Entering his freshman year of college baseball, senior outfielder Demarcus Henderson was heralded by recruits for his speed and overall athleticism as he concluded his senior year of high school.
 A Dandy Dozen shortstop and pitcher, as well as starting quarterback on a Wayne County football team that reached the state championship, Henderson ultimately decided to bring his talents to Starkville and play for head coach John Cohen and the Mississippi State University baseball program.
Nearly four years later, the Wayne County product has become much more than just the speedy athlete MSU initially recruited. He has become an integral part of a team that reached the College World Series championship game last year.
Henderson said last year’s trip to Omaha is something every player dreams of, and he is noticing this year’s squad has the talent to repeat the trip.
“It was a dream come true. As a kid, you watch it. It’s like watching the Little League World Series at 12,13, 14 years old. In high school you’re watching the College World Series, so I think it was a dream come true for me,” he said. “My ultimate goal was to get there. You want to win it, and hopefully I think we have the tools and the guys to get back there and go for it again.”
Cohen witnessed Henderson’s progression first hand and said the staff noticed his potential during recruitment.
“I think he has become what we all knew he was going to become, which was a really savvy baseball player with tremendous leadership skills who just happens to be a great athlete at the same time,” Cohen said.
Henderson said the evolution into the player we see today was not a smooth one. Coming in with less overall knowledge of the game and playing off of raw athleticism, he had to learn all the nuances of the game.
“It took a lot time. I had to find my identity and role on the team. I had to become a baseball player. Out of high school, I was just athletic. I didn’t know much about baseball. When I got here, it was kind of like a reality check. I had to learn some things and do some things differently,” he said. “Over time, it took me buying into what the coaches were telling me and taking it day by day.”
Henderson also said time and attention to detail was the main factor in his progression as a complete player. 
“I’ve grown up. I’ve matured a lot.  A lot of the small things that I overlooked as far as stretching and coming and doing work on my own — the biggest thing was growing up,” he said. “I’ve figured out how to play the outfield now. I take, as far as the small things, them a whole lot more serious now. You hear freshmen come in and say, ‘Why do we do bunt defense so much?’ then you look at it, and that’s what ultimately got us to a national championship game last year. I don’t really complain a lot. I just do what I’m told and go to work.”
To honor his achievements, Henderson’s hometown recognized him at a high school football game, and he was presented the key to the city earlier this fall. Henderson said he was overwhelmed with how the city embraced his accomplishments.
“It showed the love my hometown gave to me. It was nice. They fed me after, and I signed a couple autographs for some people and took some pictures, but it was overwhelming to me to know my hometown supported me that much and looked up to me,” he said. “I have a lot of little kids look up to me, so that kind of gives you another reality check that people behind you are watching you no matter what you do.”
Teammate Wes Rea was a member of the 2010 recruiting class along with Henderson and commended his development over the years.
“He gets better every year, and that’s something this program allows guys to do,” Rea said. “When you do that, you’re able to play, and you’re able to contribute for us.”
Despite the youth of a Bulldog team that boasts the nation’s second-best recruiting class, Henderson feels the grind of the season will help the team in the long run.
“I feel like once we get our young pitchers in tune to what we’re doing, we’ll just roll right on,” he said. “We’re going to face some bumps in the road, but those bumps should make us a better team.”