By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

HURLEY — A former East Central High product is making a big name for himself in major college baseball on the East Coast.

Hollis Porter, a big part of the 2022 ECHS Class 5A state championship squad, just finished up his first season as a member of the University of Maryland baseball team. Porter quickly made his mark with the Terrapins upon arriving in College Park, as he ranked third on the team with a .303 batting average.

He also had led Maryland with 21 home runs and 64 runs batted in and was second on the Terps in doubles with 13.

The versatile 6-foot-4 standout Porter started all 59 games this season for the Terps in the Big 10, mostly at first base, and was second on the team with 70 total hits.

At one point this season, the lefty-swinging Porter was named the Dick Howser Trophy National Co-Hitter of the Week (early April) as well the Big 10 Player of the Week in late March.

It’s Porter’s second foray into major college baseball after he spent one year at Mississippi State. He left Starkville and landed at Pearl River Community College, where in just one season he ran roughshod over opposing juco pitchers putting up record-setting numbers in Poplarville.

“A piece of me thought I should still be playing at Mississippi State, but I had to fall in love with Pearl River,” Porter said, in a recent interview with marylandbaseballnetwork.com. “And once I did, I started buying into what had made them successful.” 

When his time at PRRC came to an end, Porter listened to an unexpected offer from the University of Maryland and Terps head coach Matt Swope. After signing with Swope, Porter wasted no time in impressing his new head coach, as he hit over .400 with 7 home runs during Maryland’s fall season, becoming a player Swope described as “dynamic with one of [Maryland’s] highest average exit velocities,” before the regular season even started.

Porter then quickly settled into the heart of the Terps batting order as regular season play began. His batting average was the highest among Maryland newcomers this year, and his 21 home runs are the third most in the Big Ten Conference this season and tied for 12th nationally.

“What he’s done this year [at Maryland] hasn’t surprised us,” Avalon added. “That’s what we expect from him.”

Maryland ended its season at 27-29.