 years ago.

The Bahamas had previously not played nine-inning baseball at that level since 1979.

At the tournament, Russell was named game MVP against Canada and Curtis was named defensive player of the game against China in the playoff contest.

In an 8-1 loss to the United States, Russell gave up just four hits and had his team within one run, trailing 2-1 in the seventh inning and gave up just two earned runs in one of the best pitching performances in the tournament.