Henry signs to play at Surry Community College

MOULTRIE -- A strong senior season and the recommendation from a professional scout has help Lee Henry get a chance to continue playing baseball next year.

The Colquitt County senior right fielder has signed with Surry Community College, a Division I junior college located in Dobson, N.C.

Surry assistant coach Mark Hauser said Henry will get shot at playing right away.

"We are losing our right fielder, so Lee's got a chance to play early, " Hauser said. "We're hoping he can provide some instant offense for us. We think his bat is going to help."

Henry, a 5-foot-7, 180-pounder known as "Bam Bam" for the power he generates in his short, powerful body, earned a starting job in the Colquitt County outfield this season as has taken advantage of it.

He leads the Packers in home runs with six and runs batted in with 22. No one else on the team has more than 17 RBIs and two of his homers have been game-winners.

His three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth propelled the Packers to a come-from-behind 9-5 victory over Coffee on April 10.

Four days later, Henry hit a two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning to give Colquitt a 6-4 victory over Lincoln High in Tallahassee.

Another of his homers was the first hit by a Packer off the "green monster" behind the center field fence at Ike Aultman Field.

Henry is batting .345 with 19 hits in 55 at bats. He has scored 18 runs and also has a double.

Henry also has been steady in the field for much of the season and his running catch in right-center field on Tuesday help protect Aaron Eubanks' no-hit 5-0 victory over Tift County.

Hauser said he heard about Henry from Anaheim Angels scout Chris McAlpin, a former Packer who has watched Henry perform for many years.

"We were real impressed with his demeanor," Hauser said of Henry, who visited the school several weeks ago.

Henry is one of just two Georgia players signed in recent years by the school.

Surry plays in the Region 10 conference that includes junior college teams primarily from North Carolina and South Carolina. The Knights are 37-8 and are currently playing in the conference tournament.