COLLINSVILLE – Ben Ethridge, Brandon Andreacchio and Kameron Partridge are more than just West Lauderdale teammates. The players share a friendship that has been bolstered over the years through baseball.

Wednesday morning, the three West Lauderdale seniors added another memorable moment to their friendship as they sat inches from each other to sign their college letters of intent.

Ethridge, Andreacchio and Partridge signed with Southern Miss, East Mississippi Community College and Jones College, respectively, in a morning ceremony in the West Lauderdale library.

“This day means a lot because I’ve been playing with Kam and Ben since I was 5,” said Andreacchio, an outfielder. “We played travel ball, and this means a lot to all three of us. We all talked about it, and we all had dreams of wanting to go play in college and play at the next level.”

Along with the West Lauderdale coaching staff, Andreacchio’s father, Russ, acknowledged Shane Adams, coach of the Mississippi Rays, for helping curate his son’s talent. Andreacchio played in 24 games last season and produced seven RBIs, nine runs and two doubles behind a .235 batting average.  

As a youngster, Partridge – a shortstop and pitcher – aspired to one day don West Lauderdale’s black-and-red uniform. Not only has he achieved that goal, but he’s also helped add to the Knights’ storied baseball history. Last season, Partridge batted .324 to go with 21 RBIs, 18 runs and five doubles. On the mound, he went 10-1 with a .045 earned-run average. In 62 innings, Partridge tallied 108 strikeouts and only walked eight batters.

“It’s an awesome feeling to be able to play for West Lauderdale,” Partridge said. “Growing up, I always looked forward to being able to play for West Lauderdale just because of that tradition they always had and stuff. Now that I’m actually playing, it’s a dream come true. There’s a lot of pride that comes with it, and it’s a joy to play for all the coaches.”

West Lauderdale over the last three years has won 76 games and was crowned the 2017 MHSAA Class 4A state champion with its 2-1 series victory over Corinth at Pearl’s Trustmark Park. West Lauderdale head coach Jason Smith credited his three players for their contributions in helping the Knights maintain their 4A supremacy.   

“They’ve all played vital roles, especially over the past two years, whether it be from a defensive standpoint, pitching with Ben and Kameron, or whether it be offensively with Brandon being in the outfield,” Smith said. “But Ben and Kameron both are our top returning pitchers. They pitched in several games when they won the state championship two years ago, so we’re looking forward to their senior year.”

Ethridge carried a 9-2 record as a starter behind a 1.07 earned-run average in 2018. He struck out 90 batters and yielded 14 walks in 59 innings pitched. As a hitter, Ethridge posted a .377 batting average and accumulated nine RBIs with 15 runs. After being teammates with Partridge and Andreacchio for most of his life, Ethridge said he wouldn’t want to share the moment with anyone else.

“It’s great; I love it,” Ethridge said. “I know they’re happy for me and proud of me. I wouldn’t want it to be any other way…It’s fun being around each other and growing up playing baseball together. And now we’re all going to the next level, and maybe we’ll see each other.”