Franklin's Brad Hook will play baseball at the University of South Alabama

By Michael Pointer

John Hope Franklin -- Brad Hook states he establish nearly everything he wanted at the University of South Alabama.

Brad Hook, shown on the hill against Greenwood in March, led Franklin's pitching staff last season, but he's projected more than as a first baseman when he goes to the University of South Alabama. - Emmett Kelly Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson / The Star

"Academically, they have got engineering, which I wanted to study,'' said the John Hope Franklin High School pitcher/first baseman. "They have got baseball game tradition. They've done well the last few years.

"I liked the warm weather, and they play a batch of great competition. They had the full package.''

Hook signed an NCAA missive of purpose with the Mobile, Ala., school on Thursday. He just finished his senior football game season at John Hope Franklin and is expected to be one of the top baseball game participants in the Capital Of Hoosier State country next spring.

South Heart Of Dixie also have a record of success with Indiana players.

Adam Jenny Lind (Anderson Highland) played at the school and now is a starting outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Jeff Merce Cunningham (Vincennes) plays in the Centennial State Rocky Mountains organisation after being chosen in the 7th unit of ammunition of the major conference bill of exchange last June. Merce Cunningham put the South Heart Of Dixie record for place runs last season with 22.

"They told me they had a couple of left-handed hitters from Hoosier State that had done pretty well down there,'' Hook said. "I could be the third.''

Hook was Franklin's top hurler last season, but South Heart Of Dixie managers undertaking him more than as a first baseman.

He played for the elite Hoosier State Bulls traveling programme last summer. One of his managers was Quinn Moore, a former South Heart Of Dixie pitcher. That also may have got helped him acquire noticed, Hook said.

Hook was a three-year starting signal caller for the football game team, and he admits he will lose that sport.

"Baseball is what I always trained for,'' he said. "From November until about the beginning of August, it was always baseball.''