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.