It was Wesson’s year and Bailey Warren was right in the middle of it. Warren used his pitching and batting skills to spark Wesson’s Cobras to the Region 6-2A baseball title and the South State semifinals of the MHSAA Class 2A state playoffs.

Warren’s heroics have earned him The DAILY LEADER’s Most Valuable Player and Mr. Baseball crown on the 2013 All-Area Baseball Team.

Another special honor went to Wesson catcher Quentin Munn for Best Defensive Player. Lawrence County’s Will Jackson and Wesson’s Cullen Greer shared the Best Offensive Player recognition.

Warren, a junior right-hander, is joined on the mound by North Pike’s Jacob Fleming and Brady Badon.

The other catchers are Reed Taylor of North Pike and Cade Turner of Lawrence County.

Infielders include Greer, Jackson, Ben Coney of North Pike, Tanner Whittington of McComb Parklane Academy and Adrian Brown of McComb.

Outfielders are Kewaun May and Kody Smith of Lawrence County, Alex Smith of Wesson and Jordan Linton of North Pike.

Designated hitters are Jarvis Warner of Hazlehurst and Graham Coward of Franklin County.

Utility players are Matt Patterson and T-Tez Cole of Lawrence County.

All-purpose players are Hoby Mullins of Franklin County and James Michael Schmidt of Parklane Academy.

Area high school and college coaches provided input for the Dream Team, which included players outside Lincoln County.

Bailey Warren, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound athlete, compiled an 8-2 record on the mound. He had 2.53 ERA, with 56 strikeouts and 30 walks.

At the plate, Warren batted .354. He drove in 19 runs and hit 9 doubles.

“It was one of the best seasons I’ve been a part of,” said Warren. “We lost under 10 games. That’s always exciting.”

Warren has an arsenal of pitches. He throws a fastball, curveball and changeup. His favorite is the fastball.

He said Wesson head coach Seth Lofton helped him improve his pitching skills. “Whenever I got off track, Coach Lofton would do his best to get me back on it. I’m kind of hard-headed but he never gave up on me.”

Warren, who wears jersey No. 3, also plays quarterback in football. He has elected to transfer to Brookhaven Academy for his senior year.

“Bailey is a great competitor and he has a pretty good head on his shoulders,” said Lofton. “He was very consistent for us. He always gave us a chance to win when he was on the mound; even when he didn’t have his best stuff.”

His favorite college team is Mississippi State. He likes the Atlanta Braves and Chipper Jones.

Quentin Munn (5-10, 170), a senior, caught Warren during the season. His defensive skills were a big plus for the Cobras. He moved from second base to catcher this season. He batted .222.

“At catcher, you’re in on every play,” said Munn. “The main thing I had to learn was getting my throws up for the second baseman.”

Munn said Lofton and Coach Jerry Brewer helped him develop his skills behind the plate. “They helped me a lot.”

Brewer played baseball at McComb and Southern Miss.

Munn said he planned to attend Copiah-Lincoln Community College and later pursue a career in civil engineering at Mississippi State. His favorite college team is Ole Miss.

In the Major Leagues, Munn likes the Atlanta Braves and retired pitcher John Smoltz.

“Quentin did a great job behind the plate all year,” said Lofton. “We were very, very pleased with his performance.”

He wears jersey No. 10 in honor of former Atlanta star Chipper Jones. His younger sister, Mary Beth Munn, is a ninth grade softball player at Wesson.

Cullen Greer (6-0, 275), used his power to provide the Cobras with 30 RBI and a .322 batting average. He hit 2 home runs. He played first base. He has signed a football scholarship with Co-Lin.

“Cullen put the ball in play a lot when we had runners on base,” Lofton pointed out. “He could find a way to put his bat on the ball and drive in runs.”

Greer wears jersey No. 44 because “it was the largest shirt available.”

Asked about his approach to hitting, Greer said, “I try to have a clear mindset. I try to be patient and make my cuts (swings) count.”

He said the Franklin County game was one of his favorites. “I hit my first home run. I slid into second base and tore my pants. Then I hit a home run the next time up.”

Greer uses a 33-inch, 30-ounce Easton S-25. He said the toughest pitcher he faced was hard-throwing Sam Walley of state champion Taylorsville. “He could throw it.”

The Cobras were eliminated by Taylorsville in the playoffs for a fifth straight year.

Will Jackson (5-11, 200), a junior, swings with power to all fields. He batted .414 and drove in 19 runs for the Lawrence County Cougars.

Jackson uses a 32-inch, 29-ounce Rawlings 51-50 bat. He throws and bats right.

“Me growing physically and mentally helped me a lot this season,” said Jackson. “I was more patient and got to see a lot more pitches.”

Jackson credited LCHS coach Cory Keyes and assistant Josh Garret with improving his batting skills. “I started the year kind of slow. Coach Garrett would work with me in batting practice. He told me to relax and quit thinking so much.”

Jackson said his breakout game was against Mendenhall when he collected 3 hits. He said he enjoys playing third base. “I’m comfortable there.”

At the plate, Jackson admitted he likes to chase that first pitch. “It’s usually a fastball. You have to be patient and aggressive.”

Coach Keyes said Jackson worked hard to improve his batting skills. “He got some big hits for us this year.”

Jackson and his family attended the NCAA Regional Tournament at Mississippi State last weekend. He’s also an Atlanta Braves fan. “I like the Upton brothers and Miguel Cabrera.”

Jackson also plays quarterback for the LCHS football team.