NATCHEZ — For Natchez High School’s baseball team, there was never a time Javon Washington wasn’t in the spotlight.

If he wasn’t on the pitcher’s mound, he was playing the most important defensive position on the team, shortstop.

But Washington didn’t shrink from the spotlight, posting a 2.22 ERA and striking out 59 batters while walking just 14 in 47 innings of work.

Washington was also outstanding at the plate, hitting .426 with a .660 slugging percentage, two home runs, five doubles, 16 RBIs, 28 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. His on-base percentage of .603 meant that in six out of 10 plate appearances, Washington was not making an out.

Because of his prowess on the mound and at the plate, Washington was selected the The Natchez Democrat’s 2011 All-Metro baseball player of the year. Washington said it felt good to be selected, and playing multiple positions wasn’t a problem for him.

“I always wanted to do both,” Washington said. “At shortstop, you have to have range, speed and quickness, and it also helps to have a strong arm.

“It helps that I’m also a pitcher (in developing a strong arm), because it really comes in handy at short.”

Washington said he’d give himself an A-plus on the season, and he didn’t mind the workload he had as a pitcher.

“I never really got tired, because I had days off in between pitching, so I didn’t have to pitch too many innings,” Washington said.

And his approach on the mound was to also set the tempo with strike one.

“I really wanted to get past my first strike,” Washington said. “With my first pitch, I’d want it to be a strike, and then I’d try to throw them off with an offspeed pitch.”

But Washington said he didn’t always go fastball with his first pitch.

“It depends on the batter,” Washington said. “If they’re a good hitter, I might try a slider first, because most of the hitters think a fastball’s coming.”

Washington also said his mindset on the mound was to try to take the pressure off of his defense.

“I had an attitude where, I can’t strike out everyone, but I want to strike out everyone,” Washington said. “I wanted to keep the pressure off of our young defense. I told them to blame it on me.”

In the batter’s box, Washington said his approach was to be aggressive, but there is a such thing as being too aggressive.

“I’m the No. 3 hitter, so I don’t see too many fastballs,” Washington said. “When I do see fastball, I tend to jump on it.”

Washington was also a four-year starter at quarterback for the Bulldogs, and will attend Delta State University on a football scholarship.

“If I get the chance to play both (sports), though, I will,” Washington said.

Washington is the son of Tami and Joseph Washington.