County athletes do well on junior-college teams

It might not have the talent of Florida, California or Texas, but few other states can boast the junior college talent that the Peach State produces each year.

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And once again, the junior-college rosters in Georgia are full of players from Columbia County. Here is a look at how a few are doing this season.

Shawn Ward

(Fr., Evans; Middle Georgia) Right field

Ward sat out last season, but has assumed the starting spot in right field for Middle Georgia. He is hitting .300 with five homers and 27 RBI. He has helped lead the Warriors to a 10-2 conference record 20-7 overall.

Head coach Craig Young on Ward: "Shawn has really started to step it up. He is one of those guys that can get hot and carry a team."

Russ Winter

(Fr., Greenbrier; Middle Georgia) Catcher

Winter was off to a solid start for the Warriors, hitting .244 and, more important, playing terrific defense while splitting time at catcher.

Unfortunately, he was injured last weekend while diving for a pop-up. He landed awkwardly on his shoulder and suffered a broken collar bone.

Coach Young on Winter: "It is a shame that Russ got hurt. He was playing well for us. He is very good behind the plate."

Kyle Golden

(Fr., Evans; Middle Georgia) Pitcher

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Golden is a terrific athlete, but he is focusing strictly on pitching for the Warriors. He has only 10.1 innings, but he is 2-0 with a 4.36 era.

Coach Young on Golden: "Kyle has done pretty well for us. He is getting some mid-week innings and should continue to get work."

Paul Borden

(Soph., Lakeside; Gordon Junior College) Infield

Borden had a tremendous freshman campaign and has not let up this season. The former Panther is hitting .364 with a homer and 11 RBI. He also leads the team with 12 stolen bases. He has yet to be caught this season, and his 12 swipes are double that of anyone else on the team. He is a key reason Gordon is 26-6.

Wes Baxter

(Soph., Evans; Abraham Baldwin) Catcher

Few players in the state have improved as much as Baxter. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder is hitting a sizzling .390 with four homers and 20 RBI. Each of those numbers is among the top three on the team. He also leads the squad with eight doubles this season. The team has hovered around .500 (16-17), but Baxter's play has been a bright spot this spring.

COMING WEDNESDAY: An update on former Augusta Christian star Josh Whitaker and former Evans slugger Todd Greene.