2012 Baseball Preview

from the sports editor... s it really baseball season already? Hard to believe, considering it seems like just yesterday I was at Trustmark Park in Jackson watching Sumrall and Petal extend their periods of dominance and raise state championship trophies.

But 2012 is a new year, and with it comes new storylines and new questions. A betting man would feel pretty comfortable putting money on the fact one of our area teams will be playing for a championship in May, but it may not be the two that have done so the past handful of years.

This is the first edition of our PineBeltSPORTS.com Baseball magazine, and I hope that it sets the bar high. Itʼs the least that could be done for the caliber of teams the Pine Belt produces year in and year out.

After going through the magazine experience with football, the idea of a baseball version was both exhilarating and intimidating.

Thereʼs a lot of time and work that goes into pulling off a project like this, and I felt like the football magazine had forced us to match its high quality. At the same time, the opportunity to hit baseball season going full bore and getting to know our teams and players in a way I didnʼt last season (when I showed up two-thirds of the way through the season) was exciting.

In the end, it fit all those bills. Sometimes the hours were long, but I got an immense amount of enjoyment from putting all of these pages together. I hope you get that same sense as you take a peek into the prospects of each squad, including a look at a dynastyʼs turnover — at a level rarely paralleled — and one of the most talented triple threats anywhere in the state — one with eyes firmly set on seeing me in Jackson this year.

As usual, thanks must go out to everyone involved with making this project a reality. Inside our own walls it was publisher David Gustafson and graphic artist Bill Benge, and we once again recruited the sharp eye and talented trigger finger of photographer Artie Rawls to capture the images you see on these pages.

Thank you to all the coaches and players who made time to talk or patiently posed while we snapped their photos. This couldnʼt happen without you.

A special thank you goes out to Lamar County Fire Department Coordinator George Stevens and Northeast Lamar Fire Chief Kyle Hill for being so gracious as to open their doors to us and provide us with everything we needed, even allowing us to set things on fire.

In the end, when youʼre getting paid to set things ablaze, it canʼt be all that bad, right?

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Enjoy the 2012 magazine and, most of all, the 2012 baseball season.

Josh Mlot PineBeltSPORTS.com

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PineBeltSPORTS.com ’ s BASEBALL 2012

The Lamar Times

5 THE TORCHBEARERS WHO ARE THESE GUYS? 10 13 OAK GROVE TEAM PREVIEW 17 PETAL TEAM PREVIEW 22-39 TEAM SEASON CAPSULES 40 SUMRALL TEAM PREVIEW 42 PURVIS TEAM PREVIEW 47 LUMBERTON TEAM PREVIEW 49 PCS TEAM PREVIEW 52 SOUTHERN MISS TEAM PREVIEW Oak Grove trio eyes big goals in 2012

55 56 58 59

PEARL RIVER CC TEAM PREVIEW Chemistry key for Wildcats in 2012

PEARL RIVER CC SEASON CAPSULE Roster & schedule for PRCC

WILLIAM CAREY SEASON CAPSULE All the Knights info you need

WILLIAM CAREY TEAM PREVIEW

Halford leads WCU into another campaign

The new faces of Sumrall baseball

High expectations for experienced and talented Warriors

Can the Panthers make it three in a row?

All the raw data you want and need

Ravaged by graduation, dynasty regroups Tornadoes enter season as the talk of 4A

Panthers ready to return to the postseason New head coach high on Bobcats hopes Golden Eagles full of new faces, youth

About the Photographer Artie Rawls has been an award-winning professional photographer in the Pine Belt for more than 20 years.

Specializing in weddings, seniors, commercial and children’s photography, he is a regular contributor to Signature Magazine. www.artierawlsphotography.com

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PineBeltSPORTS.com ’ s BASEBALL 2012

The Lamar Times

The Oak Grove faithful have their fingers crossed that they won’t ever have to consider such a proposition, and with good reason. The Warriors’ winning tradition will be in the hands of one of its most talented groups this spring, led by a trio of standouts to match any in the state.

This is the trio tasked with trying to put those planets back in order.

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f you remember how 2011 ended for Oak Grove baseball, you probably remember how it ended in 2010 as well. If you’re an Oak Grove fan, you probably try not to remember either. If you’re from Petal, you relive it as often as you can — dumping your crosstown archrivals on the way to consecutive championships.

If you suit up for the Warriors, you let it simmer and burn in the back of your brain.

A season ago the Warriors rolled to the top spot in their region and a No. 1 seed, and the Panthers stumbled into the postseason, lucky to even be there. It didn’t matter once the second round came. Oak Grove’s season quickly came to a conclusion, one rife with swings and misses, whiffing over and over again at Cody Conkle curveballs. By the final out, the Warriors weren’t swinging hard at the pitches anymore, they were swinging hard at

the frustration of their demise, hoping to beat it into submission.

“I definitely think about it all the time,” Oak Grove senior Tyler Odom said, a spark glowing behind his eyes. “That’s definitely something I’ve put in the back of mind.”

“It was definitely a disappointment,” added fellow senior Cort Brinson.

“We were supposed to be as good as we are this year last year, and we just didn’t have the leadership. We weren’t as much of fighters as we are this year.”

That attitude is good news for Oak Grove, because Odom and Brinson are two players who are going to have a large say in how things go by the time the 2012 campaign is all said and done. The third baseman and catcher, respectively, are two of the longest-tenured players on the roster, not to mention two of the most talented.

“Cort and Tyler have been starting since the first year I’ve been here,” fourth-year head coach Chris McCardle said, “and those guys know what I expect and what needs to be done in order to get where we need to go.

They are in the middle of the lineup and led our team in hitting the last two years. We’ll definitely be counting on those guys for senior leadership and on-field production.”

That production has never been a problem. Hitting in the heart of the order a season ago, they were the team’s top two hitters. Brinson batted .485 with 43 RBIs, 13 doubles and five home runs. Odom hit .424 with 37 runs driven in and 10 doubles. He also maintained a 2.52 ERA on the mound.

More of the same should, and will, be expected this year.

“Cort is one of those athletes that you get every so often,” McCardle said. “He’s big and strong and he can run. He works at it and wants to be

good at it. He’s just one of those kids you wish you had a whole team of them. He’s got God-gifted talent some kids aren’t born with, and he’s been able to use it to the best that he can.

“They both know the game really well. Tyler is a guy who’s probably going to be our No. 1 pitcher. He’s going to be a guy we lean on on the mound, and he’s got a chance to do some special things this year.

“Him and Cort are on the same page.”

Josh Mlot/PineBeltSPORTS.com (Brinson, Odom)

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hen you’re a little boy growing up in Mississippi, you play baseball. And when you’re a little boy growing up in west Hattiesburg, you eventually help Oak Grove High win a state championship. It’s just how things work.

But as the 2012 campaign opens, the Warriors are dangerously close to sending off a second straight group of seniors to have moved through their high school careers and never brought home a ring. At most places, that wouldn’t seem like a big deal. In fact, it wouldn’t even draw a nod of recognition. At Oak Grove, however, it makes for a universe that seems wildly out of alignment.

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hen Brinson started as a freshman, he was the first ninthgrader to do so at Oak Grove in 15 years. It would seem to be a sign of a special player. So when Kirk McCarty did the same thing two years later, it’s not that it takes away from the achievement, but rather makes a statement about McCarty.

“At the beginning,” McCarty said, “I was worried about it — coming from eighth grade ball to coming in to high school — but I settled down and played a couple games. My teammates are always there for us young guys, and it helped having them to kind of calm us down, because my first at-bat I’m in there shaking.”

That first at-bat was about all it took to strip loose those jitters. After that the only things shaking were assumptions about what a green freshman can and can’t do. McCarty might have been taking freshman English during the day, but on the ball field he played like a well-schooled veteran.

He hit .411, got on base at a .522 clip and started in right field day in and day out. He was a regular part of the pitching rotation, striking out 35 in 28 1-3 innings and maintaining a team-best 1.98 ERA. “With Kirk it did surprise me and it didn’t,” McCardle said. “We knew as a coaching staff the talent he has. As far as hitting and defense he fit in right away with everyone we had, so that wasn’t a surprise at all.

“He is one of the hardest workers I’ve seen, he loves the game and learns the game and he has a bright, bright future if he sticks with it.”

The scary part? The coach says they handled McCarty carefully on the mound, making sure to boost him up after getting knocked around and not asking him to do too much. If those numbers come out of getting knocked

around a couple times, imagine what the sophomore will be capable of now that he’s adjusted.

“He knows now that he can’t just get up on the mound and just blow people away with a fastball like he did last year,” McCardle said. “He worked hard in the weight room and he’s a lot bigger and stronger and definitely a lot smarter. We’re actually hoping he’s going to be our leadoff hitter this year.”

McCarty’s quick adjustment and maturation isn’t just a coincidence. It speaks to his own mental strength and to the help he’s had from around him, including from Brinson and Odom. While the two spoke to a lack of leadership potentially holding the team back in the past — “The past couple of years we really haven’t had leadership from the seniors,” Odom said — they also talked about using that void as motivation to do better when it became their turn to lead.

Odom said they’ve “learned what to do and what not to do,” and there is definitely a sense of maturity surrounding the squad. And helping along the next Oak Grove star has just been natural.

“They both started playing as underclassmen and they’ve both been very successful,” McCarty said.

“They’re two tremendous baseball players and athletes in general. They really did help a lot with getting settled into the game and I couldn’t be more thankful for two guys like that.”

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rinson, Odom and McCarty are a triple threat in the Warrior lineup, but their connection dates back off the field as well. It’s often at

SENIOR LEADERS — At left, Cort Brinson has put up the numbers to prove heʼs a force with the bat. But in 2012 he, along with close friend and fellow senior Tyler Odom (pictured above) are focused on filling a leadership void and winning a Class 6A state championship.

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PineBeltSPORTS.com ’ s BASEBALL 2012

The Lamar Times

TRIPLE THREAT — At the core of an experienced and talented Warrior squad in 2012 is the triple threat of, from left to right, catcher Cort Brinson, third baseman Tyler Odom and right fielder Kirk McCarty.

——— “losing in the playoffs every year has really just left a bad taste in our mouths. We’re just tired of losing.”

———

way with units that seem primed for success, clicking on all cylinders. It takes more than a practice a day to build that type of chemistry.

Nobody was in a better position to not be surprised by McCarty’s debut than Odom. The two lived down the street from one another, often playing baseball in the front yard long before there were any implications or pressures placed upon them.

“I remember thinking then that he was going to be something special,” Odom said. “We used to play baseball, football, basketball and everything back in middle school and he’s a tremendous athlete. He can do it all.”

Meanwhile, the two seniors have played together for even longer and have plans to continue on together at the next level, wherever that may be, not just as teammates but as roommates.

“It’s been awesome,” Odom said.

“We’ve been playing together since tee-ball. … (Cort’s) definitely been one of my best friends, just being able to play with him and know that he’s there all the time. I’ve looked to him if I’ve needed advice. We talk about baseball, and he’s done the same thing. We always talk about what we need to do and work together as co-captains of the team.

Being with him has definitely been a positive.

“I think we’ve both had the same goals. We hate losing. I mean, everybody does, but it really gets to us. He started as a freshman and I started as a sophomore, and losing (in the playoffs) every year has really just left a bad taste in our mouths. We’re just tired of losing.”

Now the three are joined by that bond — a hatred of losing — and a uniform that’s meant so much to so many kids coming through a system and a neighborhood where Oak Grove baseball is all that matters.

“Seeing Tyler pitch when I was an eighth grader,” McCarty said, “I guess it was always, ‘Wow, he’s that guy. He just shut them down.’

And now to be playing with him and alongside him is just crazy. As a kid you look at high school players like, ‘Oh, gosh, they’re the major leagues,’ and now to be up here and playing with him, it’s fun.”

So is winning a state title.

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he elephant in the locker room is trumpeting loudly. It’s no secret that the Warriors are in the

The Petal News

PineBeltSPORTS.com ’ s BASEBALL 2012

midst of a championship drought, by their standards, and that for this group of seniors there is no next year. That sort of weight can create an astonishing sense of urgency.

“There’s always that thing in the back of your mind,” Brinson said, “ ‘What if we don’t do it?’ You’re going to be thinking what if, what could I have done better? I really don’t want to worry about that the rest of my life.

“We’re going to do it this year. We need to.”

Brinson is a part of a nine-player senior class, and one of a similar number of returning starters. He calls it “the biggest disappointment” if they aren’t 6A state champs when the season ends.

At the same time, he speaks confidently of the team’s experience and maturity, and shrugs off the pressure of dwindling time and swelling expectations, including top preseason rankings.

“I don’t really feel pressure from it,” Brinson said. “I think we feel like we should be up there and we should be playing that caliber of people. When we’re ranked that high, it just means you’ve got to stay there and if you get knocked down you’ve got to get back up.”

They’ve got help from McCarty, who, if his freshman season qualifies as a breakout, may put together a transcendent effort this time around. As a sophomore he’s already one of the guys, welcomed into the circle of leaders often limited to upperclassmen. He even calls himself vocal, “maybe a little too vocal sometimes,” but says he doesn’t want to let things go by the wayside; he wants to bring the team closer together.

Many are banking on all that bringing them closer to something else — a title.

“That’s been our goal since I’ve been a part of, or even watching, Oak Grove baseball,” Odom said.

“It’s been my dream to win a championship.”

This season is the trio’s year.

Brinson and Odom are now seniors, in their last seasons, and McCarty is no longer a freshman.

Will they save the day in 2012?

Those kinds of expectations are probably unfair for anyone. But they might just be the torchbearers, keeping the flame alive that so often has lit Oak Grove’s way to the top of the baseball heap. PineBeltSPORTS.com

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RING ’EM UP

Photo by Artie Rawls

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Looking to open a new business here in the Pine Belt? You might want to consider making

championship rings. Two baseball teams brought some fresh bling home in 2011, as Sumrall and Petal show off here. And these fellas were being modest. They could have thrown on a few more. The Bobcats have won four straight 4A titles — these seniors have three rings — while the Panthers are back-to-back champs. There are more championship hopefuls set to hit the diamond in 2012, and while all hands here are all full up, there’s always the toes...

PineBeltSPORTS.com ’ s BASEBALL 2012

The Lamar Times

The Petal News

PineBeltSPORTS.com ’ s BASEBALL 2012

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Photos by Artie Rawls Pictured above, left to right, are seniors Harvey Knight, Justin Freeman and Zach Jones.

E R S? A Y O U H W SE G E THA new generation of leaders

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hen Dylan Dobbs steps out of the Sumrall locker room after a preseason intrasquad scrimmage, the electricity in his voice is evident. His voice doesn’t boom, so much as it pops, but it’s clear to see — or hear — why his is the one that now carries across the field and Bobcat dugout.

The thing is … who is Dylan Dobbs?

He’s joined by Austin Knight, tossing a baseball around in the background while waiting for his turn to answer questions. No, not that Austin Knight — he took his handful of title rings and headed north to play for Ole Miss. This is Austin H. Knight. His teammates call him Harvey, in order to avoid confusion.

These are the new leaders of the 2012 Sumrall Bobcats, defending a 4A state title for the fourth straight year. And the only people that could pick them out of a lineup might be their own mothers.

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steps to the forefront in Sumrall By

JOSH MLOT 10

ou could talk about the players that Sumrall needs to replace, or you could talk about the ones coming back. Don’t have all day? Better choose the latter.

Senior Zach Jones is the only player in blue, white and yellow who saw significant playing time last year; the only returning starter. Jones, a speedy right fielder, must have thought he was dreaming when he brought home a third state title as a junior. Then he woke up and found a team around him he didn’t even recognize.

PineBeltSPORTS.com ’ s BASEBALL 2012

The Lamar Times

“Zach is a very quiet kid,” Sumrall head coach Larry Knight said. “He’ll be a guy that hustles. He’s extremely fast and he’s very noticeable because of that.

“He was, last year, kind of the guy that was hidden out there. This year he should hit near the top of the lineup for us, in the one hole or three hole.

He’s going to be looked at as one of our main guys, so we’re going to depend on him. Now, he won’t say a whole lot — he will lead by example.”

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“He’s been doing a good job about that,” Knight said of his teammate. “I don’t really know how to put it in words. He’s taken it very well and has just sort of taken what he’s given.”

What he’s been given is a squad full of guys who have been watching the game for a long time, but haven’t necessarily contributed a whole lot on the varsity level. He’s been given a whole lot of unprovens.

Undoubtedly, a lot of those teammates will be looking to him. Whether he chooses it or not, leadership, on some level, has been thrust upon him.

He got on the field on a championship team — onbase percentage of .414, 5-for-5 stealing bases, 20 runs scored in 68 plate appearances.

By all accounts, Jones is not a talker. When you play with eight senior starters, it’s easy to stay in the background. Now, there’s no place to hide.

or a player on the Sumrall bench in recent years, there have been plenty of examples to follow. But what do you do when those examples are gone and now all eyes are on you?

“It’s a lot to swallow,” said Harvey Knight, the team’s new starting shortstop. “Just taking it all in. I was sitting back and watching and it was Chase (Lewallen), and then it was Connor Barron. Those guys are really good and I just kind of sat back and let them do their thing, and they’d point and tell me where to go. But now I’m the guy that’s pointing.

“I think Coach Knight keeps us up about it and makes sure we know what’s going on. None of us has freaked out yet, so that’s good.”

Yet. Guys like Harvey, Dobbs, Jones and the other six seniors on the team will have a lot to do with whether that freakout ever comes. On a squad that is bursting at the seams with inexperience, the mental aspect is arguably as important as skill level. Ups and downs will happen, but winning teams have guys to step forward and remind everyone that with the lows come highs as well.

“The game of baseball does that to everybody,” coach Knight said. “We’ve really been trying to stress that and focus on the little things that they can do, and don’t focus on the negatives and let them control us. That’s such a hard thing for guys to do when they haven’t been out there and haven’t been playing.”

The coach wants to see those reminders coming from his players. He credits his shortstop and first baseman with helping with the process, as well as others like senior Jared Underwood, who are doing their best to fish out their leadership skills.

“Jared Underwood really seems to be upbeat and there are times he’s had to get on guys,” Knight said. “We’ve lacked a little bit of that because I think we have some quiet guys. Not that they’re not the type of guys that can lead, but some of them will lead more just by the way they go about playing the game.”

His shortstop has tried to fill some of that role himself, making an attempt to be vocal and give his teammates a boost.

“I want to make sure that everybody keeps their head up,” Harvey Knight said. “When someone messes up, I want all my guys to run up and say, ‘It’s OK, it’s OK,’ give them some knucks and make it better.”

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ometimes leadership is natural; sometimes it develops. Rarely is it required of a first-year starter. That creates a situation that can be disconcerting and maybe a little bit strange.

“I wouldn’t say strange,” Dobbs said. “I would say a new experience. I’ve sat behind some great players. Jared Miller went to Mississippi State, Luke Lowery went to Southern. I sat behind Brandon Pennington, who went to PRCC. So I’ve

PineBeltSPORTS.com ’ s BASEBALL 2012

Josh Mlot/PineBeltSPORTS.com

HELLO, MY NAME IS — With a boatload of graduations, a new group of untested seniors is being thrust into leadership roles for Sumrall. Pictured clockwise, from top left, is Zach Jones (the lone returning starter), Dylan Dobbs and Austin “Harvey” Knight.

watched a lot of great guys in front me. I’ve learned the game from a lot of great players.”

When asked if he’s always been outspoken, Dobbs describes himself as “loud,” and there probably aren’t many who would argue with him. But he doesn’t just talk to hear his own voice, he uses it as a type of therapy.

“I like to be loud and it helps to get rid of the nerves sometimes,” Dobbs said. “I race dirt bikes and when I go to the line I like to go, ‘WOOO!’ and get real loud to get rid of the jitters. I like to be a vocal leader so everybody can look to me when they need something.”

And while the transition in personnel and leadership may have been as smooth as a cobblestone road, it wasn’t entirely unexpected either. The current class of seniors knew that its time would come eventually, and in the meantime they watched and learned. A championship-caliber environment seems as good as any to prepare to be the next generation of winners.

“Over the years,” Dobbs said, “the senior class now hasn’t really had to have leadership because all the guys ahead of us were great leaders. I knew someone was going to have to step up, and instead of waiting for that to happen I just figured I’d go ahead and do it.”

That’s what Bobcat nation is waiting for. A group conditioned to nothing but winning features virtual unknowns heading into 2012. Harvey Knight says he and his senior teammates have been dealing with that pretty well, aware that there’s only so much you can control, and the success of your predecessors falls squarely into that realm.

“I know the pressure is there,” the shortstop said. “I’m not oblivious to it, but my job and our team’s job is to keep it off each other’s shoulders and play ball.”

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ho is Zach Jones? Who is Dylan Dobbs?

Who is Harvey Knight? All that may matter is that they know who they are, and if they can ignore those not-so-quiet questions.

“Yeah,” Dobbs said, “I think a lot of people in our school are thinking, ‘These guys aren’t going to do well because we lost (all) our starters from last year,’ but it’s not that way. We work hard to win; we work harder than anybody out here.”

They work like the past four iterations of Sumrall Bobcats, and just like those, they lower their expectations for no one. All they answer to are themselves, their coaches and the rings on their fingers.

After all, who in their right mind would have predicted four in a row?

“Of course you want to go for the fifth state championship,” Dobbs said. “We’re setting our expectations high and hoping to achieve even higher.

That’s what we’ll be shooting for, and we’ll be disappointed if we don’t win.” PineBeltSPORTS.com

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The Lamar Times

Artie Rawls Photography

The Oak Grove Warriors don’t like the way the past two seasons have come to an end. But an experienced 2012 squad has the state’s attention, as (left to right) Brandon Maddox, Cort Brinson, Tyler Odom, Kirk McCarty and Drew Standland look to set 6A on fire.

Oak Grove The Petal News

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2012 Outlook 13

2012 Outlook

Chuck Lick/click-images (Standland, Floyd)

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STANDING HIS GROUND — Senior second baseman and pitcher Drew Standland will be one of a solid group of seniors looking to provide a new level of leadership for the Warriors.

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Oak Grove

very baseball season at Oak Grove starts with hopes of a state championship. So imagine what it means when the Warriors are shouldered with high expectations.

Welcome to 2012. It’s been five years since Oak Grove has won a title — a lifetime in Warrior land — and before the season has started there are already whispers that this may be the year that drought ends. And head coach Chris McCardle says his squad welcomes the high rankings, expectations and, ultimately, pressure.

“Oh yeah, no doubt about that,” he said.

“I think regardless of what happened last year or the year before — one game away at South State — even with the new guys last year the pressure was there. We welcome it and the kids like it and enjoy it.”

In 2011 the Warriors went into the playoffs after winning their region, only to be knocked out in their first series by Petal, the second straight year their archrivals had done them in.

But despite the success of last year, McCardle says this year’s team is the complete opposite of last season’s … in a good way.

“Last year, we lost nine starters (to graduation). So last year we started from scratch,” McCardle said. “This year is totally opposite from last year.

We’ve got everybody back. We’ve got a year of experience under our belt.”

While Oak Grove doesn’t have literally everyone back, it’s pretty darn close, and that’s good news for Warrior fans. There are seven starters returning, and all of those guys retain fresh memories of how last year’s playoffs came, quickly, to a halting stop.

“I said all of last year we were as good as anybody around,” McCardle said, “we just didn’t have the level of maturity on the mound you’ve got to have in 6A baseball.

They realized when they got out there in the second round that the pressure of the game was a lot different and they didn’t handle it real well. They’ve used that and they haven’t quit talking about it since

we’ve been back in school. All those memories are still fresh in everybody’s mind. They’ve embraced it and learned from it.”

A lot of pitchers — by design — threw significant innings for Oak Grove last year and only one of those players graduated, leaving the squad with a deep staff that may have just been scratching the surface.

Senior Hunter Floyd led the team in innings pitched (37.1) and was second in ERA (2.06) a year ago, and is joined, once again, by seniors Tyler Odom (2.52 ERA) and Brandon Maddox (3.54), who struck out 34 in less than 30 innings.

“Those guys will have the first opportunity to step up,” McCardle said. “We also have some younger guys that haven’t pitched a whole lot but have potential to be real good.”

The coach talks about Taylor Braley, Drew Standland, John Carter Sanner and Trace Kittrell fitting into that group.

And then there’s Kirk McCarty, who was handled gently as a freshman adjusting to high school baseball, but whom McCardle has said he’d like to take the reigns off of as a sophomore. With “gentle” handling, McCarty still threw 28 innings, posting a team-leading 1.98 ERA, striking out 35 and holding opponents to a .147 average.

If that was an adjustment period, McCarty’s ceiling could be among the best in the state.

In the field and the batter’s box the departures of Ryan Best and Jon Mark Herrington will be felt, but the Warriors hope experience will make up for that. Even the players said there was a bit of a leadership void last season, but this campaign may reverse that.

“We’ve got depth pretty much at every position,” McCardle said, “but we’ve got to find those two or three guys that are going to step up and be there for us. That’s what we’re looking for.”

The heavy-hitting trio of third baseman Odom, outfielder McCarty and catcher Cort Brinson should form the top part of the lineup and be tough outs for opposing hitters. Those three hit .424, .411 and .483, respectively, and drove in a combined 99 runs.

The right side of the infield may see Standland and Braley, while the outfield

PineBeltSPORTS.com ’ s BASEBALL 2012

will feature veterans like Maddox, McCarty and Christian Chauvin.

And while there’s not a lot of room for newcomers to break into the lineup, there are some other faces that the coaching staff hopes will make an impact.

“We’ve got some guys that have been around but they’re new,” McCardle said, “and some young guys that have a chance to help us.”

Senior Steven Papas struggled with injuries last year but is ready to help at second base this campaign, and sophomore Jordan Mitchell is an outfielder whose manager says “has got some speed and is a good athlete.” And junior Colton McMurray can fill an outfield spot and give the coaches an opportunity to move some guys around.

McCardle says this group may be the best one he’s been around defensively, and is confident in its ability to score some runs too. But the bottom line comes back to growth in one particular place.

“The bottom line is we’ve got to find the guys on the mound to get out there and compete for us,” the manager said.

And with two-time defending state champ Petal moving into Region 5-6A, the onus will be on the Warriors to prove that they are still the conference’s best squad.

But when asked about what his team needs to do to consider the campaign a successful one, McCardle concedes nothing. Just as it’s always done at Oak Grove.

“It’s hard to say,” McCardle said, “but I would say that we have the potential to get to a state championship. Most other schools in 6A have that same opportunity.

“Our goal is to get to Jackson and that’s what we set every year. To make it short of that is a little disappointing. That’s where our goal is and that’s where we’ll keep it at.” PineBeltSPORTS.com

ARMS UP — Senior Hunter Floyd will lead a deep group of pitchers looking to develop a maturity to match its talent.

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The Lamar Times

Artie Rawls Photography

Petal has back-to-back titles and a core of (clockwise from top, left) Trevor Williams, Tyler Graves, Anthony Alford and Larson Barkurn returning. Can the Panthers catch fire like they did at the end of last season?

Petal The Petal News

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2012 Outlook

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Artie Rawls (group); Josh Mlot/PineBeltSPORTS.com (Watkins)

SUPREME LEADER — Panthers manager Larry Watkins lifted his second straight championship trophy, and fifth overall, last year.

The big win also happened to be the 750th of his career.

etal has won two straight 6A baseball championships, and has played in the game in five of the last seven years. Yet, it never gets any easier. Welcome to 2012, where Panther baseball still has a target firmly on its back.

Luckily, a slow start to last season may have taught the team a very valuable lesson: Nothing is ever just given to you; complacency will get you nowhere.

“You hope that never happens,” head coach Larry Watkins said of becoming too comfortable. “We went through a tough season last year. I think they saw that you’ve got to be ready to play every game.

“I don’t know what goes through the kids’ minds. We just work hard and try to take them one game at a time. There’re always a lot of high expectations from the community, but as a coaching staff, we’re just trying to stay focused one game at a time.”

Petal was 8-9 at one point before winning 16 of their last 19 games to bring home another trophy to the Friendly City. The hope is that the timely hitting of the latter portion of the year and the confidence it bred will carry over to a new season in which the Panthers have some important parts to replace.

But first, what the Panthers do have. It starts with outfielder Anthony Alford, a five-tool player who is likely to go in the first round or two of the MLB draft in

June. The senior standout missed half of last season while still recovering from an ACL torn in football, but Alford returned with a bang, batting .451 with 30 runs scored, 25 driven in and four home runs, despite getting less than 100 plate appearances.

This time around there will be no knee brace and no gentle caretaking to slow him down, meaning his 10 stolen bases will probably grow as well. The question is where the protection will come from as he likely hits out of the three spot.

That starts with senior catcher Tyler Graves, who hit .315 and was even more valuable for his .445 on-base percentage. This season, though, his most valuable asset may be his defensive skills and leadership as he handles a green pitching staff.

“He’s a great catcher,” Watkins said, “and blocks the ball and receives the ball as well as anyone in the state.”

If there’s one thing Petal feels confident about, it’s defense. In fact, defense is the reason the Panthers were able to win games even when the bats were cold for large portions of last season.

Senior right fielder Kyle Giacona is back after holding down the position a year ago and playing admirable defense. He was often held out of the batting order in lieu of a designated hitter, but Watkins said his bat has come along and impressed in the preseason.

Sophomore Jesse Jackson will get an opportunity to break into the starting lineup as a center fielder. Jackson was used primarily as a base runner in 2011, but is a proven athlete with a high ceiling, and his presence will give the Panthers the flexibility to slide Alford to left.

Sophomore Jacob Hiatt is another starter that fits the defensive mantra, managing to maintain a hold on shortstop last year despite struggling with the bat. But Hiatt enters his second year bigger and stronger, and should again provide the team

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with a rangy stopper in the infield.

First, though, he must recover from a knee injury that will hold him out for about the first month of the season.

“We’ll miss Jacob Hiatt because he was having a great preseason,” Watkins said, “but once he gets back I really think he’ll help us too. He’s about as good a defensive player as you’ll see. He played a pressure position as a freshman and made play after play. He’s gotten stronger and we’ll be anxious for him to get him back in the lineup.”

The corner infielders may be the most critical players on the Petal roster this season, as third baseman Larson Barkurn and first baseman Trevor Williams will slide up the batting order. Both played strong defense last year as sophomores, but struggled with the bat through much of the regular season before coming up with some big hits down the stretch. Watkins expects both to swing the bat more like they did in the latter portion of the year, which will be good news for the Panthers.

“Trevor has really been swinging the bat well, as well as Larson,” the manager said. “I look for a big year for Trevor. He struggled last year, as did Jacob Hiatt, but they both played defense and they were both instrumental in us winning a championship.

“He swung the bat better toward the end, and Larson was just on fire toward the end. I think that experience will carry over for those kids.”

The team is hoping for a whole lot of that carry-over, as the other infield spots as well as roster depth will be built on some players who have been with the program and seen what it takes to win, but haven’t gotten a lot of time on the field in key situations.

Junior Slade Buckley will provide backup in the outfield, senior Seth Rhodes will do the same at first and junior Levi Brewer and senior Cody Mims will be asked to shore up the middle of the infield, especially while Hiatt is out.

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2012 Outlook During that time, expect to see Brewer at short and Mims at second.

Senior Garren Berry will help largely at third, but has the versatility to play just about anywhere in the infield. Watkins says players like Berry are exactly how you round out winning teams.

“It’s kids like that that have got to fill in where we lost a few players,” Watkins said. “I think they’re anxious to play and get a shot.

They’ve waited and their time has come.

Hopefully they’ll step up.

“Kids change in a year. I can see where our kids, we have some that got stronger and they’re getting their opportunity and their chance to play. The experience of being in those games is important, whether you’re contributing running the bases or whatever. … Just those kids being at the games and coming through the system is important. Just being around that atmosphere. All those kids, that’s part of the future of the team and that chemistry; getting kids that will do whatever it takes for the kids to win.

“They work hard and when that chance comes you want to be ready to play. … I think that competitiveness, in the long run, that makes a better team. Kids know they’ve got to go out and they’ve got to work. They know they can’t take it for granted.”

One thing Petal can’t take for granted in 2012 is pitching. After Cody Conkle and Brandon Smith carried the team through the playoffs with some miraculous efforts, both are gone, along with Jacoby Langley, who played center field, hit leadoff and provided a third pitching option. In fact, the Panthers have lost 20 of their 24 wins on the mound.

“That’s going to be,” Watkins said before pausing, “We’ve got a lot of question marks there. We don’t have a lot of depth returning.

They’re all young and we don’t really have a senior on the pitching staff this year. Some young kids will be getting some opportunities.

“Those will be some tough kids to replace. … It’ll be important early to get them some good experience.”

Barkurn is the top returning pitcher — fourth in innings pitched in 2011 — and will be asked to carry a heavier load this season.

Williams will get innings as well, bringing a lefthanded presence to help lead the staff.

The rest of the group will be much younger.

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Petal Sophomore leftie Drew Smith — brother of Brandon — pitched 12 innings last year, and it’s safe to say that number will rise. Mims and Brewer will bring a change of pace with a submarine-style deliver, and sophomores Calder Mikell and Bryant McDuffie will be in the mix.

Showing just how inexperienced the pitching corps is, two freshmen may see time on the mound as Tristan Labove and DeMarcus Evans may get the call.

“Our pitching coach, Patrick Ezell, is doing a great job with them,” Watkins said. “He’s leading a group of pitchers into the season that does not have a lot of experience. But we’ve got some experience back on defense.

“It’s going to come down to competing on the mound and throwing strikes and playing good defense behind them. I feel good. I think once they get into games I look for those kids to do well.”

It may take a little while to figure out what the Panthers have, but if they learned anything from last year it’s that the most important thing is to be peaking at the right time. If the squad can grit its teeth through early growing pains, anything is possible.

“A lot of questions are answered once we start playing games,” Watkins said. “You’ve got to stay focused on the big picture. You want to be in the playoffs at the end of the year. Last year … tells you, you want to build and be playing your best at the end of the season.

“There’s no doubt we see a lot of people’s best. We play a tough schedule, and you just want to go out and get better each game; learn to compete, play together as a team and get that chemistry.

“Hopefully things will work out. You play a tough schedule and you’re going to lose some ballgames; you just have to keep battling out there.” PineBeltSPORTS.com Artie Rawls Photography

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Artie Rawls Photography

Say hello to the new faces of Sumrall baseball. With an amount of turnover rarely seen, a new group of Bobcats, including (left to right) Zach Jones, the “other” Austin Knight (a.k.a. Harvey) and Justin Freeman will try to play the hero.

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Devontae Watts has been largely absent from practice due to basketball commitments, but he showed he had some good stuff over the summer after being used as a pinch runner on last year’s team. He showcased his athletic ability when he locked down the quarterback position for the Bobcat football team this past fall.

Will Simon, who has had to rebound from a football injury, has been dealing with some arm tightness but when healthy will shoulder a “good bit” of the pitching responsibility. Throw in Landon White and Alex Knight, two freshmen, and, as coach Knight put it, some less experienced players will “have to step up and do something.”

“We’ll have more guys to pitch (than last year). Maybe not a guy we always know can go out and stop the big teams. We may have to piece things together a little more, but I’d say early on Massengale is going to be one of our top guys and after that we’re going to have to kind of figure it out.”

The defensive lineup is in flux just as much. Jones, a senior, will be back in right field, where his speed will be a major factor on both sides of the game. Senior Justin Freeman provides a similar dimension, while Massengale and Holt Gammell will also play in the outfield.

“We feel like we have a very strong outfield,” Knight said. “Those guys can track some balls down and have tremendous speed.”

Working with the pitching staff behind the plate, the catching position has been up for grabs. Junior Nick Rogers looked to have a bead on the job, but a torn labrum in the offseason has knocked him out. Instead, Skylar Flowers and Stephen Newell, who caught on the junior varsity and ninth-grade teams, respectively, are in the mix, with Flowers gaining the edge heading into the campaign.

Third base is another position where multiple faces may make an impact, with Simon and Casey Raynes putting in their time and Alex Knight potentially playing a role.

Across the infield, first baseman Dylan Dobbs will be as critical a

Josh Mlot/PineBeltSPORTS.com

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umrall head coach Larry Knight has never seen anything quite like this in his long coaching career. He’s not talking about his team’s nearly unprecedented championship run — four years, four titles. He’s referring to a 2012 squad that, while it puts on the same color uniform as the one that preceded it, may as well be playing on the moon.

It’s a mass exodus of graduated players.

“I would say, I guess thinking back, there may be something that’s fairly close, but I don’t know that it’s been this many,” Knight said. “We’re talking about eight guys that started and of course more than that when you look at guys that played a good bit. If there are any others that are parallel to it, it would be hard to find. This is probably the most that I can recall.”

A single starter returns for Sumrall — right fielder Zach Jones — as the Bobcats try to regroup with a group of players that must learn quickly how to be starters at the high school level. With that have come some of the regular challenges of inexperience. The question is, how will Sumrall fans conditioned to winning at the highest level react to a potential roller coaster ride?

“We’ve been working hard,” Knight said.

“I think we’ve been seeing some positive things out of our guys offensively and pitching wise. The biggest thing right now is consistency. I think it has a lot to do with our inexperience and youth. We have guys that will look good one day and then next time maybe just average. So we’re dealing with a lot of ups and downs.”

Part of that is due to the fact there may not be an ace in the hole on the pitching staff that can shut down top opponents, compared to the dynamic duo of Luke Lowery and Brandon Pennington the Bobcats relied upon last year. That doesn’t mean, however, that the coaching staff doesn’t like the potential of a number of players.

Junior Chandler Massengale gives the squad a lefthander it hopes to rely on. The rest of the group is more of a question mark, like senior Jared Underwood, a kid who didn’t play last year but decided to come out for the team in his final year and has turned some heads in early preseason practice.

FLIGHT OF THE MASSENGALE — Sumrall junior Chandler Massengale will have big shoes to fill on the mound for the Bobcats as he looks to fill the role of a workhorse ace.

player as there is for the Bobcats, both in his play and his leadership.

“He’s a big guy who will be counted on significantly there,” coach Knight said.

Watts will be a fixture at second base, along with fellow junior Sam Clark, and Austin “Harvey” Knight will be tasked with the seemingly impossible role of being the next Sumrall shortstop, following in the footsteps of Chase Lewallen and Connor Barron. Ninth-grader Alex Boutwell has impressed the staff with his development and will be the back up there.

All of it adds up to a very different look, and a revamped style of play.

Gone are the power bats that saturated the batting order in 2011, and in are the new BBCOR bats all teams will be using and a turn to a small ball style of play. Knowing that both the turnover and the new bats were coming, Sumrall has been anticipating this change for a while.

“We stressed it to them since we started playing this summer,” coach Knight said.

“We started using the BBCOR bats this summer and I think they realize, ‘Hey, we’re going to be (playing small ball) quite a bit.’ I think that a lot of teams are, not just us. But we have stressed it so they know.

We’re really going to be trying to get some bunts down and make some things happen, and I think they understand that.

“I think that one thing I like with the group we have is we’re going to have a lot of team speed — more so than what we had last couple of years. I think that’s an advantage.”

And with so much unknown for the first time in a long time at Sumrall, the Bobcats will take any advantage they can get.

PineBeltSPORTS.com

THRICE — The current Bobcat seniors hold three of Sumrallʼs four championship rings, but their focus will be on winning a fourth of their own, and taking a very different team on a surprising run.

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2012 Outlook

Purvis

Purvis hears the whispers of greatness heading into 2012.

Now they need to be sure not to melt under the pressure as they try to take the next step — a 4A state championship.

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here’s a reason that people all across the state of Mississippi are whispering about Purvis baseball. When you come as close as the Tornadoes did last season to doing something really special, and most of the guys who carried you there are back for more, it’s easy to have a positive outlook in 2012.

“I think our outlook is,” head coach Tony Farlow said, “we lost two one-run ballgames to Columbia (in South State), who went on to win a state championship. Most of these guys experienced that and we’re hoping that they learned from that and can take it a step further. If we can stay healthy, we’ve got a good chance to do that.

“We’ve got a lot of hitters returning and a lot of pitchers returning this year. We have a lot of experience and I’d think if you asked around we’d probably be a team that’s talked about as a favorite.”

Except that you don’t even really need to ask to

hear Purvis on the tip of everyone’s tongues. But with such great hope comes great expectations. Does the long-time Tornado skipper like hearing about his team as a Class 4A favorite?

“I do,” Farlow said. “I told the kids early, everybody’s talking about, ‘Purvis, Purvis.’ I said I’d rather have them talking about us as a potential favorite than writing you off before the season’s even started.”

The Tornadoes lost their corner infielders and a top pitcher in Justin Crosby, Bradley Rayborn and Trace Robinson, but virtually everyone else is back to take a shot at a state title. The pitching is still pretty deep and the outfield is fully intact. Now there’s just the small matter of staying healthy.

“I think our key is to keep guys healthy,” Farlow said. “I say that not just to say it — we’ve already got pitchers holding their arms. We had arm problems last year with a couple of pitchers. If we can keep our pitching staff healthy, that will probably be one of our

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Purvis

strengths.”

Chase Smith, a Pearl River signee, was pitcher 1B for the Tornadoes behind Robinson last year, and he’ll reprise his role as a staff leader this time around. He pitched 42 innings last season with a 4.50 ERA. Two other hurlers that were lost to arm injuries at some point last season — Lane Ratliff and Joe Barrett — are expected to carry a good chunk of the load this year. Ratliff posted a 3.05 ERA and 29 Ks in 20.1 innings. He had some critical outings for the Tornadoes during their playoff run.

Lloyd Lambeth (also taking over at the hot corner), John Ross McElheney and two hard-throwing freshmen — Will Curtis and Nathan Roseberry — will see some innings as well.

“We have a lot of pitching depth,” Farlow said.

“We just don’t need to lose half of them to arm injuries. … If you only have two or three guys that you can throw at the end of the year, it’s going to be a long year. We have a luxury of having so many, and hopefully we can have short innings for everybody.”

Purvis remains strong up the middle of the field, starting with returning starter Hunter Holcomb at catcher. Holcomb hit .400 as a junior and reached base at an impressive .538 clip. Chris Aiken mans second base, while four-year starting shortstop Logan Ferrell was the team’s top hitter last season (.405, 33 RBIs). And in center field senior Philip Lott Josh Mlot/PineBeltSPORTS.com

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2012 Outlook

——— “We lost two one-run games at South State, and when that ballgame was over neither the coaches or the players, i don’t think, felt like we let ourselves down.”

———

is back after being a playmaker at the top of the order.

The rest of the outfield boasts experience as well, with seniors McElheney and Tyler Kitchens holding down right and left field.

With all the veterans in the fold, its unlikely there will even be any room for newcomers to make an impact — barring those ever-looming injuries. One exception could be an athlete that’s already thrilled Purvis crowds this year, as Thamaz Taylor, a breakout star on the football field for the Tornadoes, will give the diamond a try. Taylor is expected to give the team a running threat on the base paths.

So the key to putting it all together will be leadership and staying healthy. The former shouldn’t be a problem, Farlow says.

“The expectations are going to be a little bit higher,” he said, “but I think this group of seniors is ready for that challenge.

“This senior class is a little different than a lot of other ones I’ve had. To be honest, each of these guys lead at some point, whether it’s talking or being the first one to do (something). So I think we’ve got a whole lot of leaders. … Most of the time they do things right.”

The latter, on the other hand, is more of a mystery. All the Tornadoes can do is cross their fingers and hope they have better luck with pitching injuries than they did in 2011, and that the rest of the posi-

tion players follow suit.

“I wish I knew,” Farlow said of the answer to avoiding breakdowns. “Most of these guys just play baseball only, so they’ve been throwing. It is a major concern I have right now. I know usually the first couple of weeks of practice it’s just something you go through — sore arms. Usually this time of year the weather is cold and everybody’s arm is hurting.

I really don’t know that there’s an answer to that.”

Avoid those sidetracks, and the only question Purvis will have to answer is the one it’s most interested in: Just how good are the Tornadoes?

“I don’t know that we need to win the state championship or make it to the state championship to make the season a success,” Farlow said. “I told them last year, our guys made it to the South State championship game where we lost two one-run games, and when that ballgame was over neither the coaches or the players, I don’t think, felt like we let ourselves down. Everybody played hard and it just didn’t work out.

“You know, it’s hard to win a state championship.

Some things have to go your way — you have to get some close calls to go your way and a few rolls to go your way and stay healthy. If we don’t win a state championship I don’t think this season will be considered a failure. We have a great group of guys that work hard and are fun to be around, and I think they’ll represent the school well.” PineBeltSPORTS.com

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With another year under their belts, the Lumberton Panthers don’t want to be “young” anymore, they want to win. After two years of missing the postseason, (left to right) Michael Smith, Junior Johnson, Joe Edwards and Caleb Davis are ready to get hot when it matters most again.

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2012 Outlook

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ast year didn’t end the way the Lumberton baseball team envisioned it. A one-run loss to Bassfield late in the season dumped the Panthers out of playoff contention for the second straight year, and left a long offseason of contemplation.

Now 2012 presents an opportunity for Lumberton to get back to a winning tradition and erase some tough memories.

“Last year our season ended in somewhat of a disappointing fashion,” head coach Jason Oxenrider said. “We kind of let that bad taste sit in our mouth and that motivated us through the summer.”

The Panthers make no bones about it — they want to get back to the postseason. There are a handful of key players who need to be replaced, but the feeling around the squad is that if they can extend their campaign, anything can happen.

“I feel like our main goal this year is to be the best baseball team we can be,” Oxenrider said.

“We really preach a lot about team chemistry, commitment and work ethic. If our guys consistently give 100 percent effort and put everything on the line in practice and in games, I believe, whether we make the playoffs or not, I can look back on the season and be proud of our team.

“Our main goal, though, (is to get) the bonus of making the playoffs. If we make the playoffs I feel like we’ll be playing our best baseball at that time and I think we’ll be able to make a run at it. If we get in, I believe teams better watch out.”

Six starters are back in the fold to try to make that reality, but this is still a young squad leaning heavily on a core group of juniors and sophomores to get the job done.

Returning shortstop Caleb Davis is one of the few elder statesmen, and he provides leadership that sets the tone for the rest of his teammates. Davis is a four-year starter who also contributes on the mound.

“He’s kind of our intensity type guy — he’s our vocal leader,” Oxenrider said. “He’s got a very good arm, good wheels and he swings the bat well for us. He’s kind of our catalyst.”

And the Panthers would do well to follow his lead as the top returning hitter. Davis batted .366 with 28 runs scored and 16 RBIs a year ago.

The rest of the core is largely young, though. Sophomore Tyler Martin — “a big, tall kid with a very good arm and a good bat” — is back behind the plate, while junior Logan Crider shoulders a heavier load than in the past at second base and classmate Joe Edwards mans the hot corner.

“He was part of a state championship football team,” Oxenrider said of Edwards, “and

EYE ON THE BALL — Lumberton hopes to get everyone on the same page in 2012 so it can avenge a one-run differential that cost it a playoff berth a year ago.

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Lumberton he carries that type of tenacity out here from the football field. He’s tough, he’ll smother it and he’ll do whatever he’s got to to knock down the baseball at third. He bats from the left side and is a power hitter for us. We’re expecting him to drive in runs.”

Yet another junior, Junior Johnson, could be one of the most critical pieces. After being a workhorse on the mound as a sophomore — his 38 innings pitched led the team — Johnson will need to reprise that role. Lumberton hopes he can become a reliable No. 1 starter as well as first baseman.

“He just looks like a baseball player,” Oxenrider said, “and we’re relying heavily on him not just in the field but on the mound. We’ll need him to get innings and outs for us.”

And then there are the really young.

Matthan Jenkins is just an eighth grader, but Oxenrider believes he could make an impact as soon as this season. A versatile player as both a catcher, first baseman and pitcher, Jenkins has already shown a knack for the game after joining the team as a seventh grader.

“He has made outstanding strides and is a heck of a baseball player,” the head coach said.

“He can come in a game and play first base for us; he’s one of our better catchers. I believe he’s going to make a contribution this year.”

Kale Lancaster is a sophomore the head coach feels can use his speedy, scrappy game to make plays for the Panthers as an outfielder, while seniors Chris Lewis and Michael Smith will fill utility roles.

Two other seniors are newcomers to the baseball team, but familiar faces to fans of Lumberton athletics, as football standouts Vic Jenkins and O’Shea Grice enter the fold to add some speed to the lineup and potentially roam the outfield.

And if there is one strength of the team, it’s

how those players come together on defense.

“I feel like we have one of the top infields in the area,” Oxenrider said. “They all understand their positions and make all the routine plays.

They understand the small ball game — how to defend the bunt, how to handle the first and third situations. So I feel like defensively we’re going to be strong.

“In the outfield we have some speedy guys that can run down and get the ball and do those things to help us win there.”

Surprisingly, Oxenrider also thinks the team’s pitching can be a strength, despite losing most of its significant innings pitched behind Johnson. The Panthers find that strength in numbers, with a potentially deep stable of available arms, including Davis, Crider, Martin and Lancaster.

“Our pitching, we’re going to throw strikes,” Oxenrider said. “Hopefully we’ll be consistent enough to hit our spots and not beat ourselves on the mound.

“These guys are going to have to step up big for us on the mound. If they throw strikes and are consistent, I believe our defense is going to be strong for us, we’ll swing the bats well and give ourselves a chance to win some games this year.”

And that’s the name of the game for the Panthers. It’s going to require some leaders coming forward and some younger guys taking the next step. Ultimately, it’s about taking ownership of the program.

“We played well in the summer and conditioned and hit the weights real hard,” Oxenrider said. “We carried that into the school year and the guys that I had, starting in August we talked about putting in 100 percent effort.

“Our goal this year is to reach the playoffs.

Lumberton baseball, historically, has been a playoff-type baseball team, and we’ve missed it the past two years. We’re ready to get this program back to where we believe it belongs.” PineBeltSPORTS.com

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A familiar face takes over as “new” head coach with hopes of unearthing the smoldering embers of winning baseball at Presbyterian Christian. Brandon Sullivan (left) and Hunter Norton (right) are ready to stoke the coals in 2012.

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here may be a new face helming the Presbyterian Christian baseball team in 2012, but in the Bobcat locker room not all that much has changed.

“I’ve been around for two years,” new head coach Ryan Lott said, “and last year I was the pitching coach, so I know these kids very well. We all get along great.”

Lott said there will be a few minor changes in approach, but that largely it will be steady as she goes for a squad coming off a 9-12 season and trying to get back to the playoffs. All but one of the assistant coaches has been with the school, and it’s made for a smooth transition into the new campaign.

“The kids are coming along very, very well,” Lott said. “We’ve got a very talented group out here. Basically it’s just a few changes here and there that we’re doing.

“Coach Glennie Thompson is the only one that’s completely new, and he’s the type of coach that immerses himself with the kids and they get to know him and love him right away. They’re acclimated great.”

And that’s led to positive vibes as the season begins. The team returns a handful of

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starters and Lott feels the talent is there to match up with any opponent. Depth, however, may not be a strong point, so the key for PCS will be keeping fingers crossed and bodies off the injured list.

If that happens, the squad has set a number of goals it feels are realistic and focused.

“As long as we don’t have any injuries, we should do pretty well,” Lott said. “Of course we set goals immediate and long term. Our immediate goal is to win our first game. Then we want to win our division, and then State. We want to take it one step at a time.

“There are five or six starters coming back, but even the guys that are coming back and didn’t start last year played quite a bit. Besides kids that transferred in, I can’t think of anybody we have in our starting lineup that didn’t play last year. There’s a pretty good experience level.”

It’s also a pretty good place to start when trying to put together a winner.

Another good place to start? On the pitching mound. The Bobcats feel like that position can be a strength in 2012, starting with big lefthanded senior Brandon Sullivan, who helped lead the pitching staff a season ago.

Sullivan also plays first base.

The No. 2 pitcher will be junior Tyler Young, followed by a third starter that will come out of a battle between a bevy of righties, including Ethan Moore, Hunter Norton, Stephen Jones and Lee Smith.

Beyond pitching, the coaching staff feels comfortable with the ability to battle up and down the order with the bat.

“We’re not going to have an easy out in our lineup anywhere,” Lott said. “Everybody will be able to do their job.”

With Sullivan providing experience on the mound and at first, Norton is set to be a four-year starter in the middle of the infield as just a junior as he holds down shortstop. Senior Moore will handle third base while

LEADERS — Hunter Norton, left, is already a four-year starter in the infield as a junior. Brandon Sullivan the teamʼs No. 1 hurler. Both will set the tone for the 2012 Bobcats.

At far right, Sullivan stands at first base during practice.

PineBeltSPORTS.com ’ s BASEBALL 2012

2012 Outlook second features underclassmen Robbie Broadhead and Luke Seymour, depending on who is providing the biggest offensive threat.

Behind the plate is a catcher who, much like his manager, may be “new,” but is well known in PCS circles, as football standout Blake Graves tries to bring his high level of play to the baseball diamond.

“He’s a first-year starter,” Lott said, “but he’s a big football guy so he knows how to be tough and be a leader. He didn’t play last year, so it’s really about getting him in the groove and into the baseball mindset.”

Returning starters Smith and Jones roam the corners of the outfield, while Young plays center field and will be asked to use his speed to spark things both defensively and offensively.

“We’re really counting on him to be a leadoff guy,” Lott said. “We’re really trying to teach him the leadoff position because he’s a small, fast guy. We want to teach him how to get on base and be an intelligent leadoff guy.”

And the Bobcats should get an added boost from a group of senior leaders that have had multi-sport success and a blend of younger players who still have a lot of experience to fall back on.

In the end it all sets the table for a campaign that can go very well for Presbyterian Christian if they can get a couple of bounces to go there way.

“Like I said, if we get injured at a couple of key positions we’re not going to have the depth,” Lott said. “We have a lot of talented young kids, don’t get me wrong, but as far as kids that can step on the field and not miss a beat … that’s a big thing right now.

“If everybody fulfills their individual roles within the team and make sure they understand it’s a team sport, if they hold up their end of the bargain within the team concept, then I think the sky’s the limit for this squad. I believe our starting lineup will have as much talent as anybody we play. I really, truly believe that.” PineBeltSPORTS.com Josh Mlot/PineBeltSPORTS.com

PCS

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2012 Outlook

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Josh Mlot/PineBeltSPORTS.com (Berry, Barron, Graeter)

here’s no doubt that Southern Miss had a great baseball season in 2011.

Thirty-nine wins and a share of the Conference USA regular-season title is a great haul. But it’s not 2011 anymore and this is a different Golden Eagle team.

USM still holds high hopes, but in 2012 they will rest on a small group of veterans and a whole lot of very talented newcomers.

“We’re excited about the year,” USM manager Scott Berry said. “It will be a new challenge. There aren’t a lot of household names; there are a lot of new faces.”

Berry, in his third season at the helm of the Golden Eagles, makes no bones about the fact that fans will see a very different lineup during this campaign. That’s what happens when you graduate most of your top hitters — the losses of Adam Doleac, Marc Bourgeious, B.A. Vollmuth and Ferriss Trophy winner Tyler Koelling amount to 1,100 at-bats gone.

In their place remain five seniors, compared to 11 true freshmen and another four that redshirted last year.

The veterans are led by shortstop/third baseman Ashley Graeter, who had a breakout year as a junior, batting .331 to lead all returners. Senior outfielder Kameron Brunty will be relied upon for his bat as well, starting 57 games in 2011 — more than anyone on the team — and hitting .301 with 34 RBIs and five home runs.

Sophomore Jared Bales will see a lot of time behind the plate and may carry some pop in his bat on a team that doesn’t have much proven power.

But some of the freshman may have the

Southern Miss biggest impact if they can adjust well to the college game. Connor Barron and Mason Robbins were both named by Baseball America as Top 50 freshmen in the nation (No. 2 and No. 17, respectively). Barron, a Sumrall graduate, turned down an offer from the Marlins in order to stay in Hattiesburg and play for Southern Miss, and can play shortstop, second base and third base.

“Connor has a presence about him,” Berry said. “He handles things much older than he is. He has a good knowledge of the game. Will he play versus lefties? We don’t know yet.”

Robbins, the 2011 Mississippi Mr. Baseball at George County, is an outfielder that will also be used on the mound.

“To do it at a very young age takes a special individual,” Berry said. “I think we have those. We’re excited about this group. If we can get them to play together … It doesn’t matter what you do, you’ve got to have chemistry.”

The story is no different on the mound.

The team’s top four hurlers in innings pitched — Todd McInnis, Geoffrey Thomas, Jonathan Thompson and Collin Cargill — are all gone. In their place are question marks galore.

“On the mound we’re totally gutted and starting over,” Berry said. “Do we know if we can do it? I don’t know. We’re going to find out.”

Senior Chase Horn was a reliever last year, posting a 4.21 ERA in 17 appearances, but will get a chance to prove himself as a starter for the Eagles, as Berry likes his experience as an upperclassman.

Boomer Scarborough, a sophomore, will be in the mix as well after maintaining a 2.89 ERA in 13 appearances as a freshman, including eight starts.

Berry is especially high on redshirt freshman Jake Drehoff, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound lefthander who will immediately get a chance to show of his stuff as a starter, becoming the first Golden Eagle freshman to do so since Todd McInnis did it in 2007.

“He’s got me very excited and has tremendous upside,” Berry said of the newcomer.

Senior Josh Thomason and sophomore Josh Rogers are the next most

experienced pitchers, notching 13 and 12 appearances, respectively, last season.

Replacing closer Cargill will be a committee effort, but Oak Grove’s James McMahon leads the way as just a redshirt freshman. The 6-foot, 203-pound righthander will get first crack and proving Berry’s intuition right.

“He’s like a quarterback on the mound,” the manager said. “He commands things.

And we’ll probably experiment a little bit.”

When it comes to experimentation, Southern Miss baseball may resemble a chemistry lab in 2012. But if that chemistry works, Pete Taylor Park could be an exciting place for years to come. PineBeltSPORTS.com

SKIPPER — USM manager Scott Berry is looking forward to the challenge of figuring out a new-look team in 2012.

IMPACT PLAYERS — Infielder Ashley Graeter, diving for a ground ball last year, will be one of the Golden Eaglesʼ vetern leaders on a young team.

Pictured at far left, Sumrall prep Connor Barron is one of the impact newcomers, ranked by Baseball America as the No. 2 freshman in the nation.

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PineBeltSPORTS.com ’ s BASEBALL 2012

The Lamar Times

PineBeltSPORTS.com ’ s BASEBALL 2012

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PineBeltSPORTS.com ’ s BASEBALL 2012

The Lamar Times

Mitch Deaver/PRCC Sports Information (Byrd, Touissant)

P

earl River Community College baseball coach Josh Hoffpauir feels pretty good about his 2012 Wildcat squad as he enters his second season.

Hoffpauir’s first team was 28-21 and reached the MACJC state playoffs.

His 2012 edition will be full of first-year freshmen players, as well as some older position players who will be called on for leadership roles.

“Even though we will be young, that won’t be an excuse,” said Hoffpauir. “The older guys will help us. We will be athletic. We have good chemistry. The guys worked hard this fall and hopefully that will carry over for the spring. But the jury is still out on how good we will be.”

Hoffpauir expects leadership roles to be filled by several returnees, including sophomore shortstop Aaron Lee of Pearl River Central, who hit .315 last season, outfielder Chase Toussiant of Petal, second baseman Chase Lewallen of Sumrall, catcher Chad Livingston of Slidell, La., a transfer from Southeastern Louisiana; and third baseman Matt Linton of East Central, who hit .320 for the Wildcats two years ago before sitting out last season.

“We hit .315 as a team last year,” said Hoffpauir.

“This year, our philosophy will be to apply pressure on the opposing teams. We won’t hit for a lot of power, but we do have some guys who can hit the long ball. And,

By

MITCH DEAVER The Petal News

we will be strong on the mound and defensively. We were not very strong defensively last year.

We focused on that this fall.”

The pitching corps will be led by Petal sophomore lefthander Taylor Byrd, who was 5-4 last season with a 3.7 earned-run-average.

Hoffpauir expects freshmen Ryan Deemes of Chalmette, La., Cody Conkle of Petal, Brandon Pennington of Sumrall and Tyler Summers of Greene County to contribute big on the mound as well as.

In the infield, Biloxi freshman Marcus Lawton Jr. will hold down first base, Lewallen and freshman Ryan Best of Oak Grove are at second, Lee at shortstop and Linton at third base. Lewallen hit .330 last season.

Livingston, and freshmen Forrest Dungan of Columbia and Tyler Moore of Moorehead are the catchers.

Joining Toussaint in the outfield are freshman Braxton Lee of Picayune in center and battling for playing time in left are freshmen Austin Carter of Sumrall, Clint Willouby of Clinton and a host of others.

“It’s a good group that we have,” said Hoffpauir. “We will be better physically and mentally. They are buying into what we are trying to do.”

When the Wildcats open the 2012 season Feb. 15 at home against Bishop (Ala.) State, Wildcat fans will find a new outfield fence in place. It features a leftfield wall, some 25 feet high, as well as a deck in right field for Dugout Club supporters.

Assistant coaches for the Wildcats are Zack Zulli (hitters and infielders) and former PRCC pitching star Kyle Lindsey (pitchers), student assistants are Gatlin Steelman and Justin Sones and managers are Johnathan Crawford and Jacob Russell.

Hoffpauir says the winner of the North Division of the MACJC will host this year’s state championship and the winner of the north division will host the region tournament. PineBeltSPORTS.com

PRCC PineBeltSPORTS.com ’ s BASEBALL 2012

——— “It’s a good group that we have. We will be better physically and mentally.

They are buying into what we are trying to do.”

———

LOCAL LEADERS — Former Petal standout Chase Touissant watches from the base paths. Touissant is a sophomore outfielder for the Wildcats.

Pictured at top left, Petalʼs Taylor Byrd will be relied upon as a leader of the Pearl River rotation in 2012.

2012 Outlook 55

900 Career wins for WCU manager

Bobby Halford, a milestone reached early in the 2012 season

By

DJ PULLEY

E

ntering his 27th season William Carey University head coach Bobby Halford is optimistic about this year’s prospects as the Crusaders enter their second year in the Southern States Athletic Conference.

WCU was strong down the stretch last season as they finished as runners-up to the SSAC conference crown and advanced to the opening round of the NAIA National Tournament for the second time in the three seasons.

Halford, who hit a career milestone early in the year with win No. 900, returns a strong nucleus spearheaded

by All-SSAC selection Quin Stokes and Javier Ortiz. Stokes was steady behind the plate last season and provided a dangerous bat to the Carey line-up. The senior from Walnut Grove, MS, hit .287 with 11 home runs and 58 RBI’s. Ortiz led WCU at the plate hitting .336 with 3 homeruns, 20 doubles, 5 triples, and 36 RBI’s.

Joining Stokes and Ortiz are four other starting seniors in Ronnie Camacho, Daniel Covert, Carlos Castro, and Will White. Camacho, a slick fielding shortstop from Iowa Lakes Community College, rebounded from a slow start in the field to solidify the shortstop position for the Crusaders. Camacho, hit .329 last year with 15 doubles and 32 RBI’s. Castro, a former Toronto Blue Jay draftee and Clarendon Junior College product, provided the Crusaders

The Petal News

William Carey with a steady bat last season hitting .315 with 3 home runs, 14 doubles, and 34 RBI’s. White emerged as one of the top defensive centerfielders in the nation. White, who hit .267 with four round trippers, is expected to anchor a very strong WCU outfield.

Covert hit .321 with 22 RBI’s and 41 runs scored. Covert was flawless in the outfield last season with 64 puts and two assists to earn SSAC Gold Glove honors.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College transfer Ross Weathers will get the nod at third base and transfer Alex Lahasky will handle the duties at second base. After a strong fall, Sean Hodges will push for time at both second and shortstop. Hodges started 38 games as freshman but took last season off to do mission work. East Mississippi transfer Mitch Bohon and seniors Garret Barley and Carlos Castro will handle the duties at first base.

In the outfield with White, Covert, and Ortiz returning, Halford has added a pair of speedy newcomers in Delta State transfer Ernie Triplett and freshman DJ Johnson. Stokes and Senior Patrick Kirkland return to behind the plate and will be joined by freshman Harrison Foster from Briarwood Christian in Birmingham.

Taylor Martin and Scotty Reese return to anchor the Crusaders starting rotation. Martin emerged as they ace

2012 Outlook

of the staff last season going 4-2 with 4.05 ERA. Reese was just as good going 5-7 with a 3.67 ERA. Senior Zac Magee became a bright spot out of the bullpen last season and fifth year senior Kye Wilson is beginning to return to form following shoulder surgery two years ago. Cory Williams also returns for the Crusader who last season struggled with injuries to post a 4-6 record. Senior Sean Carter, who converted to a submarine thrower last season, is also counted on to provide innings in relief.

Newcomers Brandon Jones, JD Little, Michael Coelho, Ernie Triplett, and Southern Miss transfer Jackson Posey

should all make contributions on the hill.

Carey will face another challenging 55 game schedule including 30 SSAC contests. Non-conference games include home and home matchups against NCAA DII foes Stillman College, University of New Orleans and the University of West Alabama.

Carey will also take on NAIA rivals Tougaloo College, LSU- Alexandria, Blue Mountain College, and Union University. In SSAC action Carey will take on Truett-McConnell, Southern Poly, Loyola, Mobile, Auburn Montgomery, Faulkner, Spring Hill, Belhaven, Emmanuel, and Brewton Parker.

2012 ROSTER

No. Name 2 Will White 3 Scotty Reese 4 D.J. Johnson 5 Ronald Camacho 7 Ernie Triplett 9 Quin Stokes 10 Lee McDaniel 12 Zachary Magee 13 Daniel Margheim 14 Javier Ortiz 16 Brandon Jones 17 Ross Weathers 19 J.D. Little 20 Cory Williams 21 Michael Coelho 22 Patrick Kirkland 23 Sean Carter 24 Daniel Covert 25 Garrett Braley 26 Taylor Martin 27 Miguel Quezada 28 Sean Hodges 29 Carlos Castro 30 Alex Lahasky 31 Matthew Watkins 33 Mitch Bohon 34 Harrison Foster 35 Kye Wilson 39 Jackson Posey Red Shirts Brandon Hogue

PineBeltSPORTS.com ’ s BASEBALL 2012

Year SR JR FR SR SR SR SR SR SO SR JR JR FR SR FR SR SR SR SR SR JR SO SR JR JR JR FR SR SO

Position OF RHP IF/OF 2B P/OF C 3B RHP RHP OF P 2B LHP/1B RHP RHP C RHP OF 1B RHP 3B 2B/SS 3B 3B INF 1B/3B C RHP RHP/3B

Height 5-9 6-2 5-10 5-10 5-11 6-1 6-0 6-2 6-1 6-3 5-11 5-10 6-5 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-2 6-0 5-10 6-3 5-10 5-10 6-2 6-1 6-2 6-4

Weight 170 175 170 170 173 200 170 215 175 215 190 185 240 180 185 205 190 180 225 195 180 175 210 175 185 220 200 235 220

Hometown Wiggins, MS Terry, MS Mobile, AL Vega Alta, Puerto Rico Louisivlle, MS Walnut Grove, MS Columbia, MS Petal, MS Alexandria, LA Cayey, Puerto Rico Leroy, AL Wiggins, MS Destin, FL Laurel, MS Niceville, FL Ocean Spring, MS Defuniak Springs, FL Meridian, MS Hattiesburg, MS Baton Rouge, LA Santiago, Dominican Republic Vancleave, MS Carolina, Puerto Rico Overland Park, KS Leroy, AL West Point, MS Birmingham, AL Monroe, LA Sumrall, MS

FR

P/3B

5-11

190

Gulfport. MS

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