By Curtis Rockwell/Sports Director

Former East Central High All-State standout T.J. Dunsford finally showed the world of Division I college baseball what the state of Mississippi already knew.
That he is a force to be reckoned with.
Dunsford, who led his Hornets to back-to-back Class 5A state championships in 2022 and 2023, burst onto the scene this season in his first year at the University Tennessee-Martin and earned All-Ohio Valley Conference honors in the process.

The 2023 “Class 5A Mr. Baseball” in the state of Mississippi earned second team all league accolades for the Skyhawks this season. Dunsford settled into the clean-up role in the UTM batting order and was a powerful presence in his debut season at UT Martin.
He became just the second Skyhawk to drive in 60 or more runs in a single season (62, third in OVC and two shy of tying the program’s single-season record) and owned a blistering .989 OPS. His 11 home runs are a team-best while he’s captured 22 multi-hit games (second on the team) and 17 multi-RBI contests (tied for team lead). He ranks fifth in hits (38) during conference play and ranks seventh overall in doubles (15).
A 6-0, 210-pound junior, Dunsford is the ninth Skyhawk outfielder to nab All-OVC second team honors.
Dunsford played and started in 52 games, either at designated hitter or in the outfield, and he ranked fifth in hits (38) during conference play and eighth overall in doubles (16). He recorded three outfield assists, and had five differnt outings in which he drove in a season-high four RBI’s.

He blasted two home runs against Belmont (April 28) for his first multi-homer game of his UT Martin career, and also posted a season-high three hits in seven different contests. He also owned a season-best 10-game hitting streak from April 21-May 8.
Off the field, the former Southern Miss signee and transfer from Jones Community College was named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for the fall semester.

Prior to heading to Tennessee, Dunsford was also a Second Team All-MACCC selection in his lone season with the Bobcats after transferring over from Lurleen B. Wallace Junior College. He batted .356 with six home runs and 32 runs batted in and led the team in hits (62), runs scored (49) and doubles (15). He originally signed with Southern Miss out of ECHS but detoured to Wallace.