West Union's Morrisson leveled up big time during title run
· Yahoo Sports
When the stakes got raised, so did Jon Grey Morrisson’s game.
The West Union senior had a strong regular season, batting .356 with five home runs, 24 RBIs and 28 runs scored. But when it came playoff time, Morrisson swung an even bigger bat: Over 12 games, he hit .556 (20 of 36) with eight homers, 23 RBIs and 24 runs scored. That effort led the Eagles to a second straight Class 1A state championship, and it helped earn Morrisson the honor of being named the 2026 Daily Journal Baseball Player of the Year.
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The infielder and pitcher couldn’t really explain why he leveled up so well in the postseason.
“I really was just seeing (the ball) better,” he said. “I had not had the most ideal regular season hitting-wise, but then when playoffs started, I don’t know, it kind of looked like a beach ball. I could see it better. I don’t really know how to explain it.”
In the state title series against Taylorsville, Morrisson blasted a two-run homer in a Game 1 comeback win and then tripled in a Game 2 loss. The Tartars had seen enough at that point and intentionally walked Morrisson five times the rest of the series – including with the bases loaded in the seventh inning of Game 2.
“I was just real amped up,” Morrisson said. “Then I started getting walked some, and that got me up even more, because you’re thinking nobody wants to pitch to you. That means you’re dangerous right now.”
There was no avoiding him on the mound, though. Morrisson tossed a complete game in the series opener, scattering five hits with 10 strikeouts and two walks. It was a typical outing for West Union’s ace, who was a portrait of consistency on the mound all season. He posted a 1.63 ERA, striking out 80 while walking just 10 over 55 2/3 innings.
“My fastball is enough in 1A that I can pretty much roll with it. My mindset was to challenge hitters – get it up there, and if he can hit it, hit it. I’m going to let my defense work behind me,” Morrisson said.
There was actually more to it than that, at least in the playoffs. In the semifinals, against a potent Tupelo Christian offense, Morrisson hurled a three-hitter with 11 strikeouts. Then he had to face a Taylorsville team that was averaging 7.7 runs per game in the playoffs.
“We really sat down, me and coach (Ashley) Russell and Braxton (Burks), our catcher, and really talked through what we were going to throw each hitter, trying to get them off-guard,” he said. “I think we did a good job with that, and it all spoke for itself and worked out.”
That kind of work was a big reason West Union won it all again. That, and the chemistry the Eagles had built over the last two seasons. They knew they had a job to finish.
“Nobody wants to lose their last game, and that was kind of our mindset, me and my two fellow seniors,” Morrisson said. “We didn’t want to lose our last one, so that put a little bit more drive in us and motivation.”