Fredrico Moody is used to doling out hits on the football field.
But it”s his penchant for making contact on the baseball field that will allow the West Lowndes High School senior to take his athletic skills to the next level.
On Thursday, the multi-sport standout Moody signed a scholarship to play baseball at East Mississippi Community College.
The decision came after hearing friends ask repeatedly why he wasn”t going to try to play football in college.
“In baseball, I felt I really had a gift, so I wanted to try to play it in college,” Moody said. “I think the coaches will get me ready for it, and I think it will come out pretty good.”
Moody hit .402 with four home runs and 19 RBIs as a junior. Bad weather has stalled his senior season. The Panthers have played only a handful of games, but that didn”t prevent Moody from making an impression on EMCC coach Chris Rose and assistant coach Michael Wallace. Rose saw Moody hit in a training session and instructed Wallace to see if Moody was interested in playing baseball in Scooba.
Moody, who has aspirations to play professionally, realizes he has to crawl before he can walk, which is why he feels EMCC is a good fit. He feels he has plenty of things to learn about baseball and a boundless energy that he plans to use to attack his maturation.
Wallace said Moody”s love for the game of baseball and his personality will fit in well at EMCC.
“Raw power and speed are things you can”t teach,” Wallace said. “Coach Rose came in said he is a guy we have to get. He became a priority because we saw that raw power.”
Wallace said the key for Moody will be to improve his ability to read pitches and to be disciplined at the plate. He said Moody will have to learn how to use his power to all fields against pitchers who likely will try to get him out with off-speed stuff.
West Lowndes coach Todd Stanley has coached Moody since the eighth grade. He said Moody, who has started since he was in the ninth grade, has worked hard in the weight room the past few years and has blossomed.
“He has tremendous power to all fields,” Stanley said. “I think that is going to serve him well at the next level.”
Moody projects as a corner infielder, a corner outfielder, or as a designated hitter. Both coaches agree Moody”s hitting ability should help him find a spot in the lineup.
Moody is looking forward to the opportunity to do what he does best: Hit.
“Before I leave Scooba, I am pretty sure I will be good enough to move on to a Division I college or to get drafted,” Moody said.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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