‘He elevates everyone around him.’ SEC-bound Coast freshman shows unlimited potential
Pascagoula baseball coach Richie Tillman has had plenty of standouts come through his program who played Division I baseball, but he is convinced a freshman on his roster this past season has a shot to be the best of them all.
Keilon Parnell, a speedy leadoff hitter who starts in center field, has already made a decision on his college future, committing to Mississippi State, and has taken part in the Team USA Developmental program the last couple of summers.
After hitting .526 in his abbreviated freshman season and playing a nearly flawless center field, it’s hard for Tillman to wrap his mind around how good Parnell could eventually be.
“I don’t want to put a ceiling on him and I don’t think he puts a ceiling on himself,” Tillman said. “I think he’s going to reach the top level he can.”
On top of his exploits with the baseball team, the 5-foot-11, 170-pound Parnell was the starting quarterback for the varsity football team as a freshman. He ran for 435 yards and nine touchdowns. As a passer, he completed 51.1 percent of his passes for 833 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions.
His 166-yard, 3-TD performance on the ground in a 35-25 win at East Central proved crucial in putting the Panthers in the postseason.
“He’s a special kid,” Pascagoula football coach Lewis Sims said. “He just elevates everybody around him with his attitude and effort. Those are his two greatest assets. He’s very athletic and he just works so hard. He just has a way about him. People trust him to put them in position to be successful.”
Keilon Parnell off to a hot start
The Pascagoula baseball season came to a close after nine games with a record of 7-2. The campaign ended with a 5-4 win over St. Stanislaus on March 10 before all MHSAA sporting events were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like pretty much every other student in the U.S., Parnell is now stuck at home with family and doing his best to make sure he doesn’t lose a step. He has been hitting into a net in his backyard and he uses a resistance harness to keep up his speed.
“I’m working out here and there, doing school work,” Parnell told the Sun Herald Tuesday in a phone interview. “I’m helping my dad around the house a lot. I’m just missing playing ball.”
While most high school athletes face uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, unsure when they will next have a chance to gather with teammates, Parnell is in a situation where his future appears on solid ground.
The 5-11, 171-pound Parnell picked up an offer from Mississippi State assistant Jake Gautreau after attending a camp in Starkville earlier this year. LSU had shown interest since his eighth-grade year, but the MSU offer caught him off guard.
“I wanted to cry, but I didn’t want to cry in front of my momma. I had to stay strong,” he said.
A combination of athleticism, maturity and long-term potential made Parnell a top target on the recruiting trail a the age of 15.
“It’s unbelievable how well he handles himself at an early age,” Tillman said. “He’s just beyond his years.”
Parnell, who claims a 40-yard dash of 4.63 seconds, has shown discipline at the plate and the ability to hit to all fields.
He’s a perfect fit as a quick leadoff man who hits for a high average and plays a strong outfield, but there’s a good chance he’ll add more extra-base power at the plate as he gains experience and strength.
Even as a freshman, he’s proven to be up to the task in the clutch.
“In my opinion, his ability to handle the pressure (is his strong point),” Tillman said. “I feel like he’s never over-matched. He’s able to make adjustments in the game and catch up to someone who got him with a fastball. The next time, he’s able to make in-game adjustments.”
An Ole Miss-Mississippi State rivalry
It’s rare for a high school freshman to pick up an SEC offer, but Parnell isn’t even the only freshman in the Pascagoula-Gautier School District that’s an SEC baseball commit. Gautier shortstop/pitcher Kaden Irving, who committed to Ole Miss on Jan. 20, hit .522 with 11 RBIs in nine games this past season.
While Irving is a right-handed power hitting prospect and Parnell is a left-handed leadoff man, the similarities between the two don’t stop at being SEC pledges.
Both were starting quarterbacks for their football teams as freshmen in 2019. Parnell’s Panthers beat Irving’s Gautier squad, 22-16, back on Oct. 11.
The two should face off on plenty of more occasions throughout their high school careers, but don’t expect bad blood between the pair.
“He’s been my best friend since coach pitch,” Parnell said. “When he committed, I was so happy for him. We’re rivals right now in high school. When I committed, he was like, ‘I guess we’re going to rivals our whole life.’”
For now, Parnell is just anxious to have another shot to take the field with his Pascagoula teammates.
“We think about it almost every day,” he said. “Next year, we’re going to have to come even harder. We’re going to have new leaders. Hopefully, we stay focused.”
This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
