Entering his senior year as a baseball player at Vancleave (Miss.) High, Bailee Hendon had never had an earned run average under 4.61 or a batting average above .300 in a varsity season.
He changed that this year. In a big, big way.
Let’s start on the mound. The 6-foot-4 lefty has gone 7-0 with a 0.76 ERA over 37 innings for the 19-7 Bulldogs. Included in that total is three no-hitters, which he executed in three out of four starts between March 17 and April 6. In total, he has allowed just 11 hits and nine walks while striking out 58.
According to the Sun Herald in Biloxi, Miss., Hendon tossed a six-inning no-hitter Friday night in an 11-1 win over Pass Christian and tossed consecutive no-hitters in games that were shortened by the run rule, capping a run of 15 straight innings without a hit.
“I wasn’t really thinking about (the streak),” Hendon told the Sun Herald. “I was just out there to get the job done. I’ve got eight guys behind me and I trust them. I was just going in and filling up the zone.”
At the plate, Hendon has been just as impressive, hitting .552 (48-for-87) with an on-base percentage of .632 with five home runs, 32 RBI and 34 runs. He’s savvy on his feet as well, with stolen 14 bases on the year.
A Jones County Junior College commit, Hendon should be seeing some more recruiting action from Div. I programs.
“They sky is the limit for him,” Vancleave coach Daniel Best told the Sun Herald. “He’s got the ability, the speed, the power. He’s only going to get better as he goes as long as he learns more and matures more. I think he’ll play for a long time, God willing and he stays healthy.”
The Sun Herald reports that coaches from Southern Miss and Southeastern Louisiana have both shown up to watch him play. If this keeps up, more scouts will follow suit.