on tap ...

Mississippi College and William Carey are scheduled to open their 2012 seasons today, though the weather may not cooperate. MC, coming off a rather disappointing 24-18 campaign, travels to Montgomery, Ala., to face Huntingdon. The NCAA Division III Choctaws' top returning player is third baseman Spencer Brunson, a senior from Starkville who hit .417 with 10 homers a year ago. (He should be a Ferriss Trophy candidate this spring.) Carey is slated to start at longtime rival LSU-Shreveport. The Crusaders are coming off a 30-24 season that saw them finish second (to Belhaven) in the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament and make the NAIA national tourney field. Carey's top hitter is catcher Quin Stokes, a senior from Walnut Grove who blasted 11 homers in 2011.