The Selma Times-Jounral

Marion Military Institute inked a pair of local baseball players Thursday.

Dallas County’s Andrew Harrison and Tyler Hollis signed to play with the Tigers.

Both players have a chance to make an immediate impact for a team that is thin because of departures this past season.

“They’re going to start; I only have nine guys coming back from last year,” MMI coach Brett Davis said. “Tyler’s going to be one of our two catchers, and Andrew is projected as a starter (at pitcher). So we’ll see how that holds up in the fall.”

“I feel good,” Hollis said. “I like the school, the way the campus looks and the people in general.”

Harrison is looking forward to improving his game as well as facing stronger opponents.

“There are better hitters, and I’m going to have to work hard to get better,” he said. “I’m excited. I’m going to junior college, and I’m going to be able to start right out of high school.”

Both players have come from a Hornets program that has won more than 30 games over the last two years and reached the first round of the playoffs.

Davis said picking players from winning teams will help them once they reach college.

“That’s one of the big things I look for – getting winning players in the program,” Davis said. “Every guy we’ve recruited this year has been from a winning program. And it helps that these two are local guys.”