NATCHEZ — Natchez High School baseball coach Dan Smith can sum up Travez Lyles in one word — aggressive.

Whether the right-handed pitcher is on the mound or at the plate, Smith noted his senior standout is always eager to leave an imprint on the game.

“I like the way he carries himself,” Smith said. “Earlier on, he told the team that he was going to put them on his shoulders, and we were going to ride him. When you have a kid with that kind of confidence, you have to believe in him as a coach.”

Lyles, who serves as the team’s designated hitter when he’s not pitching,  said his aggressive nature perhaps stems from the football field, where he starred as a safety and wide receiver for the Bulldogs and earned a football scholarship to Mississippi Delta Community College.

Lyles equated his approach at the plate to his special skills on the gridiron, tackling and catching passes.

“When you’re hitting, that’s just like being on the defensive side of the ball — you’re trying to hit someone hard,” Lyles said. “Then also hitting relates to when I’m receiving the ball, because you’re watching the ball all the way through.”

The 6-foot-3, 190 pounder is fresh off a 2015 campaign in which he compiled a 2.67 ERA to lead the Bulldogs.

Despite the stellar season, Smith noted, however, he still has seen major growth from his star pitcher since his junior year.

“He’s matured a whole lot from last year,” Smith said. “This is his last ride, and he’s taking more leadership this year.”

Lyles added as a senior and a key cog to the potential success of the team, it is his responsibility to serve as a strong leader.

“I’m going to lead by example, whether I’m playing or not,” Lyles said. “If I’m pitching that day, then let them watch me. If I’m not, then lead vocally – talk them up so they can get right. I’m here for them. I want them to ride me, and so long as they are grinding, then we’re going to be OK.”

Yet Lyles will also look to lean on fellow seniors in catcher Quincy Henderson, who has served as the Bulldog’s backstop since his seventh-grade year.

“If I get behind in the count or something like that, he’ll tell me to calm down,” Lyles said. “He’ll get me back to my fundamentals and get me right. If he talks to anyone on the team, he’s going to get them right. That’s our boy. If we’re not doing something, he’s going to get our head back on the right track.”

Lyles said the two grew up playing little league baseball together and have grown together through the high school ranks.

“He’s my homeboy,” Lyles said. “We had to get the feeling for (each other). Now, he just catches my pitches. He’s a tough kid. He’s somewhat like me; I pitch and he catches.”

Natchez is slated to play in the Jackson Public School Tournament at 3 and 5 p.m. today in Jackson.

“We’re trying to see where our talent is right now, and see what we have to work on,” Lyles said. “See what our highs and lows are. And whatever we have to correct, we have to correct it now, because when region play comes around, it’s time to roll then.”