MCC Baseball players sign with universities
Published 3:19 pm Thursday, November 20, 2025
Two Meridian Community College Eagles are soaring to new heights after signing letters of intent Thursday to continue their athletic careers at the university level.
Baseball players Harlen Hovater and Varden Ellis signed with Mississippi State University and Louisiana Tech University respectively in a ceremony at MCC’s Scaggs Field.
“I’m really excited to get down there and play some ball,” Hovater said.
Hovater said he chose MSU because of the coaching, fan base and culture of its baseball program. The Bulldogs boast 12 College World Series appearances and hold multiple records for crowd size at home games played at Dudy Noble Field.
“It’s Starkville, Mississippi,” Hovater said. “It doesn’t get much better than Mississippi State.”
Ellis said Louisiana Tech, also the Bulldogs, drew his attention with its coaches, players and community, which supports its baseball team. He said the environment is a good fit as he looks to progress in the game.
“I feel like they were the best college to develop me as a player, and that’s kind of what drew me to Louisiana Tech,” he said.
Ellis plans to study chemical engineering, while Hovater has his sights set on becoming a business major.