Houston’s Kyle Poynter will continue his baseball career at Mineral Area College.
Poynter signed Friday with the Cardinals, whose campus is located in Park Hills. He traveled there recently for a tryout.
Poynter finished a memorable two-year career in Houston by being named the SCA’s player of the year. He received the same honor in basketball.
An all-state selection his junior and senior seasons, Poynter was Houston’s statistical leader in multiple categories.
As the team’s ace, Poynter went 9-3 on the mound with a 1.51 ERA. He struck out 111 batters — the most in coach Brent Hall’s decade-long tenure — in 69 1/3 innings.
Hall said Poynter, who has a long stride and delivery with his 6-foot-3 frame, consistently threw in the low 80s. On warm days, he reached the mid and even high 80s. When the Tigers faced Willow Springs on Hammons Field in Springfield, one of Poynter’s pitches registered 88 mph on the stadium’s speed gun.
Poynter was just as impressive at the plate. He led the Tigers in batting (.547), hits (35), triples (3) home runs (5), RBIs (25) and on-base percentage (.643). He didn’t strike out in 64 at-bats — another first under Hall.
Under the direction of coach Jim Gerwitz, Mineral Area had a 20-32 record in 2010. Two years earlier, Gerwitz guided the Cardinals to a 28-21 record and was named the conference’s coach of the year.
The six athletic programs at Mineral Area compete in Region 16 of the National Junior College Athletic Association.