Daingerfield’s Josh Terry Signs with Southwest Assemblies of God University to Play Baseball

[By Mark Warde, Southwest Assemblies of God Sports Information Director, Special to ETSN.fm]

WAXAHACHIE -- When Josh Terry signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at Southwestern Assemblies of God University, it reconnected a family with a strong link to SAGU.

The Daingerfield Tiger second baseman follows in the footsteps of his older brothers, Matthew and Jared, the latter of which also suited up for the Lions.

Their parents, Ben and Beth, were also enrolled at SAGU in the early 1980’s before marrying. They returned over a decade later to finish their studies, and have pastored The Worship Center in Lone Star for 27 years.

SAGU is a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics program competing in the Red River Athletic Conference.

In his four-year Daingerfield career, Terry hit .427. He started at .413 as a frosh, followed by a .439 sophomore campaign. In his junior year he hit .434 before batting .423 this spring as a senior.

Perhaps an even more impressive statistic tells of Terry’s ability to put the ball in play. Terry struck out only three times in 78 at-bats this year and just twice in 70 as a junior.

Terry was first-team all-district his final three years of high school after winning league Newcomer of the Year honors as a freshman.

Terry credits part of his batting success to brother Jared, who hit .293 and was named Defensive Player of the Year in his lone season at SAGU in 2010. A third baseman,  Jared made only five errors in 30 games before he was forced out of baseball because of medical reasons.

Jared Terry and former Daingerfield standout Jermaine Mitchell, who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies' triple-A affiliate, have helped Josh Terry in his pursuit of a college baseball career.

"He has given me hitting tips (after our workouts)," Josh said of Mitchell. "Just some little things I can do to help improve my swing."

While not playing second, Josh Terry has also pitched. In the past two years he went a combined 10-4 with a 2.18 earned run average. Known for putting in extra time before and after practice, he credits his dad for instilling his drive.

“If I’ve heard Dad say it once, I’ve heard him say it a thousand times: ‘Somebody somewhere is working out just a little bit harder than you are today,'" Josh said.

Terry was picked as the "Ideal Student" his freshman and sophomore years. He was also a three-year member of the National Honor Society. He was on the Leadership Team and on the Student Council for two years, while also receiving the Citizenship Award as a senior.