breaks of the game

The good news for Mississippi Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons was bad news for ex-M-Brave Tyler Pastornicky. Atlanta summoned Simmons to the big leagues late Wednesday and sent Pastornicky to Triple-A Gwinnett. (Greg Paiml is coming down from Gwinnett to fill Simmons’ roster spot.) Simmons, who will become the 62nd M-Braves alum to play in The Show, looked ready for a new challenge. He was batting .292 with three home runs and playing good defense. Still, it’s a big move for a 22-year-old, as Pastornicky, also 22, found out. After an excellent 2011 campaign split between Pearl and Gwinnett, he won the shortstop job in spring training. He was hitting .248, used mostly in the difficult No. 8 hole, but his defense reportedly was found lacking by Braves brass. We shall see if this change works out; it would seem that Atlanta’s bigger issue is starting pitching.

the quest renewed

Two different Mississippi four-year colleges have won a national championship in baseball. William Carey won the NAIA title in 1969, and Delta State captured the NCAA Division II crown in 2004. The Magnolia State’s Big 3 NCAA Division I schools, their strong traditions notwithstanding, have never brought home that kind of hardware. The closest any has come was in 1985, when Mississippi State finished tied for third in the College World Series. That team, which won 50 games, was arguably State’s finest; it included Will Clark, Rafael Palmeiro, Jeff Brantley and Bobby Thigpen, all future major league stars. Southern Miss had its streak of NCAA postseason appearances snapped this year at nine, but State and Ole Miss will renew their quest for a national championship in NCAA regionals that start on Friday. The Rebels haven’t been to Omaha for the CWS since 1972, and to get there this year, they’ll first have to negotiate a regional in College Station, Texas, that includes host Texas A&M, TCU and Dayton. State’s task might be tougher. At Tallahassee, Fla., the Bulldogs are lumped in with No. 3 national seed Florida State, Conference USA champ Alabama-Birmingham and unsung but unquestionably dangerous Samford. And yet, State rode its stellar pitching to an SEC Tournament title, which is a tougher row to hoe than any regional. Eight SEC teams made the NCAAs. Mississippi’s best chance at a national crown this year might be Delta State, which is 2-0 in the ongoing D-II CWS in Cary, N.C. But both State and Ole Miss rate a fighting chance, to be sure. Both clubs are somewhat offensively challenged, but both have pitching. For the Bulldogs, it starts with ace Chris Stratton and ends with Jonathan Holder, the freshman sensation closer. Ole Miss features Bobby Wahl at the top of its rotation and record-setting Brett Huber as the last line of defense in the bullpen. This much is for sure: It takes strong arms to lift a championship trophy.

winning ways

John Cohen just might have a future at Mississippi State. There were those who weren’t happy when Cohen was hired as coach four years ago, and when his first two seasons at the helm went badly, the howling got louder. Last year’s run to an NCAA regional title quieted things a bit, but some might have called that a fluke. That certainly can’t be said of the SEC championship Cohen and the Bulldogs bit off on Sunday in Hoover, Ala. The SEC Tournament is tougher to win than any regional; the league is that good. This was State’s first SEC tourney title since 2005, when Ron Polk won the last of his five. Cohen was on two of Polk’s title teams (1987 and ’90) and is the first person to both play for and coach an SEC Tournament champ, according to MSU. The pitching staff Cohen has built carried the 2012 Bulldogs to the championship and should make them a force in the NCAA postseason. Cohen called on 11 pitchers during the SEC run, and they posted a collective 1.96 ERA. That’s hard to beat. … Meanwhile, in Pearl, UAB’s C-USA Tournament title came with a dash of Mississippi flavor. Blazers coach Brian Shoop was a Polk assistant at State for seven years (1983-89), and Polk currently serves as a volunteer assistant to Shoop. Pitchers Ryan Nance and Michael Busby, who combined on a 5-0 shutout of Memphis in Sunday’s title game, are Mississippi natives and Hinds Community College products.

know thine enemy

Here’s the skinny. The school is from a state where football is king but where baseball nips at its heels. The school's coach is an icon. The program owns a national championship. The lineup is stacked with standout hitters, and the pitching staff is loaded, as well. This would describe Delta State … but it also fits the Statemen’s opponent in today’s NCAA Division II College World Series clash, the opener for both in the eight-team event at Cary. N.C. St. Mary’s, from San Antonio, Texas, is the No. 1-ranked team in the country with a 48-9 record. The Rattlers are coached by Charlie Migl, who is in his 26th year and claims 900-plus wins. He also claims a national title, which came in 2001 in St. Mary’s last trip to the CWS. The team is led at the plate by Billy Richard (.369, nine homers), M.P. Cokinos (.340, eight, 53 RBIs) and Brandon Bates (.338). On the mound, the Rattlers have D-II pitcher of the year Carl O’Neal (13-0, 2.27), plus Rene Solis (13-2, 1.55), Skye Stevens (9-0) and Jonathan Perez (18 saves, 0.81 ERA). It’s a tough first-round draw for DSU, seeking a second national title to add to the one it won in 2004. But Mike Kinnison’s 2012 Statesmen seem to made of something special, having climbed off the mat to win both the Gulf South Conference Tournament and the NCAA South Regional.

scatter shots

What a whirlwind of happenings on Saturday involving Mississippi-connected players in the majors. The scene-stealer was Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s walk-off pinch home run — first of his career — for Boston against heated rival Tampa Bay. Reports from the Rays say Desmond Jennings (knee) may be back mid-week. In Texas, Mitch Moreland hits the third of the Rangers’ three straight sixth-inning homers against Toronto. In Cincinnati, J.J. Hoover notches his first career win for the National League Central-leading Reds. In Miami, Gregor Blanco raps out three hits — he’s hitting .290 — for San Francisco in a losing cause. In Los Angeles, Bobby Abreu boosts his average to .291 with a 1-for-3 effort for the NL West-leading Dodgers against Houston. At Baltimore, Jarrod Dyson suffers a hamstring injury — he’s day-to-day for Kansas City — in an outfield collision. At Chicago, Tony Sipp gets knocked around in a late-game appearance for Cleveland, which is now just 1½ games up on the surging White Sox in the American League Central. In Atlanta, Mike Minor gives up another homer — that’s 14 in his last six starts — and Kris Medlen takes the loss as the skidding Braves fall into fourth place in the NL East. In Pittsburgh, Paul Maholm — five walks, four hits in five innings — can’t stop Chicago’s tumble, which reaches 11 in a row.

a good sign?

Chris Coghlan needs something to get him going, and what better than a game-turning home run against Tim Lincecum to do it. The former Ole Miss standout, who has scuffled for two years, hit his first homer in almost a year on Friday night, helping Miami beat San Francisco 7-6. “That home run was very huge, against one of the best pitchers in the game,” Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen told mlb.com. Coghlan, recently recalled from Triple-A because of Miami’s injury situation, is hitting just .120 in limited at-bats. The Marlins are currently in the thick of the competitive National League East race and would certainly like to see Coghlan return to his 2009 rookie of the year form. P.S. Philadelphia, which has climbed over .500 with a three-game win streak, has won 24 games. Oddly enough, Meridian Community College’s Cliff Lee, who got another no-decision on Friday, has none of those wins. Meanwhile, Mississippi State alumnus Jonathan Papelbon has saved 14 (in 14 chances) of the Phils’ W’s. … Nettleton native Bill Hall’s return to The Show didn’t last long; Baltimore designated the veteran infielder-outfielder for assignment on Friday. He was hitting .286 in seven at-bats. The first-place Orioles reportedly want to keep Hall in Triple-A if he passes through waivers, which is likely.

impressive stuff

He reportedly impressed the Colorado Rockies brass when he showed up in top shape for spring training. And Corey Dickerson, the ex-Meridian Community College star from McComb, hasn’t stopped making an impression. The third-year pro, now at Class A Modesto in the California League, opened the season with a 14-game hit streak and currently sits at .364 with nine homers and 38 RBIs. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound left-handed hitting outfielder slugged 45 homers in his first two seasons. A 29th-round pick in 2009, Dickerson, 23, has climbed onto the top shelf among Rockies prospects. His defense needs improvement, but that may be coming. “His effort from the off-season to this point in the current season has been just phenomenal in all aspects of his game,” Colorado farm director Jeff Bridich told Baseball America a couple of weeks into the season. P.S. On this date in history, Babe Ruth slugged the last three of his 714 home runs. The last two came against Aberdeen native Guy Bush, one of the state’s all-time top hurlers.

ten years after

Ten years ago today, Jeremy McClain toed the rubber at Smith-Wills Stadium and threw the first pitch of the first home game in Jackson Senators’ history. A crowd announced at 3,475 on a Friday night watched the Senators, of the independent Central Baseball League, fall to the Alexandria Aces 7-6. The outcome notwithstanding, the game was a fun one. The crowd was into it. McClain, now the Delta State athletic director, fell behind early, let down by his defense, but departed after six innings with a 6-5 lead. Tommy Bost homered in the second inning. Kyle Hawthorne scored a couple of runs, both times knocked in by Dan Singletary. Yuji Nerei and Gerard McCall notched RBIs. The visiting Aces, who had beaten the Sens four straight times in Alexandria, pulled out the victory with single runs in the eighth and ninth against Ramon Linares. The Sens enjoyed a short but relatively sweet run at Smith-Wills. That first team, which brought pro ball back to Jackson after a year’s hiatus, would come up one win short of a league championship. The 2003 team won the title. The club quietly ceased operations after the 2005 season, essentially forced out by the arrival of the Double-A Mississippi Braves in Pearl that same year. The Senators are long gone now but not completely forgotten.

things fall apart

Southern Miss players and fans might remember the seventh inning of today’s game for a long time. And for the wrong reasons. The Golden Eagles had their ace on the hill and a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning of the Conference USA Tournament opener against Memphis. Then, disaster. Thirteen Memphis batters went to the plate. Nine runs scored. Pierce, working under a scorching sun, was pulled after allowing a leadoff double and hitting a batter. USM coach Scott Berry went to the bullpen three times looking, without much success, for someone who could throw strikes. Or just quality pitches. There was another hit batsman. A walk. Another walk. A single. As things fell apart, the gold-clad Eagles fans got very grumpy. Mixed in before the torture ended were a wild pitch, a stolen base and five more hits, all blood-letting singles. Memphis led 11-3 when it had finished hitting and went on to post a 14-3 victory in eight innings. USM, needing a good performance at Trustmark Park this week to boost its NCAA regional hopes, is in a bind. The Eagles will get to play at least twice more, but one of those games is with top-seeded Rice. Oh, that seventh inning. Just like that, USM’s chances of making the championship game don’t look so good.

keep a keen eye

Sometimes you can just tell. Pascagoula High players were scattered about in front of their dugout last week, playing catch before the game. Knowing nothing about any of them, you could tell that No. 8 was a ballplayer. He was built like a ballplayer. Carried himself like a ballplayer. Then the game started. No. 8 played second base and hit leadoff for Pascagoula. He banged out three hits in a loss to Hernando in Game 1 of the MHSAA Class 5A state championship series at Smith-Wills Stadium. A couple days later, in Game 2, No. 8 banged out three more hits, scored twice and drove in a run as ’Goula evened the best-of-3 series with a 13-3 win. No. 8, it turns out, is Chase Nyman, an Ole Miss signee and an MLB draft prospect. Yes, he can play. Tonight, the Panthers go for the state title, which would be the first for ’Goula in 16 years. Keep an eye on No. 8.

adding to the list

Former Mississippi Braves center fielder Gorkys Hernandez made his big league debut for Pittsburgh on Monday night. Hernandez, becoming No. 61 on the list of M-Braves alums to reach the majors, struck out in a pinch-hit appearance against the New York Mets. He was batting .266 with seven steals for the Pirates’ Triple-A Indianapolis club. P.S. With Neftali Feliz out for several weeks with an elbow injury, Texas might be the leader to sign Roy Oswalt. The free agent pitcher from Weir and Holmes Community College threw for the Rangers last week and reportedly is ready to sign with someone. … Former Jackson Generals star Lance Berkman will be out at least 6-8 weeks with his latest knee injury, but at least there is a chance he’ll play again. It’d be a shame to see him go out so abruptly. He has 1,836 career hits. The “Big Puma” can still rake if his legs hold up.

some like it hot

Delta State won two more elimination games today in Tampa, Fla. — making it five do-or-die W’s in a row — to snag the NCAA Division II South Region championship and earn a trip to the College World Series. Heroes from the 10-7 clincher over Stillman were many. Brent Langston went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, Josh Crowdus 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Sam Kidd 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Aaron Newcomb worked three innings of effective relief to notch the win, his 10th, and Josh Branstetter, another weekend starter, threw 2 2/3 shutout innings to close it out for his first save. DSU also won the Gulf South Conference Tournament out of the loser’s bracket.

can't quit yet

Former Ole Miss standout Bobby Kielty has signed with the York Revolution, the two-time defending champion of the country’s top independent loop, the Atlantic League. Kielty, who spent parts of seven seasons in the majors and hit .254 with 53 homers, made a comeback last season, playing in Triple-A in San Diego’s system. There are a number of familiar names in the Atlantic League, which started play in late April. Hattiesburg native and former big leaguer Joey Gathright is with Bridgeport, and ex-Jackson Generals lefty John Halama, another major league vet, is with Lancaster. Former Mississippi Braves Matt Esquivel, Reid Gorecki, Mike Daniel, Jeff Bennett, Kody Kirkland, Will Startup, Matt Wright and Chris Cody are also in the league.

where oh where?

Mauro Gomez, who last week became the 60th Mississippi Braves alumnus to advance to The Show, has been sent down by Boston. He was 0-for-2 with the Red Sox but was batting .294 with 10 home runs at Triple-A Pawtucket before his call-up. Other former M-Braves of note: Cody Johnson, in Double-A with the New York Yankees, has 10 homers and a .277 average. Matt Young (Detroit, Triple-A) is hitting .283 with four triples and 10 steals. Antoan Richardson (Baltimore, Triple-A) hit .313 in Double-A to earn a promotion and is batting .160 at Norfolk. Brandon Hicks (Oakland, Triple-A) is at .280 with three homers and 14 doubles. Paul Clemens (Houston, Triple-A) is 4-3 despite a 5.67 ERA. Donell Linares (Mexican League) has five homers and a .283 average. Ernesto Mejia (Atlanta, Triple-A) is batting .306 with six bombs for Gwinnett. P.S. Brandon Jones, who finished last season in an independent league, is not back in affiliated ball this season.

just two more

If seedings mean anything, this is David vs. Goliath. Delta State, the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Division II South Regional, meets 8-seed Stillman College today in the championship round. The Statesmen, who have won three straight stay-alive games in Tampa, Fla., must beat Stillman twice to claim the title. DSU is 44-13 and seeking an 11th College World Series trip. Stillman (32-16) doesn’t have that kind of tradition, but don’t sell the Tigers short. They are 3-0 in the regional, including a monumental upset of No. 1-ranked Tampa in their opener. DSU showed some remarkable spunk on Sunday, rallying for five runs in the last three innings to beat Nova Southeastern 8-5, and then scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie and three in the 10th to win 7-6 over Alabama-Huntsville. Michael Vinson was 5-for-10 with four runs and three RBIs on the day. It’ll be interesting to see what the Statesmen have left in the tank today.

cruise control: off

And then there were three. With Mississippi Valley State bowing out today, only the state’s Big 3 Division I schools still have games to play. And their postseason fates may rest on their conference tournament showings. In one legit-looking Internet power rating, Ole Miss is No. 31 in the nation, Mississippi State No. 35 and Southern Miss No. 51. The NCAA takes 64 teams, but a flameout in tournament play by any of the three could jeopardize their chances of getting in. Ole Miss enters SEC Tournament play in a freefall, having been swept by Vanderbilt last week to fall to the No. 9 seed in the 10-team field. The Rebels, known for late-season fades, scored five runs in the 27 innings at Vandy. This is a team that hit .301 for the year, so a bounce-back could certainly happen in Hoover, Ala. Key player for UM, however, might be pitcher Bobby Wahl (6-2, 2.20), who figures to start the Tuesday opener against 4-seed Kentucky. State is smoking hot, having won 11 of its last 15 league games, including the sweep at Kentucky last week. The Bulldogs hit just .253 as a club (despite Adam Frazier’s .360 mark) but they can pitch (2.64 ERA). It’s rather confounding that coach John Cohen reportedly won’t start ace Chris Stratton against Arkansas on Tuesday. The opener in a double-elimination event is all-important. USM gets to play the Conference USA Tournament in the friendly confines of Trustmark Park in Pearl, where the fourth-seeded Golden Eagles have a home-crowd edge. They open with Memphis on Wednesday. USM, in the same four-team pod as regular season champion Rice, really cannot afford an 0-3 or even 1-2 showing in pod play. If Mason Robbins (.332) isn’t the key player for the Eagles, it’s gotta be fellow freshman Bradley Roney (11 saves).

we have (some) closure

Mississippi Valley State and Delta State play on today, but the season is over for Hinds Community College and Itawamba CC. Valley meets Prairie View (1 p.m.; TV broadcast at 7 p.m. Monday on ESPNU) in the SWAC Tournament title game. DSU plays Nova Southeastern in a stay-alive game in the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament. Win that one and the Statesmen get Alabama-Huntsville in another elimination game. Win that one and they’ll play Stillman (the tourney’s 8-seed) in the championship round on Monday. In the NJCAA Division II Region 23 tourney, Hinds eliminated ICC but then was KO’d by top-ranked LSU-Eunice in the championship round. Hinds ran out of steam against the host Bengals, managing just four hits and not much pitching in a 17-0 loss. Sam Temple’s Eagles, who won the MACJC crown, finish 36-18. P.S. Former Ole Miss standout Chris Coghlan has been recalled by Miami to take the roster spot of demoted first baseman Gaby Sanchez and possibly play center field in place of injured Emilio Bonifacio. Coghlan hit .118 with the Marlins to start this season but was up to .275 with a recent hot streak at Triple-A New Orleans. … It looks like former Jackson Generals star Lance Berkman, recently activated from the DL by St. Louis, might be going back on after injuring his knee late Saturday. … Compelling matchup of the day in MLB: Meridian CC alum Cliff Lee (0-1, 1.95) goes for Philadelphia against Boston and Josh Beckett (3-4, 4.97). Or, perhaps, Mississippi State product Paul Maholm (4-2, 4.35) starting for the Cubs against the White Sox's Jake Peavy (4-1, 2.65) in the battle of Chicago.

on the brink

At Tampa, Fla., Delta State faces elimination today in the NCAA Division II South Regional when it plays West Florida, the defending national champion. At Eunice, La., Hinds Community College and Itawamba CC face off today in an NJCAA Division II Region 23 loser’s bracket game. The winner gets a crack — or two, if necessary — at No. 1-ranked LSU-Eunice for a berth in the juco D-II nationals at Enid, Okla. “We still have a pulse,” ICC coach Rick Collier said in a school release. That’s all you need.

the good stuff

For evidence of why tournament baseball is so compelling, look no further than the SWAC event ongoing in Baton Rouge, La. Jackson State, the best team in the league all season, is finished. So is Southern University, which won the other division and was hosting the eight-team tournament. Mississippi Valley State, a 4-seed that entered the tournament in the throes of a nine-game losing streak, is on a three-game roll and in the championship game, which will be played Sunday on ESPNU. A berth in an NCAA regional will be at stake. Valley (now 17-38) beat Southern twice in the tourney, including a grinding 2-1 victory on Friday at Lee Hines Field. Joseph Germaine knocked in a run in the first inning and Edmund Cheatham scored on a wild pitch in the fifth to put the Delta Devils up 2-0. Trey Lacy and Christopher Broadway made the lead stand up, allowing just three hits against a powerful Jaguars lineup. Lacy went seven innings to notch just his second win of the season. “I’m very emotional right now,” Valley coach Doug Shanks told the Baton Rouge Advocate after the game. We can only imagine. Meanwhile, the emotion is very different for Jackson State. The Tigers won 21 of 24 SWAC games this season to run away with the Eastern Division title. But after winning their tourney opener, the Tigers’ bats went silent in the next two games, producing just one run. Things fell completely apart in Friday’s elimination game, when they committed seven errors and were 10-run ruled (11-1) in seven innings by Texas Southern. It’s highly unlikely JSU (35-16) will receive an at-large bid to the NCAAs. Tigers coach Omar Johnson knew this going in. “You don’t get rewarded for your body of work in our conference,” he said a few weeks ago. “It’s a shame. That one week (of the tournament) means everything.”

clearing up

Top-ranked and top-seeded Tampa, which is hosting the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament, is done, which clears the path a bit for Delta State to reach the College World Series. The host Spartans, shocked in their tourney opener by 8-seed Stillman on Thursday, lost today to West Florida. No. 2 seed Delta State, which won its opener late Thursday (2-0 over North Alabama behind Josh Branstetter’s brilliant pitching) plays Alabama-Huntsville tonight (scheduled 6:45 CDT first pitch) in a winner’s bracket game. DSU is seeking an 11th CWS appearance.

ups and downs

Ups. This just in: Mitch Moreland can hit. The former Mississippi State star’s sluggish start for the Texas Rangers seems long forgotten now. He is batting .355 with three home runs and nine RBIs in his last 10 games. He hit two bombs on Thursday. He’s at .283 with six homers for the year. … Two more hits Thursday for Southern Miss product Brian Dozier, who is batting .298 for Minnesota. … Former Pillow Academy standout Louis Coleman was recalled by Kansas City on Thursday and threw a shutout inning against Baltimore. … In case you missed it, former Mississippi Braves hurler Brandon Beachy threw a five-hit shutout (first of his big league career) at Miami and now leads the majors with a 1.33 ERA. … And Mississippi Valley State, which slumped into the SWAC Tournament as a No. 4 seed with a 14-38 record, is 2-0 in the event, including a win over top-seeded host Southern University. Downs. Ole Miss product Alex Presley was sent to Triple-A by Pittsburgh; he was batting just .222 after a 3-for-38 skid. … Ex-M-Braves lefty Matt Harrison, now with the Rangers, got knocked around Thursday and saw his ERA rise to 5.21. … Chris Coghlan, the former UM star and onetime National League rookie of the year, is hitting just .246 in Triple-A since being sent down last month by the Marlins. … The state’s Big 3 Division I schools, presumably gearing up for tournament play, scored a grand total of four runs combined on Thursday. Only Mississippi State got a win, thanks largely to the pitching of Ferriss Trophy winner Chris Stratton.

broken record

It’s not all about winning in the minor leagues, we know, but the playoffs are fun for everyone involved. And, as we know also, the Mississippi Braves have not made the postseason since 2008. They really haven’t even made a serious run for a berth since winning the Southern League title in ’08, their fourth year in Pearl. Can the 2012 team break through? Well, as far as the first half is concerned, it’s time to get out the hammers. The M-Braves — home tonight to launch a five-game homestand — are 17-22, last place and 6½ games out in the SL South with 30 games to play. They need a win streak. Five or six in a row, maybe take nine of 10. That might get them going. They have the starting pitching to facilitate a roll. Zeke Spruill (3-3, 4.37) goes tonight; he can be even better than what he’s shown. Sunday’s starter, David Hale (3-2, 4.03), is coming off one of his best outings. Lefty Sean Gilmartin, the 2011 top pick, is 2-4 despite a 2.82; he goes Monday. The bats have perked up a bit, though the club is still last in the league in runs (141) and homers (12). Todd Cunningham is hitting .387 over his last 10 games and .330 overall, second in the SL. Keenan Wiley, signed in 2010 as a non-drafted free agent out of Kentucky, is at .340 in his 19 games since coming up. Evan Gattis has four homers and a .320 average in 13 games, and Andrelton Simmons is batting .293. Christian Bethancourt is fresh off the disabled list, and the big catcher's return to the lineup might help. This homestand presents a golden opportunity. Tennessee, from the North Division, comes in with the worst record in the league at 17-23, albeit just percentage points lower than the M-Braves. P.S. Today is Cool Papa Bell’s birthday. The former Negro Leagues star, one of two Mississippi natives in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, was born today in Starkville in 1903. He died in 1991.

change in order?

Mike Minor may be looking over his shoulder. Or he should be. After another in a series of rough starts — six earned runs allowed in 4 2/3 innings against Miami tonight — the former Mississippi Braves left-hander has become an obvious weak link in the Atlanta rotation. He had an 11.81 ERA in his three starts prior to tonight’s. Meanwhile, Atlanta’s No. 1 prospect, former M-Brave Julio Teheran, is flourishing at Triple-A Gwinnett. Right-hander Teheran, with his upper 90s fastball, is 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA in seven starts. He held his own in a big league trial last season. He is ready for more, and his time may be coming very soon.

ode to the old yard

Smith-Wills Stadium, site of the MHSAA state championships which begin today, could use a little spit and polish. It lacks the modern trappings you find at Trustmark Park in Pearl. But Smith-Wills is still a great venue for baseball. Built in 1975 as the home of the new Jackson Mets Double-A baseball team, it’s kind of like a time machine. Many major league stars, past and present, have played between those white lines. Lots of college and high school standouts graced the green there, as well. It is a Jackson icon, like the zoo, the planetarium, Mississippi Coliseum or The Stack. The ballpark itself, which sits at the west end of Lakeland Drive near Interstate 55, has changed only a little over the years. The outfield signage is different from what it was 36 years ago, of course. The Marlboro Man who once rose above the outfield was taken down long ago. The scoreboard was moved from right-center to left a few years back, though the 1980s-era message board remains in its original spot — and still works. The field was converted to a synthetic surface in 2004, and batting cages and a picnic area have been installed. But the stadium backdrop, the signature feature of Smith-Wills, looks virtually the same as it did in 1975. Huge pine trees, giant oaks and other types of foliage loom behind the outfield fences. That’s what captures the eye. Though the aging stadium itself could use a splash of paint here and there, the view is still fantastic, particularly on a warm spring night just before sunset. There is so much history there. Darryl Strawberry, Billy Beane and Lenny Dykstra played there for the Jackson Mets. Billy Wagner, Bobby Abreu and Lance Berkman took the field there as Jackson Generals. Davey Johnson, Sam Perlozzo and Clint Hurdle managed there. The New York Mets and Houston Astros played exhibition games at Smith-Wills, as did two U.S. Olympic teams, one that included Mark McGwire. For years, the Mayor’s Trophy game between Ole Miss and Mississippi State was a Smith-Wills staple that drew overflow crowds. Six teams won professional league championships at Smith-Wills. The pennants now hang in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum across the parking lot. After the independent Jackson Senators ceased operations in 2005, there was talk of tearing down Smith-Wills Stadium. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, and Belhaven University took it over as its home field shortly thereafter. Games will be played again at old Smith-Wills this week. Leather will be popping, fans will be yapping and familiar ballpark tunes will be blaring over the public address system. On special days like these, Smith-Wills and all its history springs to life again.

numbers for munching

1 — National ranking of the University of Tampa, which is hosting the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament that Delta State is playing in. DSU (40-12) opens with North Alabama on Thursday at about 6:45 p.m. 1 — National ranking of LSU-Eunice, which is hosting the NJCAA Division II Region 23 Tournament that includes Hinds Community College, Itawamba and Mississippi Gulf Coast. Hinds, the MACJC champ, plays ICC on Thursday at 3; MGCCC gets LSU-E in the nightcap. 3 — Number of losses, against 21 wins, by Jackson State in SWAC play this season. The Tigers went 35-11 overall and enter today’s SWAC Tournament opener against Texas Southern (about 6 p.m. in Baton Rouge) as the top seed from the East Division. 3.08 — The regular season ERA of Delta State’s pitching staff. Aaron Newcomb (2.66), Colton Mitchell (3.03) and Josh Branstetter (3.34) are the top three starters. 7 — National ranking of ICC, which won a state-best 38 games. 9 — Number of Hinds players who notched MACJC All-State honors, including Tyler Adkins (five wins, six saves) and Beau Wallace (three homers, 36 RBIs, 39 runs), who were also All-Region 23 selections. 10 — Regional titles (and D-II College World Series appearances) by DSU, which won the 2004 national crown. 12 — Home runs by Jackson State’s Kendall Logan; the rest of the team also hit 12. 12 — The number of DSU hitters who batted .299 or better in the regular season. Michael Vinson and Jon Carnahan led the way at .347. 20 — Combined wins (of the team’s 35) by Jackson State hurlers Quintavious Drains and Desmond Russell. 694 — Career wins by DSU coach Mike Kinnison. P.S. J.J. Hoover, a member of the loaded 2011 Mississippi Braves pitching staff, made an appearance against his former organization on Tuesday, working a sharp 1-2-3 inning for Cincinnati against Atlanta. Hoover, traded in spring training for Juan Francisco, has a 1.08 ERA in eight big league games. He was the 59th M-Braves alumnus to make the majors.

hard knocks

The Philadelphia Phillies have played 37 games and won 18, none of the W’s going to Cliff Lee. The former Meridian Community College ace endured another hard-luck outing today, when he left after eight innings with a 3-1 lead on Houston only to see the Phils’ bullpen blow the save. (Mississippi State product Jonathan Papelbon had worked three straight days and was not available to close.) Philadelphia did win 4-3 in the 10th, but Lee was left with an 0-1 record and a 1.97 ERA through five starts. Included there is his epic battle with San Francisco’s Matt Cain on April 18 (see previous post), after which Lee spent time on the disabled list. Lee yielded five hits, struck out 10 and walked just one today, signaling that he is on form. He owns a Cy Young Award and was allmississippibaseball’s Cool Papa Bell Award winner in 2011 after going 17-8 with a 2.40 ERA and 238 K’s in 232 2/3 innings. He just needs a little more help from his Philly friends. P.S. Lee’s alma mater bowed out Sunday, playing at home, in the NJCAA Division I Region 23 Tournament. MCC finishes the season at 36-22.

deep thoughts

Seth Smith’s start for the Oakland A’s has not been what the former Ole Miss standout would have hoped for. He is batting just .244 with three homers, including the one he smacked on Sunday against Detroit’s Justin Verlander in a 3-1 loss. Some drop-off in Smith’s production might have been expected, since he moved from a great hitter’s park in Colorado to a lousy one in Oakland. But here’s an oddity: Smith is hitting .298 with two homers and six RBIs at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, .179 with one and three on the road. … Southern Miss alum Brian Dozier’s first career homer helped Minnesota win on Sunday and finally reach the 10-win plateau. … Former Mississippi Braves star Jeff Francoeur, now with Kansas City, hit his first home run, surprisingly late in the season for a player with his punch. He told the media it feels like “a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders.” … Ex-Mississippi State standout Jonathan Papelbon is now 10-for-10 in save opportunities for Philadelphia; he has been a bright spot in a rough start for the Phillies. … Drew Pomeranz, sent down last week by Colorado to work on his mechanics, threw six shutout innings on Sunday in his first start for Triple-A Colorado Springs. Ole Miss product Pomeranz was 0-2 with a 4.70 ERA in the big leagues this season.

big stuff

Great pitching matchup today at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, where former Mississippi Braves ace Tommy Hanson goes for Atlanta against Ole Miss product Lance Lynn. Hanson has been solid for Atlanta, with a 3-3 record and a 3.63 ERA. Lynn, however, has been spectacular for the Cardinals — 6-0, 1.40. Game time is 1 p.m. Tune in. … Can’t help but be impressed with ex-M-Braves star Brandon Beachy, who beat St. Louis on Saturday to run his record to 4-1. He not only has good stuff, he has such great poise on the mound. Hard to believe Beachy was signed as an undrafted free agent. He blossomed with the M-Braves in 2010. … Two other former M-Braves were on the bump Saturday: Charlie Morton won for Pittsburgh, but Matt Harrison took an L for Texas (despite another Josh Hamilton bomb). Yet another M-Braves alum, Scott Diamond, starts today for Minnesota after throwing seven shutout innings in his 2012 debut. … On the subject of debuts, Nettleton’s Bill Hall made his first appearance for the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday and hit a home run. Hall floundered in tours last season with Houston and San Francisco and was cut by the New York Yankees this spring. But he has power potential and some defensive versatility, which MLB clubs seem to like. … Jarrod Dyson, the former 50th round pick out of Southwest Mississippi Community College, had two more hits for Kansas City to lift his average to .311. With Lorenzo Cain out for an extended time with an injury, Dyson, a center fielder and leadoff man, is getting a chance to show what he can do with regular playing time. What he does best of all is run — 38 steals in Triple-A and 11 more with the Royals last season. … Former Itawamba CC standout Desmond Jennings has missed five straight starts for Tampa Bay because of what was said to be only a minor knee injury. He has been available for pinch-hit duty. P.S. Congratulations to Hinds Community College on its MACJC championship. Now, to get to the NJCAA Tournament, Sam Temple's Eagles will have to get past No. 1 LSU-Eunice (plus Itawamba and Mississippi Gulf Coast) in the Division II Region 23 Tournament at Eunice this week. … Meridian CC resumes its quest for a D-I Region 23 title today at Scaggs Field. The Eagles, 2-0 in the event, trailed Delgado (La.) 11-0 in the sixth inning on Saturday when rain halted play. They’ll resume today. A Delgado win would force a decisive second game. The winner moves on to the South Central District Tournament.

stepping up

Edwin Maysonet answered a curtain call this afternoon from a sellout crowd at Miller Park. The former Delta State standout belted a grand slam — the first of his MLB career — for Milwaukee in an 8-2 win over Chicago. The homer was the first big league shot in three years for Maysonet, who was called up when shortstop Alex Gonzalez was hurt and was called into duty at second base today as a fill-in for Rickie Weeks. Maysonet spent all of 2011 in the minors. “It’s amazing,” Maysonet told mlb.com. “You’re helping your team win, and especially in that way. It’s amazing.” He has three hits in four at-bats since his call-up. Maybe he'll get some more.

the road ahead

Though neither Ole Miss nor Mississippi State has clinched a berth in the 10-team SEC Tournament, it would be a stunning development if either missed out. Both are essentially playing for seeding position in their last two league series, and the Bulldogs are looking at a much tougher road. State played its ace — Chris Stratton — on Friday and lost at Florida. Stratton, suffering his first defeat, pitched well enough (two earned runs in seven innings), but the punchless Dogs (now 12-13 in the SEC) lost 4-1. They face the very real possibility of getting swept in Gainesville. And then they get a very good Kentucky club next weekend in Starkville. Ole Miss, behind the pitching of league ERA leader Bobby Wahl, beat a scuffling Tennessee team in Oxford on Friday to get to 12-13 in league play. Next weekend, the Rebels are at Vanderbilt, another sub-.500 club. Ole Miss still needs to solve its Sunday funk, but it stands a much better chance than MSU of moving up in the tournament pecking order. … Meanwhile, Southern Miss is also playing for seeding position in the Conference USA Tournament, which again will be held at Trustmark Park in Pearl. The Eagles got a brilliant effort from Andrew Pierce (three-hitter, 11 strikeouts) to beat East Carolina 1-0 in Hattiesburg on Friday to climb to 10-9 in the league. That’s good for fourth position, behind ECU (13-8-1). Next weekend, USM travels to UAB, which is currently 7-11 in C-USA. P.S. MSU’s Stratton is projected as the No. 16 overall pick in the upcoming MLB draft by Baseball America. In a story posted on Thursday, the junior right-hander was pegged as the Washington Nationals’ top pick in a mock draft. … On the prep front, the Class 6A State championship series should be a dandy, matching Oak Grove and Madison Central. The series begins Wednesday at Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson.

state of the state

The MACJC championship will be settled today in Fulton by a pair of teams who are a long way from home. Hinds Community College and Mississippi Gulf Coast CC survived the first two days of the state tournament at Itawamba's Roy Cresap Field. Hinds (33-16) bashed ICC 16-7 on Friday to remain unbeaten, while Gulf Coast (29-18) came out of the loser's bracket with wins over Jones County and ICC. Gulf Coast must beat Hinds twice to win the state crown. Both teams, along with ICC, will advance to the NJCAA Division II Region 23 Tournament next week at LSU-Eunice, which is ranked No. 1 in the nation with a 48-4 record.

juco watch

The odds are with Itawamba Community College. The Indians are hosting the MACJC Tournament, which starts today at Roy Cresap Field in Fulton. ICC has the best record in the state at 37-19 and is ranked No. 7 in NJCAA Division II. But … stuff happens in baseball. The other three participants in the double-elimination affair got there, as did ICC, with two-game sweeps in the best-of-3 round. No slouches here. Jones County JC is 31-17, Hinds 31-16 and resurgent Mississippi Gulf Coast 27-17. JCJC, the defending state champion, is currently ranked 20th, and Hinds was ranked 17th last week. Here’s a number to chew on: Hinds scored 25 runs to get past Northwest on the road last weekend. ICC plays Gulf Coast and JCJC meets Hinds in today’s opening round. … Meanwhile, at Skaggs Field in Meridian, Meridian Community College will host the NJCAA Division I Region 23 Tournament starting Friday. MCC (33-20) won the Miss-Lou Conference regular season title to earn the host role in the three-team event. The Eagles play Delgado (La.) on Friday at 12:30 and meet Baton Rouge that night at 7:30. The tourney concludes on Sunday. Here’s a number to chew on: MCC’s Wade Wass, an Alabama signee, has 21 home runs. P.S. Just for the record, there are six Mississippi juco products currently in the majors: Jarrod Dyson, Desmond Jennings, Tyler Moore, Tim Dillard, Cliff Lee and Tony Sipp. And free agent Roy Oswalt could be back in The Show any day now.

digging the long ball

Josh Hamilton’s monster night for Texas on Tuesday — an MLB record-tying four home runs and an American League record 18 total bases — brings to mind the jaw-dropping performance of Jackson Senators star Tommy Bost. On May 16, 2004, Meridian native Bost belted two grand slams and a three-run homer in a 22-2 win over Amarillo at Smith-Wills Stadium. Bost tied the independent Central Baseball League mark for homers in a game and set a record with his 11 RBIs. It was the greatest hitting performance by a professional player in Smith-Wills’ long history. P.S. Delta State emphatically ended its three-year NCAA Tournament drought with a Gulf South Conference Tournament championship, which carries an automatic bid. The Statesmen (40-12) won three straight elimination games, two on Tuesday behind the pitching of Josh Branstetter (a four-hit shutout vs. North Alabama) and the hitting of Sam Kidd (four hits, three RBIs vs. Alabama-Huntsville). DSU, which also won the GSC regular season title, was No. 2 in the most recent NCAA Division II South Region rankings and may be in line to host a regional. The NCAA field will be announced Sunday.

first of all ...

There were some notable firsts involving Mississippians in the big leagues on Monday. Southern Miss alumnus Brian Dozier got his first hit in his first game for Minnesota. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College product Tony Sipp got his first save of the season (and second career) for Cleveland. Former Mississippi State star Jonathan Papelbon suffered his first loss as Philadelphia’s closer, giving up a three-run homer in the ninth inning. But ex-Ole Miss standout Drew Pomeranz took the cake. Sort of. The Colorado pitcher hit his first major league home run. Alas, he was also hit in the right leg by a line drive (he’s reportedly OK), lasted just three innings and took the loss to fall to 0-2, 4.70 for the season. P.S. UM product Lance Lynn moved to 6-0 for St. Louis, and fellow ex-Rebel Zack Cozart, now batting leadoff for Cincinnati, homered for the second time in four games.

debut alert

Batting second and playing shortstop … Brian Dozier. The former Southern Miss standout is, in fact, in the Minnesota lineup for tonight’s game, set to make his major league debut against Los Angels right-hander Jered Weaver at Target Field. Dozier is displacing veteran Jamey Carroll. “Hopefully, he can handle it, but there is pressure on him, just like any kid that comes up,” Twins acting manager Scott Ullger told mlb.com. He’s passed every test he’s faced so far. Dozier left USM as one of the school’s best-ever players, batting .355 for his career. Drafted in the eighth round by Minnesota in 2009, he has hit .300 for his minor league career. He showed some pop, too, in 2011 when he hit seven homers at Double-A New Britain. He played well in the Arizona Fall League and in big league camp this spring. A recent Baseball America scouting report said Dozier “does a lot of things well.” The Twins (7-20, worst record in MLB) need a lot of help, and maybe Dozier can provide some. It'll be fun to see.

command performance

Among the state’s Big 3 Division I schools, the weekend pretty much belonged to Mississippi State. Or, more specifically, to Bulldogs junior right-hander Chris Stratton. Southern Miss got swept in a C-USA series at Tulane. Ole Miss, despite huge crowds at Oxford-University Stadium, lost two of three to highly ranked LSU in what was deemed a key series for the Rebels’ postseason hopes. State took two of three at Alabama, fueled by the Friday night performance of Stratton. The Tupelo native tossed seven shutout innings, fanning six and walking none, to improve to 9-0. For an SEC Friday starter, that’s big time. Stratton has a 2.19 ERA (second in the league to the 2.14 of Ole Miss’ Bobby Wahl, who has fewer innings), 101 strikeouts and just 17 walks in 82 1/3 innings and a .207 batting average against. He is a serious Ferriss Trophy candidate. P.S. Delta State plays West Florida today in a Gulf South Conference Tournament elimination game in Rome, Ga. The winner gets Alabama-Huntsville in the championship round on Tuesday. UAH knocked regular season champ DSU into the loser’s bracket with a 8-4 win on Sunday. … Seedings are set for the SWAC Tournament, which begins May 16 in Baton Rouge. Jackson State (21-3 in the league) long ago locked up the No. 1 seed in the East; Alcorn State is No. 2 in the division and Mississippi Valley No. 4. … Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College completed a sweep of Northeast on Sunday to reach the MACJC Tournament, which starts Thursday in Fulton. Itawamba, Jones County and Hinds are also in.

injury news

A trip to the disabled list for Milwaukee shortstop Alex Gonzalez means a trip to the big leagues for Delta State product Edwin Maysonet. Maysonet, who last played in the majors with Houston in 2009, had a good spring with the Brewers but was hitting just .214 at Triple-A Nashville. Still, Maysonet’s defense likely will be the key to how much he plays while Gonzalez is out. … Also, former Southern Miss standout Brian Dozier is getting his first call to the big leagues by Minnesota to fill the roster spot of injured Justin Morneau. Dozier was hitting .276 at Triple-A Rochester. The Twins are also recalling ex-Mississippi Braves left-hander Scott Diamond. ... Former Meridian Community College ace Cliff Lee is expected to be activated for a Wednesday start with Philadelphia, according to MLB Network. … And former Jackson Generals star Lance Berkman reportedly is very close to getting back in the St. Louis lineup. The ageless Berkman, out since April 19 with a calf injury, is hitting .348 in 23 at-bats.

hot stuff

Former Mississippi State standout Mitch Moreland continues to rake for Texas, which leads the American League West. After a dismal start, Moreland is hitting .406 with two homers over his last 10 games, including a 3-for-4 performance on Saturday in a 5-2 win over Cleveland. He has watched his average rise from .139 to .277. … Some contend that AL East leader Tampa Bay, now 19-9 after a tough loss to Oakland, is the best team in baseball. A key figure for the Rays has been new leadoff batter Desmond Jennings, the former Itawamba Community College star. Jennings is batting .273 with three homers, 11 RBIs, seven steals and 19 runs. … MSU product Paul Maholm, after a weak start for the Chicago Cubs, is 3-0 with a 1.47 ERA in his last three starts. That’s for a 10-16 club. … Ex-Ole Miss star Lance Lynn is 5-0 with a 1.60 for National League Central leader St. Louis. ’Nuff said. … Former Mississippi Braves outfielder Jordan Schafer, battling some back problems, has managed to maintain a 25-game on-base streak for Houston. Schafer is hitting .261 with two homers and 11 stolen bases as the Astros’ leadoff man. … Former M-Braves star Tyler Pastornicky has held his own at the plate for Atlanta, batting .273, better than many of the club’s veterans. He has also been solid at shortstop. … Meanwhile, back in Double-A, Andrelton Simmons, who made a run for the big-league shortstop job in spring training, has stepped up with a .323 average, 13 RBIs and six steals for the Mississippi Braves. Yes, he can hit. … Recent arrival Evan Gattis is batting .381 with three homers and eight RBIs in five games with the M-Braves. He gets his first shot in spacious Trustmark Park today (5 p.m., vs. Pensacola). … Former Taylorsville High star Billy Hamilton made Baseball America’s High-A All-Star team for April. He hit .398 with 29 steals for the month with Cincinnati’s Bakersfield team in the California League. P.S. The field is almost set for the MACJC Tournament, which starts later this week. Itawamba Community College (which will host the double-elimination affair in Fulton), Hinds and Jones County swept their best-of-3 series. Mississippi Gulf Coast beat Northeast 7-5 late Saturday in a rain-delayed opener that was moved to Biloxi. They’ll play Game 2 (and maybe 3) there today.

defending the house

Home-field advantage held up in two of the three MACJC postseason series that started on Friday. Jones County Junior College beat visiting Mississippi Delta CC 6-1 in Ellisville and Itawamba held off East Central 8-7 in Fulton. Hinds, which struggled down the stretch, went to Senatobia and, showing off its considerable prowess with the bats, pounded Northwest 14-5. Those best-of-3 series will conclude today. Mississippi Gulf Coast will host Northeast today and Sunday in Perkinston. MGCCC (29-17), coached by former Mississippi State star Gary Rath, surged at season’s end and won the No. 2 seed (and home-field rights) in the South on a coin flip. This is a good club, led by slugging Ben Slaton (12 homers) and starting pitchers Jarred Gates and Tyler Bray. The four series winners will meet for the state championship next weekend in a double-elimination event to be hosted by the highest remaining North seed. Jones is the defending state champ, as well as reigning Division II Region 23 champ. That tournament is two weekends away.

holding pattern

For a veteran big leaguer, playing in Triple-A must feel a little like a long layover in the airport. Well, with one key difference. He can’t be sure he’ll ever hear the call to board for a trip back to The Show. There is a large contingent of Mississippians with big league time who are currently hanging out in Triple-A, and a few of them have even made productive use of their time. Ole Miss product Matt Tolbert (Chicago Cubs) is batting .324 in 19 games, and Delta State alumnus Dusty Hughes (Atlanta) has a 0.71 ERA and three saves in 10 games. Nettleton’s Bill Hall (Baltimore) is at .294 with two homers in eight games. Jackson native Donnie Veal (Chicago White Sox) has a 2.25 ERA in eight appearances. Then there’s former Southern Miss star Jarrett Hoffpauir (Washington), who is hitting .278 with seven RBIs in 18 games. It hasn’t gone as well for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College product Fred Lewis (New York Mets), who has played in just three games since signing on April 25 and put up a .250 average. Starkville native Julio Borbon (Texas) is batting .224, ex-DSU standout Edwin Maysonet (Milwaukee) .217, former Statesman Eli Whiteside (San Francisco) .208 and Mississippi State product Craig Tatum (New York Yankees) .179. P.S. Good to see that Bobby Abreu, the former Jackson Generals star, was picked up by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Abreu, now 38, was batting just .208 for the L.A. Angels when he was released, but the lefty hitter's career mark of .293 is still attractive.

the new guy

The Mississippi Braves may have solved their power problem. Evan Gattis, promoted from A-ball earlier this week when Christian Bethancourt went out with an injury, blasted a home run at Mobile on Thursday — in his second game with the M-Braves. The rest of the team has four (three belonging to Ian Gac) in 28 games. If Gattis sticks around, he’s a good bet to hit some more bombs. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound catcher (who can also play outfield) hit nine in 21 games at Class A Lynchburg this spring after belting 22 (to go with a .322 average) at low-A Rome in 2011. Gattis’ story is an interesting one. A highly touted high school player in Texas, he was out of the game for roughly four years battling personal issues. He finally wound up at Texas-Permian Basin and was drafted in the 23rd round by Atlanta in 2010. He is 25 years old and, judging from the early returns, looks ready for the rigors of Double-A ball. He’s hitting .417 in his three games. The M-Braves, scuffling along at 10-18, return to Pearl on Sunday.

courting uncle mo

If momentum means anything in baseball — and surely it does — then watch out for good things this weekend from Delta State, Mississippi College, Itawamba Community College and Jones County JC. DSU, ranked No. 8 in NCAA Division II, rolls into the Gulf South Conference Tournament with a nine-game win streak. The Statesmen (35-11) won the regular season title and are the top seed; they’ll take on their traditional punching bag, Christian Brothers, in the first round Friday at 4:30 in Rome, Ga. The Statesmen are seeking a 12th GSC title but more importantly a long-awaited return to the NCAAs. DSU is led offensively by Michael Vinson (.347, four homers, 36 RBIs) and Jon Carnahan (.347, 4, 35). Aaron Newcomb (8-2, 2.66 ERA) and Mr. Perfect Game Colton Mitchell (7-0, 3.03) head a staff that posted a 3.08 ERA. Mississippi College is just 20-22 overall but has shown some true grit of late. The D-III Choctaws won four of their last six American Southwest Conference games just to make the postseason and then went on the road to take two of three from Texas Lutheran to reach the double-elimination tournament. MC faces McMurry on Friday at 3 in Austin, Texas. Mike Kerdock batted .416, and Brett Hightower has five homers and 46 RBIs. The team ERA is an unsightly 5.68, but Scott Trousdale carries a 3.58 and Austin Trehern came up huge in last weekend’s rubber game against Texas Lutheran. In the state junior college postseason, which starts with four best-of-3 series, watch out for eighth-ranked Itawamba (35-9), which has won eight of 10 and claimed the MACJC North title. The Indians will host East Central on Friday. Jones County (29-17), ranked No. 2 at the start of the year, rallied late to win its last six games, including three over Hinds, and took the South title. The Bobcats welcome Mississippi Delta to Ellisville on Friday. Hinds (29-16) was ranked 17th in the April 25 NJCAA Division II poll but limps into the postseason having lost its last five South Division games. The Eagles slipped to the No. 3 seed and must travel to North No. 2 Northwest on Friday. Uncle Mo won't be on that bus.

pieces of april

Buck Showalter notched his 1,000th win as a major league manager tonight when Baltimore beat the New York Yankees. Former Mississippi State standout Showalter’s managerial career started with the Yankees. He has also managed Arizona and Texas. He is in his third season with the Orioles, who were one of MLB’s surprise teams in April with a 14-9 record. … The best April by a Mississippi-connected player in the big leagues is a tough call between MSU alum Jonathan Papelbon, who had eight saves for his new Philadelphia club, and Ole Miss product Lance Lynn, who went 4-0 as a new member of the St. Louis rotation. … The worst first month surely belonged to ex-Rebels star Chris Coghlan, the former rookie of the year who was recently sent to the minors (again) by Miami with a .143 average. What has happened to him? … Former UM standout Seth Smith finished a tough first month with Oakland (.197) by fanning four times — a "golden sombrero" — against Boston on Monday. ... Ned Yost, the former Jackson Mets catcher now managing in Kansas City, hasn’t seen the preseason buzz about his team carry into the regular season. The young and (supposedly) talented Royals were a mess in the first month, going 6-15. … Scuffling Mitch Moreland has started to perk up for Texas, which had the best record (17-6) in MLB in April. MSU product Moreland is on a 6-for-19 tear with two homers, boosting his average to .214. … Here’s a good Did You Know? with a Mississippi angle. The last Detroit Tigers player to hit for the cycle was former Jackson General (and recently retired) Carlos Guillen in 2006 and the last Pittsburgh Pirates player to do it was ex-General Daryle Ward in 2004.

sad news

Jackson Generals fans may remember Mike Walter, the Pearl police officer killed in the line of duty today, as a hard-throwing reliever for Houston's Double-A team from 1997-99. Walter also pitched for the Jackson DiamondKats, the independent team that played one season (2000) at Smith-Wills Stadium. Walter, 37, leaves behind a wife and young daughter.