Former Central Holmes baseball standout Landon Rawson gets a rarity in college athletics. Rawson is getting a do-over.
Rawson, who signed with Southeastern Louisiana out of Central Holmes last year, will get to redo his freshman season, it just will not be with the Lions.
Rawson told The Star-Herald last week that he will be leaving the Hammond, Louisiana, university and will be transferring to a Mississippi junior college. Because of the COVID-19 virus and baseball season ending abruptly, Rawson will still be listed as a freshman when he begins school next year.
At Southeastern, Rawson had made just two appearances and pitched one inning without giving up a run. But Rawson said things were just starting to pick up for him before the season got called.
“It was going good,” Rawson said. “I was just really starting to see some significant innings. I was about to get the ball for a big game that week and then it was over. We were about to play Southern Miss and Mississippi State and I was going to throw against one of them.”
But then the season got called and students got sent back home and Rawson made a quick return home to Kosciusko where he solidified his decision to transfer to a junior college.
“I’m basically getting to start over,” Rawson said. “I’m planning on going one year to a junior college and then hopefully getting to another Division I school. Right now, it’s looking like Pearl River or Northwest, but I haven’t decided that either way. I feel like either school will help develop me and get me to where I want to be.”
Rawson said he enjoyed his time at Southeastern but never really connected with the campus.
“I missed home a lot,” Rawson said. “South Louisiana is a whole different ball game. It wasn’t bad, I just didn’t have any friends. I basically had two friends and they were on the baseball team and both of them were transferring as well. And the pitching coach that signed me, he’s not there any more. But I think we both left on good terms with each other so I could go back there. I’m just going to see what I can do first.”
Rawson said he did learn some things while playing for the Lions.
“I learned how the Division I pace is and that’s different,” Rawson said. “I learned that I can definitely play at that level. I do well in the classroom so I don’t have to worry about that too much. I learned a lot in that respect about what Division I is all about.
\“I also learned that I know how to work hard. At Southeastern, we worked as hard as anybody in the county and I can say that with full confidence. I know what it’s like to work hard. Basically, we did something from daylight to dark and I enjoyed that part of it. It’s a good feeling when you finish the week and now that you have worked harder than the guy in the other dugout.”
Since returning home to Kosciusko, Lawson said he has been enjoying the time away from baseball but has also worked on strengthening his arm.
“I have done a lot of bands and stretching since I got back,” Lawson said. “I have done a lot of throwing with the weighted balls. I have really been working to on strengthening my arm and getting it completely to 100 percent where I can hit it hard and pitch for a summer league and get those missed games back. I just want to be ready to hit it full force in the fall with a junior college and see where it goes from that.”
Rawson said he and his dad even built a make-shift mound in his grandparents yard where he throws with his father or into a net when he starts throwing harder. Rawson said he was planning on sending his summer in Canada but now hopes to find something a little closer to home this summer.
“I’m definitely going to play somewhere in Mississippi,” Rawson said. “I was going to Canada but you can’t cross the border now. I’m just going to do something local where I can get some innings in. I just want to keep going on with my program. I still have a lot fo connections with East Coast baseball and guys there. They are all at Division I schools and I’m going to call around and see where they are playing at.”
Like most college baseball players, Rawson said he has been playing baseball for as long as he can remember and has enjoyed his time away from the sport to pursue one of his other loves.
“I have been playing baseball nonstop since I can remember,” Rawson said. “It’s nice to actually be able to be a kid for a little time that I have had. I have enjoyed it. I have been turkey hunting about every morning and fishing some. I have killed my three turkeys and called up three more for other people. I have called up two for my dad and that’s been really fun.”
Rawson said he hopes to quickly get back to working with Saunders Ramsey in Starkville and working on another off-speed pitch.
“I have been throwing in the upper 80s and and am trying to get my fastball to get to the 90s,” Rawson said. “I have a slider but I am working on my changeup right now. I haven’t started back pitching lessons yet but will start back with Saunders Ramsey pretty quick.”
