Malone’s Bryan signs with Jackson St.

By Dustin Kent

Published: May 30, 2008

Malone’s Justin Bryan made his college choice official Friday at Malone High School, signing a letter-of-intent to play baseball for Jackson St., Tenn.

Bryan, who pitched and played shortstop and catcher for the Tigers, batted .352 with four home runs and 17 RBI, while earning four saves, two wins and a 1.94 ERA on the mound in his senior season.

He will play catcher for Jackson St., though Bryan said he may also take the mound on occasion.

Bryan said he was happy with his choice.

“They offered a full ride and they keep people going to the next level,” he said of Jackson St. “They’re a winning program and it’s pretty up there.”

Malone coach Max Harkrider took over the Tigers the same year Bryan began playing for varsity, when he was just a seventh-grader.

“I’m just proud of him,” Harkrider said of Bryan. “I think he has a chance to do really well up there. It’s a good opportunity for him.”

Harkrider credited Bryan for playing a big role in the baseball program’s turnaround from futility — the Tigers won just three games in Harkrider’s first season — to winning consecutive district titles the last two seasons.

“I know that was real special for him,” the coach said of the back-to-back titles. “He was a big part of turning the program around.

“He’s played a lot of baseball for us. It’s going to be different without him.”