This Gulf Coast freshman was injury prone in high school. He's picking up national honors now.

After battling through injuries as a high school baseball player, West Harrison product Brandon Parker showed what he's capable of as a college freshman.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College outfielder was named the NJCAA Division II Player of the Year on Wednesday after putting together an impressive season at the plate.

He broke the MGCCC record for home runs with 24, easily surpassing Adam Huddleston's mark of 19 set in 1998. He led the nation in RBIs with 81 and ranked second overall in homers.

Parker also hit .424, had a .500 on-base percentage and slugged .932. He added 14 doubles and two triples.

Parker is currently playing with the New Market (Virginia) Rebels of the 11-team Valley Baseball League, which uses wooden bats.

Parker was always known as a player with good pop in his bat at West Harrison, but injuries piled up throughout his career. He hit .333 with four homers and 21 RBIs in 27 games as a junior. As a senior, he hit .337 with five homers and 29 RBIs.

Parker drew the interest of pro scouts this season, but wasn't selected in the 2018 MLB draft.

This story was originally published June 27, 2018 at 10:07 AM.