The NCAA has the world’s most annoying and self-serving series of commercials you’re bound to see when the College World Series rolls around.

“We’re going pro in something other than sports,” the ads shout.

But there is a baseball player from Vicksburg, Tulane’s Bowen Woodson, who embodies this perfectly. The redshirt sophomore chemistry major is planning to pursue a master’s in civil engineering at another school after his baseball career.

Back on the diamond, he had a breakout freshman season, driving in the winning run in four games while hitting .272 with three home runs, one triple, seven doubles and 28 RBIs. He was named to the Conference USA All-Academic team. He played nearly every position except for pitcher or catcher before settling at second base.

Woodson has dealt with adversity in his second season. His average is down to .234, but his power numbers (10 extra-base hits divided between one home run, one triple and eight doubles) are comparable to last season’s.

But Woodson has made other contributions, such as his spectacular diving backhanded catch last week against Marshall that proved to be a gamechanger in a series-clinching win by the Green Wave.

“I’ve been making adjustments all year trying to get back to where I was and doing whatever I can, like on defense, to help us win,” Woodson said. “After getting used to third base in high school, I come here and I start playing everything. It’s a good feeling to know you can play everything and be comfortable. I’m happy wherever.”

Woodson isn’t worried, especially with the Green Wave’s returning to Trustmark Park for the Conference USA Tournament. It’s a place he knows quite well.

“It’s a great feeling to be here,” Woodson said. “It’s always good to come home and play in front of lot of people who know and support you. I know my family will be there, my friends and some of my old high school teammates.”

As Vicksburg’s starting third baseman, he was a big reason why the Gators advanced to the 2008 Class 4A championship series against East Central, losing in a two-game sweep.

After playing in the 2009 Crossroads Diamond Club All-Star Classic, Woodson’s next appearance at Trustmark was in last year’s Conference USA Tournament. His best game was a 2-for-3, three-RBI performance in a 7-1 win over Houston.

He feels really confident about his team’s chances of another deep run at the tournament. With Tulane sitting pretty at 37 in the Rating Percentage Index (RPI), a good tournament run could only bolster the Green Wave’s NCAA Tournament case.

“I feel really good about our chances in this tournament,” Woodson said. “We’ve got a really deep pitching staff and we have a lot of hitters on fire and a lot of depth on our bench. I think we’re really suited for tournaments like this.”

Woodson is prepared for the inevitable day when he hangs up his bat and glove for the final time. As he was during that critical moment against Marshall, he’s one step ahead.

“Baseball is a great way to meet new people and get jobs,” Woodson said. “If not, I’ll do whatever I can to get that degree however I can.”

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Steve Wilson is sports editor of The Vicksburg Post. You can follow him on Twitter at vpsportseditor. He can be reached at 601-636-4545, ext. 142 or at swilson@vicksburgpost.com.