whither pomeranz?

Considering the problems Colorado is having with its pitching, one has to wonder: What’s up with Drew Pomeranz? The former first-round pick out of Ole Miss, acquired in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade with Cleveland last summer, is 4-4 with a 2.51 ERA in nine starts at Class AAA Colorado Springs. He has won his last two starts, including a six-inning, no-hit stint on June 19. In 46 2/3 innings, he has 46 strikeouts and 20 walks. The 6-foot-5 left-hander was sent down after five starts (0-2, 4.70) with the Rockies to polish his mechanics and refine his secondary pitches. He might be close to getting another call-up.

making his case

Tyler Moore is proving to be a valuable weapon for Washington. The rookie out of Mississippi State belted a tape-measure three-run homer on Tuesday night, helping the first-place Nationals pound Colorado 12-5 at Coors Field. Moore, a right-handed hitter who can play first base or the outfield, now has three big-league homers in 47 at-bats. He is also hitting .319 with eight RBIs and seven runs in 22 games as a part-time player. Moore’s power is no fluke: He has hit 71 homers in his last three minor league seasons, including nine in Triple-A this year. P.S. Former Jackson Mets pitching coach Bob Apodaca, who has handled the Colorado Rockies’ staff since 2003, asked to be reassigned in the organization on Tuesday — before Washington unleashed its 21-hit barrage. The Rockies’ pitching has been dreadful all season.

just win, baby

It may not be part of the job description for the head coach at Meridian Community College, but winning championships has come to be expected there. Dillon Sudduth, a five-year assistant at MCC, is the Eagles’ new head coach, taking over a program that has made seven trips to the Junior College World Series, won 10 region titles, 12 Miss-Lou Conference titles and three MACJC state crowns. It’s a program that is expected to feature top talent. There are two MCC alumni playing in the majors — Cliff Lee and Tyler Moore. Two Eagles were drafted this year, and the first Mississippian picked in the draft, D.J. Davis of Stone County, was a Meridian signee. The school has also been a launching pad for coaches, such as Corky Palmer, Scott Berry and Russ McNickle. Mike Federico and Chad Caillett are on Berry’s staff at Southern Miss. Sudduth is replacing Chris Curry, who has taken an assistant job with Lane Burroughs (an MCC alum) at Northwestern State. It’s a small school in a modest Mississippi town, but the expectations at MCC are large.

jay-hey now

Maybe it’s time to move Jason Heyward up in the Atlanta batting order. The former Mississippi Braves standout hit .522 with three home runs last week to win the National League hitter of the week award and is batting .391 in June. He has 11 home runs all told. This is more like the Heyward we saw in 2010, when he batted .277 with 18 bombs as a 20-year-old rookie. Last year, he fell off to .227 and 14, and through May of this year, he was languishing at .233. But adjustments he’s made at the plate seem to be paying off. Heyward certainly has the speed to hit higher in the order — he hit No. 2 a lot in 2010 — and yet he has been stuck in the lower half most of the year while some of the hitters above him have struggled. P.S. Billy Hamilton stole three bases Sunday and another on Monday to run his season total to 91. The Taylorsville Tornado, playing for Cincinnati’s high-A team in the California League, is on pace to break Vince Coleman’s 1983 pro record of 145 steals, set in A-ball. If Hamilton gets promoted to Double-A, however, his pace might fall off. Pitchers and catchers pay much more attention to baserunners at that level. … There was a time when Hattiesburg native Joey Gathright was considered the fastest man in baseball. He once swiped 69 in a season (2003), split between A-ball and Double-A, and has over 300 for his pro career. Now 31, he may have slowed down a bit. Playing for the Reds’ Triple-A Louisville club, Gathright is batting .300 but has just two stolen bases in four attempts.

the ups and downs

Saturday was a roller coaster day for the two former Mississippi State pitchers in the big leagues. Jonathan Papelbon suffered his first blown save of the year (in 18 opportunities) and then had to write a check for $5,000 to a teammate, though he was actually happy to do that. Paul Maholm hit his second career home run but was knocked out of his start in the fourth inning and lost his fourth straight decision. Philadelphia’s Papelbon, whose ERA has risen 82 points in June and is up to 2.83, blew a 6-4 lead in the ninth against Tampa Bay. He told mlb.com he offered to pay $5,000 to anyone who could hit a walk-off home run — and Jim Thome obliged with his record 13th, giving the Phillies and Papelbon a 7-6 win. Papelbon said he wrote the check. Maholm, after all those years of frustration in Pittsburgh, is finding more of the same with the Chicago Cubs, who have the worst record in MLB. (Ironically, the Pirates are now a second-place club in the National League Central.) Maholm allowed nine hits, three walks and six runs in 3 1/3 innings of Saturday’s 10-5 loss to Arizona. The veteran lefty’s record dipped to 4-6 and his ERA surged to 5.38. His last win came on May 9. P.S. Former Mississippi Braves shortstop Brandon Hicks, once upon a time considered a possible heir apparent to Chipper Jones at third base, went 1-for-5 with two RBIs in his Oakland A’s debut on Saturday. Hicks, in sporadic playing time, didn’t hit enough while in Atlanta.

how 'bout that

Well, now, the Texas Rangers couldn’t have hoped for much better from Roy Oswalt. In his 2012 debut on Friday night, the Weir High and Holmes Community College product went 6 2/3 innings, allowing just one run, in a 4-1 victory over Colorado. A sellout crowd at the Ballpark in Arlington watched. Oswalt wasn’t unhittable — he yielded nine — but he walked just one and fanned six, dialing up an effective array of pitches. “The command of all my pitches was there,” he told mlb.com. “If I can keep this kind of command all year, I’ll be happy.” The win was No. 160 in Oswalt’s major league career. He is third on the list of all-time wins by a Mississippi native, trailing Aberdeen’s Guy Bush (176) and Waynesboro’s Claude Passeau (162).

all the moves

Former Mississippi State star Mitch Moreland has officially gone on the disabled list for Texas; he could be out 4-6 weeks with a hamstring injury. That move opens a roster spot for Weir’s Roy Oswalt, who’ll make his Rangers debut tonight against Colorado. … Former Delta State standout Edwin Maysonet has been designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers. … Nettleton’s Bill Hall, currently in the minors with Baltimore, broke the news on Twitter that the Brewers were going to sign Livan Hernandez. Seems Hall bumped into Hernandez in an airport. … Mississippi Braves alumnus J.J. Hoover was sent down by Cincinnati. … Ex-M-Braves ace Todd Redmond was sent down by Atlanta without making an appearance in his first big league call-up. … Louis Coleman, the former Pillow Academy star from Schlater, is back in Triple-A, having been optioned out by Kansas City.

it's a process

His ninth error in 40 games in the big leagues cost the Minnesota Twins three runs in a 9-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Thursday. Brian Dozier, the rookie shortstop from Tupelo by way of Southern Miss, has had some hiccups in the field but generally has gotten good reviews for his defense. In fact, Thursday’s error was his first since June 6. In 93 games at short in the minors last season, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Dozier made just nine errors. Things happen faster in the big leagues; even the seemingly routine plays can be tougher to make. Dozier’s bat has been lagging a bit, as well. He is hitting just .237. But he has driven in 16 runs and scored 14 in his 40 games. The Twins aren’t about to give up on him. P.S. Props to Oak Grove High for earning a No. 2 national ranking in USA Today’s final prep poll. The 6A state champion Warriors went 34-3. The recognition is good for all of high school baseball in Mississippi, which often gets sold short on the national scale.

better things ahead

Desmond Jennings is scuffling, as baseball people like to say. (Means he’s not playing well.) The former Itawamba Community College star, who recently spent time on the disabled list with a knee problem, is batting .167 over his last 10 games for Tampa Bay. For the year, he’s down to .243. Not quite what the Rays were looking for this season when they made Jennings their opening day left fielder. One preseason magazine projected Jennings to hit .269 with 15 homers, 50 RBIs, 96 runs and 45 steals. He has those skills. But he’s off that pace at present with three homers, 18 RBIs, 25 runs and nine steals in 45 games. Look for him to take off in the second half. P.S. Former Taylorsville High star Billy Hamilton, now in the Cincinnati Reds system, and Mississippi Braves standout Christian Bethancourt are on the rosters for the All-Star Futures Game, which will be played July 8 in Kansas City.

bad news for moreland?

There are reports that Mitch Moreland, the former Amory High and Mississippi State standout, may have to go on the disabled list with a hamstring injury. Moreland, hitting .272 with 10 homers for the first-place Texas Rangers, suffered the injury Tuesday night and was to have an MRI today. The lefty-hitting first baseman had wrist surgery in the off-season after a tough 2011 campaign, started slowly this spring but had been swinging it well of late.

watch for it

Cardinals-Tigers has an appeal that takes us way back. There was the 1934 World Series featuring the St. Louis Gas House Gang and the 1968 Series of Mickey Lolich and Bob Gibson and, of course, the 2006 Series won by Albert Pujols and a crew of upstarts. Tonight, these old rivals meet in Detroit in a fairly compelling interleague game: Ole Miss alumnus Lance Lynn, with his 10-2 record, goes for the Cardinals against Tigers ace Justin Verlander, who is 6-4 with a 2.66 ERA. These are third-place teams at the moment, but both have designs on challenging for championships. Tonight’s game at Comerica Park could be a dandy series opener. … Meanwhile, there are reports that Roy Oswalt is being considered for a Friday debut with Texas. The onetime Holmes Community College star threw 100 pitches in his fourth minor league tuneup on Sunday and impressed Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan, who was in attendance. Oswalt, who hasn’t pitched in the majors since last fall, had a 7.71 ERA in his first three starts. But he went six innings on Sunday and allowed just two runs on six hits and a walk with five strikeouts. The Rangers host Colorado on Friday.

not in the cards

Pulled a Tyler Pastornicky rookie from a pack of cards today. A little late, don’t you know. The former Mississippi Brave’s tenure as the Atlanta Braves’ starting shortstop is very much over. Barring some major injury to Andrelton Simmons, Pastornicky’s future with the Braves, if he has one at all, is as a utility infielder. Pastornicky didn’t play poorly in the big leagues: .248 with a homer and 12 RBIs in 47 games. But Simmons has been better, certainly on the defensive side, since he was called up from Mississippi. To his credit, Pastornicky has gone down to Triple-A Gwinnett and kept on plugging away. At last look he was batting .260 with eight doubles and 10 RBIs in 18 games. P.S. Just for the record, here is the list of M-Braves to advance to The Show: (Year is year of debut; *jumped from Double-A) 2005 (1) Brian McCann* Blaine Boyer* Jorge Vasquez* Jeff Francoeur* Macay McBride Jay Powell* Joey Devine* Anthony Lerew Chuck James (10) Roman Colon (w/ Tigers); 2006 Zach Miner (Tigers) Martin Prado* Kevin Barry Phil Stockman Scott Thorman; 2007 Sean White (Mariners) Jarrod Saltalamacchia* Yunel Escobar Jo-Jo Reyes (20) Luis Hernandez (Orioles) Jose Ascanio* Manny Acosta Clint Sammons* Brandon Jones Jeff Bennett; 2008 Gregor Blanco T.J. Bohn (Phillies) Brent Lillibridge Charlie Morton (30) Jason Perry Matt Harrison (Rangers) Chris Waters (Orioles) Francisely Bueno James Parr; 2009 Jordan Schafer* Kris Medlen Tommy Hanson Diory Hernandez Barbaro Canizares (40) Luis Valdez (Jairo Asencio) Reid Gorecki; 2010 Jason Heyward Jonny Venters Craig Kimbrel Brandon Hicks Mike Minor Freddie Freeman J.C. Boscan Brandon Beachy; 2011 (50) Tim Collins (Royals) Matt Young Cory Gearrin Julio Teheran Randall Delgado* Scott Diamond (Twins) Arodys Vizcaino Juan Abreu (Astros) Antoan Richardson Tyler Pastornicky; 2012 (60) J.J. Hoover (Reds) Mauro Gomez (Red Sox) Gorkys Hernandez (Pirates) Andrelton Simmons* Todd Redmond

nice way to start

D.J. Davis went 1-for-3 and Anthony Alford 1-for-4 in their pro debut today in the Gulf Coast League. Stone County’s Davis, the first Mississippian picked in this year’s draft, played left field and hit leadoff for Toronto’s rookie club, while Petal’s Alford, the state’s Mr. Baseball and a third-round selection, played center and batted second. The GCL Blue Jays lost to the Pirates 13-3.

a just reward

Todd Redmond just kept showing up. Showing up and putting up strong numbers. Finally, after 194 games and 1,112 2/3 innings over eight years in the minor leagues, the former Mississippi Braves ace was called up by Atlanta on Sunday when Brandon Beachy went on the disabled list. Redmond — the 63rd M-Braves alumnus to advance to The Show — was the Southern League pitcher of the year in 2008 when he went 13-5 with a 3.52 ERA for the league champs. He has been toiling in Triple-A since 2009, winning 34 games. He made the 40-man roster this off-season. The 27-year-old Redmond has a career ERA of 3.54 and has fanned over 900 hitters; he could be a serviceable arm out of the bullpen or even as a spot starter. He certainly deserves this chance. P.S. The current M-Braves finished the first half with a 30-40 record, the worst mark in the SL. But they did win their last two games and took the 5-game series from Jacksonville at Trustmark Park. The second half starts Thursday, after the All-Star break.

the cliff-hanger

This Cliff Lee thing has to be a concern to the Philadelphia Phillies, who have a boatload of them. Lee, the former Meridian Community College standout, could not hold a 5-2 lead in the eighth inning against Toronto on Saturday and is now winless in 11 starts in 2012. The veteran left-hander yielded 12 hits and was charged with five earned runs in a game the Phillies would lose 6-5 in 10. The defending National League East champs are 31-36, in last place, 9 games back. Lee, a 17-game winner in 2011, is 0-3 with a 3.48 ERA. He had some hard luck early in the season, but of late he just has not pitched well. His ERA over his last four starts is well over 4.00. “I can only control what I can control,” Lee told mlb.com, concerning his winless status. “I’m not going to get frustrated.” Maybe not, but Phillies fans certainly are. P.S. Seth Smith, meanwhile, is surging at the plate for Oakland. The Ole Miss product belted his seventh homer on Saturday in a 6-4 win and is batting .406 with three homers and nine RBIs in his last 10 games. … Mississippi State product Mitch Moreland is also hot, batting .281 with two homers and five RBIs in his last 10. The second of those homers, Moreland's 10th of the season, was a tape-measure blast in Arlington on Friday night. … Tyler Moore, another former MSU first baseman, had another hit for Washington on Saturday and swiped his first bag. He is 7-for-14 since being recalled from Triple-A and is up to .303 for the year. … UM product Chris Coghlan may have run out of chances with Miami. The 2009 rookie of the year was optioned to the minors for the second time this season at midweek. He was in an 0-for-16 slump and is batting .140 for the year.

star chart

Todd Cunningham, one of seven Mississippi Braves in the Southern League All-Star Game, is the only one in the starting lineup for Tuesday’s showcase at Smokies Park in Kodak, Tenn. Cunningham will open in left field and bat seventh for the South Division. Also on the squad from the M-Braves are pitchers David Hale, Sean Gilmartin, Gary Moran, Zeke Spruill and Ryan Buchter and catcher Christian Bethancourt. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons was voted to the team but is now in the big leagues.

bearing arms

Catching up on some ex-Mississippi Braves pitchers: Gotta feel bad for Charlie Morton. The Pittsburgh Pirates announced today that the tall right-hander will have Tommy John surgery and be out at least a year. Morton, after a great spring, was just 2-6 with a 4.65 ERA this season for Clint Hurdle's improving Bucs. … Tommy Hanson (7-4, 3.55) plays the role of stopper tonight for Atlanta, which has lost four straight and fallen 5 games back in the National League East dogfight. The Braves host Buck Showalter’s surprising Baltimore Orioles, who have won five straight, at Turner Field. … Tim Collins, a short (no pun intended) reliever for Kansas City, picked up a win Thursday night and is 4-0 with a 2.03 for Ned Yost’s scuffling Royals. … Scott Diamond had a rare rough outing for Minnesota and slipped to 5-2 after a 6-1 loss to Philadelphia. … Matt Harrison was denied what would have been his ninth win for Texas on Wednesday night; he left in the eighth inning of a 0-0 game that the Rangers ultimately won 1-0. … Matt Wright, who was on the original M-Braves club in 2005, recently signed with the Phillies out of the independent Atlantic League. Wright, still seeking that first big league call-up, pitched well in his debut at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. P.S. Southwest Mississippi Community College alum Jarrod Dyson scored the game-winning run in an odd way as Kansas City topped Milwaukee 4-3 on Thursday. In the bottom of the ninth, after the tying run had just crossed the plate on a single to left field, Dyson broke from third when Delta State product Edwin Maysonet, the Brewers shortstop, made a curious relay throw to second base. The ball bounced and skipped off the glove of Rickie Weeks, whose throw home was too late to get the swift Dyson.

back in ball

A 50-game drug suspension in his rearview mirror, Picaynue native and onetime big leaguer Rhyne Hughes is playing again in the Baltimore Orioles’ system. He is batting .344 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in eight games at Double-A Bowie. The former Pearl River Community College star, an eighth-round draft pick by Tampa Bay in 2004, was slapped with the suspension by MLB last September after what was reported as a positive test for a banned amphetamine. Hughes had a cup of coffee in the majors with the Orioles in 2010, batting .213 in 14 games. He spent all of 2011 at Triple-A Norfolk, and his career minor league numbers are good: .271, 92 homers. It’ll be interesting to see if the lefty-hitting first baseman can overcome his setback and work his way back to the big leagues.

what a night

One thing Gregor Blanco can do for sure is run. The enduring image of Blanco’s days at Trustmark Park is of him flying around the bases on a triple, of which he had many. The former Mississippi Braves standout flashed that speed on Wednesday night when he ran down a fly ball in the seventh inning that preserved what would become a perfect game for San Francisco’s Matt Cain. Blanco’s catch, a diving snag in right-center, robbed former M-Braves standout Jordan Schafer, who was hitting for Houston. Cain called it “the defining play” in his 10-0 masterpiece, the first perfect game in the Giants’ long history. P.S. The stars were out for Mississippians in the majors on Wednesday. Tyler Moore (Mississippi State) hit his first two big league homers for Washington. Lance Lynn (Ole Miss) picked up his 10th win with a 12-strikeout effort for St. Louis. Seth Smith (Ole Miss) homered, doubled and scored the go-ahead run in Oakland’s comeback win over Colorado. Jonathan Papelbon (MSU) notched his 17th save in 17 shots for Philadelphia. Desmond Jennings (Itawamba Community College) drove in the lone run for Tampa Bay in the ninth inning of a 9-1 loss to the New York Mets, who got a one-hitter from R.A. Dickey. Edwin Maysonet (Delta State) picked up two hits, stole his first base of the season and made two nice defensive plays at shortstop for Milwaukee.

the oswalt watch

Roy Oswalt worked 3 1/3 rather shaky innings tonight in minor league tuneup start No. 3 for the Texas Rangers. Pitching for Double-A Frisco, Oswalt, from Weir and Holmes Community College, allowed five hits (three doubles), a walk and three earned runs. He also yielded two stolen bases and threw a wild pitch. His 85-pitch stint included 55 strikes.

the kids are all right

Itawamba Community College’s Ben Hudspeth was named to the NJCAA Division II All-America team, one of just two freshmen to make the 12-man first team. Hudspeth, a right-handed pitcher (who also plays catcher), went 11-0 with a 1.82 ERA and tossed a no-hitter against Northwest. Also on the first team is Hinds CC’s Tyler Akins, a sophomore infielder who signed with Belhaven. Meridian CC’s Wade Wass, a sophomore who signed with Alabama and was also drafted last week, made the NJCAA D-I third team as a catcher. On Monday, Mississippi State’s Jonathan Holder and Southern Miss’ Bradley Roney were named on the Collegiate Baseball Writers Freshman All-America team, Holder as a first-team pick and Roney on the second team. P.S. Former Mississippi Braves lefty Jonny Venters earned an ignominious distinction tonight when he served up Alex Rodriguez’s record-tying 23rd career grand slam in Atlanta’s 6-4 loss to the New York Yankees. A-Rod equaled Lou Gehrig’s long-standing mark.

a glove story

Seth Smith’s home run-robbing catch for Oakland against Arizona on Friday night was the No. 2 play of the week on MLB Network’s countdown. The former Ole Miss star’s leaping snag of an Aaron Hill drive lost out for No. 1 to a walk-off home run by San Diego’s Logan Forsythe. Smith, who statistically hits better when he is playing the outfield and not DHing, went 3-for-4 with a home run in Friday’s game. He goes into his old stomping grounds, Colorado’s Coors Field, on Tuesday carrying a hot bat. He went 5-for-8 in the Arizona series and is batting .387 over his last 10 games. For the season, Smith is up to .259 with five homers and 17 RBIs. P.S. Mississippi Braves alumnus Matt Young was back in the big leagues for Detroit’s interleague series at Cincinnati and scored the game-winning run in the eighth inning on Sunday night on a wild pitch. Young, who had entered the game as part of a double switch, had reached base by getting hit by a pitch. That’s typical Matt Young.

shining brightly

Scott Diamond was, uh, brilliant again for the Minnesota Twins today. The former Mississippi Braves left-hander threw six shutout innings in an 11-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. Diamond is now 5-1 (with a 1.61 ERA) for a Twins team that is 24-34. The Canada native pitched for some mediocre clubs in Pearl, as well. He was 5-10 despite a 3.50 ERA for the 2009 M-Braves and 4-6 with a 3.52 in 2010 before getting a promotion to Triple-A. The Twins plucked Diamond from the pitching-rich Braves in the Rule 5 draft in December 2010 and then traded current M-Braves reliever Billy Bullock to Atlanta in spring training 2011 to keep Diamond in their system. He was just 1-5, 5.08 for the Twins last season but has apparently returned with a bit more, uh, polish in 2012.

report card time

The star student of Mississippi’s college class of 2012 is, without a doubt, Delta State. Ole Miss was the last team standing in our college baseball season — but only because the Division I season runs longer than D-II. DSU went 49-15, won a Gulf South Conference title, won a regional and then reached the championship game of the College World Series. A well-deserved A to the Statesmen. Ole Miss and Mississippi State also rate A’s for making it to regional play out of the rugged SEC. The Rebels (37-26) overcame a late-season lull to reach the championship round of the College Station Regional. State (40-24) gets extra credit for winning the SEC Tournament crown before going out rather quietly in the Tallahassee Regional. Southern Miss will have to settle for a B. The Golden Eagles went 32-24 and won two of three games in the Conference USA Tournament, including a win over powerhouse Rice. But they fell short of making it to the NCAA postseason for what would have been a 10th straight year. Mississippi Valley State finished with an ugly 17-38 record but reaching the championship game of the SWAC Tournament is worthy of a B. Give a B also to Jackson State (33-16), which dominated the SWAC in the regular season but came up a dud in the tournament. Belhaven (32-24), William Carey (29-27), Millsaps (28-16) and Mississippi College (21-24) fall into the C category. The Blazers were the defending Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament champs but barely made the field this year as the 8-seed. MC gets some extra credit for scrambling to make the American Southwest Conference postseason and winning its best-of-3 opening round series. The records for Tougaloo and Rust are unavailable, so they get incompletes. Blue Mountain, despite its 25-31 record, deserves a special mention — and a B grade — for reaching the championship round of the TranSouth Athletic Conference Tournament in just its second year of competition. All in all, it was another good year for Magnolia State college baseball, which also produced a first-round MLB draft pick (MSU’s Chris Stratton).

more scatter shots

Nobody — but nobody — predicted this: Lance Lynn, the former Ole Miss standout, became the first pitcher in the big leagues to reach nine wins. The big right-hander for St. Louis beat Houston 14-2 on Thursday night, striking out 11 hitters in six innings. He is 9-2 in 12 starts with a 2.66 ERA. Where would the injury-riddled Cardinals be without him? … UM product Alex Presley is 5-for-14 since Pittsburgh recalled him from Triple-A. … Weir’s Roy Oswalt, tuning up for his as-yet-undetermined Texas Rangers debut, made his second Triple-A start on Thursday and was knocked around for five runs in four innings. … Big night for former Mississippi Braves with Atlanta on Thursday. Mike Minor delivered a much-needed quality start, Jason Heyward hit two monster home runs and Andrelton Simmons made a highlight-reel defensive play at shortstop as the Braves, now second in the National League East, completed a sweep at Miami. … Simmons was one of seven M-Braves voted to the Southern League South All-Star team. He won’t be participating, obviously. Though the M-Braves have the worst record in the SL South, they do have some talent. … Hard to believe, but former Jackson Mets star Gregg Jefferies had a son, Jake, picked in the MLB draft. Has it really been that long since Jefferies, the young phenom, played at Smith-Wills Stadium? In 1987, he put up one of the greatest seasons ever by a Jackson area Double-A player (JADAP): .367, 20 homers, 101 RBIs, 26 steals.

hits a poppin'

Ole Miss alumnus Alex Presley celebrated his return to the big leagues from Triple-A with a home run, a triple and two runs as Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati 8-4 on Tuesday and moved into second place in the National League Central. Presley, back in the leadoff spot that he was expected to hold down this season, lifted his average to .228. Ex-Rebels star Zack Cozart was 3-for-5 for the Reds in that game. Itawamba Community College’s Desmond Jennings also celebrated a return, coming off the disabled list to go 1-for-4 for Tampa Bay. Alas, the Rays lost to the New York Yankees 7-0 and dropped into a first-place tie with Baltimore in the American League East. Southwest Mississippi CC product Jarrod Dyson went 1-for-3 in Kansas City’s 1-0 win over Minnesota. Ex-Southern Miss star Brian Dozier had two hits for the Twins. Ex-Mississippi Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons had three hits and three RBIs (his first in The Show) as Atlanta whipped Miami 11-0. And former Jackson Generals standout Bobby Abreu, batting .329 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, had a pinch hit and scored a run as the Dodgers rallied for two runs in the eighth inning to beat Philadelphia and former Meridian CC ace Cliff Lee (now 0-3) by a 2-1 count.

one step back

The Atlanta Braves may finally have acknowledged that Joey Terdoslavich was out of his element in Triple-A. The infield prospect was sent to the Double-A Mississippi Braves today, shortly after Atlanta acquired veteran infielder Ruben Gotay from Toronto and assigned him to Gwinnett. Terdoslavich, 23, who jumped over Double-A to start this season, was batting .181 with four homers and 20 RBIs at Gwinnett. He also had 22 errors at third base. Playing mostly first base last year at Class A Lynchburg, Terdoslavich batted .286 with 52 doubles, 20 homers and 82 RBIs. He was named the Braves’ minor league player of the year and climbed the prospect charts. It’ll be interesting to see where Terdoslavich plays with the M-Braves, who have a solid third baseman in Joe Leonard and a veteran slugger at first in Ian Gac. The M-Braves are at Huntsville tonight.

a tongue lashing

Jonathan Papelbon took the loss for Philadelphia on Monday night and then went off on the home-plate umpire postgame. The former Mississippi State standout was upset about a potential third strike that wasn’t called in the ninth inning of a tie game; the batter, Los Angeles’ Dee Gordon, then tripled and scored the go-ahead run on another hit. The umpire in question was a fill-in up from Triple-A, and Papelbon said he should be sent back down for not doing a good job. “There’s no room for that up here,” Papelbon told mlb.com. Papelbon is 15-for-15 in save opportunities with his new club but hasn’t pitched as well in non-save situations. After the 4-3 loss to L.A., his record is 0-2 and his ERA 2.31. P.S. Ole Miss product Seth Smith had a “Wendy’s Slam” for Oakland: a triple, a double and two singles. His four hits led the A’s 15-hit attack in a 12-1 win over Texas. Smith is hitting just .238 for his new club. … Minus their best player — Andrelton Simmons, now with Atlanta — the wheels are coming off for the Mississippi Braves. After a fifth straight loss on Monday, they are 24-34, worst record in the Southern League. Maybe they’re looking forward to wiping the slate clean for the second half on June 21. Maybe that’s it.

first in line

Mississippi State’s Chris Stratton was picked in the first round of the major league draft tonight, but he wasn’t the first from the state to be called. That honor belongs to D.J. Davis, an outfielder from Stone County High who was plucked by Toronto with the 17th overall pick. Stratton went to San Francisco three picks later. Davis was projected by some as a potential first-rounder, based on his speed and athleticism. He is a 6-foot, 170-pound left-handed hitter who reportedly needs some polish. Perhaps the Blue Jays see him as a better (if somewhat smaller) version of Fred Lewis, another Stone product who played for them in 2010 and is now in the New York Mets’ minor league system. P.S. Overheard on MLB Network’s broadcast of today’s St. Louis-New York Mets game: Ex-Cardinals star Keith Hernandez isn’t bothered at all by the fact that Jackson native Chris Maloney, in his first season as the Cards’ first-base coach, was given Hernandez’s old No. 37. Hernandez said he never had any real attachment to that number. He switched to No. 17 when he played for the Mets.

while we wait ...

Mississippi State ace Chris Stratton is expected to hear his name called tonight in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft. Otherwise, it’ll be all quiet on the Magnolia State front until the later rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday. Stratton, a right-hander from Tupelo, had a breakthrough junior season for the Bulldogs, helping them to an SEC championship and a regional appearance that ended Sunday in Tallahassee, Fla. Stratton went 11-2 with a 2.38 ERA and won the Ferriss Trophy as Mississippi’s top college player. Petal High’s Anthony Alford might have gotten some first-round consideration but has told MLB scouts he is firmly committed to playing football (and baseball) at Southern Miss. He’ll likely be picked but way down the line. It might be more interesting on this first day of the draft to look back at last year’s draft. The top pick from the state was infielder Connor Barron of Sumrall High. He went in the third round (No. 102 overall) to St. Louis but opted to play for USM, where he fared well until suffering a midseason shoulder injury. USM’s B.A. Vollmuth was called three selections after Barron and signed with Oakland. The third baseman is batting .252 with five homers and 38 RBIs in low Class A ball. Wheeler’s Brandon Woodruff, a fifth-round pick by Texas, enrolled at MSU and had some success as a freshman hurler. Senquez Golson from Pascagoula was drafted in the eighth round by Boston and received a large signing bonus offer. But he went to Ole Miss to play football and baseball. He contributed as a DB on the football field but did very little with the baseball team. UM’s Austin Wright (eighth round, Philadelphia) is 5-0 with a 3.61 ERA in low-A ball, possibly due for a promotion. MSU pitcher Devin Jones (ninth round, Baltimore) has a 2.51 ERA and two saves (plus an 0-3 record) in low-A ball. Curious is the case of last year’s Ferriss Trophy winner, Tyler Koelling of USM. The outfielder, a 19th-round selection by Minnesota, hit .228 with five homers in rookie ball last summer, then was released during the off-season by the Twins and is no longer playing.

the oswalt watch

Roy Oswalt reportedly touched 94 mph with his fastball and threw some of his famous loopy curveballs for strikes in a two-inning minor league outing on Saturday. The Weir resident and former Holmes Community College standout, signed by Texas last week, threw 34 pitches (20 for strikes), allowed three hits but yielded no runs for Triple-A Round Rock. Oswalt is expected to make three more minor league starts. Exactly when he might join the Rangers’ rotation is still up in the air, but he appears to be in good form. “I feel as healthy as ever,” Oswalt told the Austin American-Statesman. Oswalt had injury issues last season with Philadelphia, fueling speculation at one point that he might be done. … Also on the Round Rock roster but currently on the disabled list is Starkville native Julio Borbon. The outfielder has put up good numbers (.284, seven home runs, 40 steals) when given big-league opportunities, but Texas doesn’t seem to have room for him. Wouldn’t be surprising to see Borbon changing organizations in the near future.

rise of the okra

Six outs from elimination today in the NCAA Division II College World Series, Delta State was right where it wanted to be. Or so it seems. The Statesmen, who won five straight elimination games just to get to the CWS, rallied from a 5-0 deficit in the eighth inning to beat Minnesota State-Mankato 6-5 and earn a berth in the national championship game. DSU (49-14) will play West Chester at 6 p.m. on Saturday in Cary, N.C., in a one-game showdown for the crown. It would be the second national title for DSU and coach Mike Kinnison, who also won it all in 2004. Michael Vinson got the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth, breaking a 5-5 tie. “I never give up on this team and they haven’t given up on me this entire season,” Kinnison said in a school release.

seeing stars

Don’t look now, but Jarrod Saltalamacchia might be headed to Kansas City as an American League All-Star. The Mississippi Braves alumnus (2006-07) hit his fifth home run in his last 11 games on Thursday night as Boston fell to Detroit. Saltalamacchia, 27, a switch-hitting catcher, is batting .281 with 10 homers and 24 RBIs for the year. While bouncing from Atlanta to Texas to Boston, “Salty” has been slow to develop. He entered this season penciled in as the Red Sox’s No. 1 catcher but with things to prove. He batted just .235 in 2011 (to go with 16 homers and 56 RBIs). His defense is solid enough, but that’s not why he’s in the lineup. Saltalamacchia needs to hit and hit with power. This season, with what he has said is a more focused approach at the plate, he’s doing that. Kansas City, here he comes? P.S. Former M-Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons is expected to make his big league debut for Atlanta tonight in Washington. … Ex-Itawamba Community College star Desmond Jennings started a rehab assignment Thursday night in A-ball and should return soon to Tampa Bay, which appears to need him. … Weir’s Roy Oswalt will launch his “comeback” with Texas’ Triple-A Round Rock club on Saturday. … If the New York Mets decide they need outfield help — and they just might — former Mississippi Gulf Coast CC standout Fred Lewis is batting .289 with 11 extra-base hits at Triple-A Buffalo.