[06/14/01] Baseball success in Warren County has again reaped state-wide accolades.

Four players two each from Warren Central and St. Aloysius earned all-state honors as picked by coaches statewide.

University of Alabama signee Taylor Tankersley and junior Brian Pettway one of only two juniors on the team earned first-team honors on the Mississippi Association of Coaches’ Class 5A team. Ryan Hearn and Clay Simmons earned first-team honors on the Class 1A team.

Tankersley, The Vicksburg Post Player of the Year, had a 13-0 record and a 0.44 ERA in leading the Vikings to their first state championship.

Pettway hit a county-best .483 and also led the county in RBIs (47) and doubles (20).

Both Hearn and Simmons earned spots on the All-County team and Simmons had a hit in the Class 1A/2A/3A all-star game on Saturday.

Hearn was 10-2 with a 1.49 ERA in leading the Flashes to the South State championship game.

Warren Central also excelled on the second team, placing three players on it.

Juniors Joey Lieberman (.370, 15 doubles and 9 home runs) and Carl Upton (12-0, 1.02 ERA) and Southern Mississippi signee Kevin Coker (.393, 28 RBIs) all earned spots on the second team.

Coker caught three innings in the Class 4A/5A all-star game, but did not get to bat. He injured his middle finger on his throwing hand in the opening game of the second round playoff series against Madison Central.