Monthly Archives: April 2011

When browsing the high school linescores in the newspaper, every number — spiced with a little imagination — tells a story from an eventful Tuesday. Brandon scored 13 runs in the first inning in a 14-3 win over Meridian. Madison Central, ranked No. 2 this week by The Clarion-Ledger, moved to 16-1 with a 17-0 win over Murrah; Josh Laxer moved to 7-0 with a four-inning no-hitter. Terry beat Wingfield 10-0 behind Jared Bailey’s five-inning no-no. Ridgeland scored two runs in the seventh to 6-5 win at Yazoo City in a game with seven errors. Jackson Academy’s Matt Denny homered and moved to 6-0 on the mound in an 11-0 win over Pillow. Magee improved to 19-1 by whipping Newton County 9-3. Top-ranked Tupelo is 17-1 after a 14-0 win over Columbus. Hillcrest Christian got a run in the bottom of the seventh to beat Simpson Academy 8-7. Tyler Odom homered and got the W as Oak Grove beat Hattiesburg 8-3. Cleveland had a 10-run inning in a 13-0 win over Greenwood, which committed five errors. Jackson Prep, No. 1in the private school poll, scored four in the bottom of the seventh to top Parklane 8-5. Two homers from Jamie Ball powered Morton to a 13-2 victory over Carthage. All that, just from the numbers.
P.S. The marquee college game Tuesday was Mississippi State’s win over Southern Miss at Trustmark Park. But there was pretty good game on the undercard up in Cleveland, where Delta State beat William Carey 7-6. The resurgent Statesmen (now 23-11) got five scoreless innings of relief work from freshman Rickey Winters and won it on Patrick Strack’s RBI double in the bottom of the ninth.

Jim Pankovits is managing the Jackson Generals. Again. Sort of. Pankovits is running the Seattle Mariners’ Southern League club, the one in Jackson, Tenn., that used to be called the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. They’re coming to Trustmark Park on Thursday to play the Mississippi Braves in a five-game series to launch the season. The TeePee isn’t too far from Smith-Wills Stadium, where, in 1998 and ’99, Pankovits managed the Jackson Generals. That is, the old Jackson Generals, the Houston Astros’ Texas League club which bolted Mississippi after the ’99 season. Pankovits stayed with the Astros through last season. It looks like he’ll have some talent to roll out in his first stint with Seattle. To wit: outfielder Johermyn Chavez (32 homers in A-ball in 2010), infielder Kyle Seager (Cal League batting champ with a .345 average), first baseman Rich Poythress (Seattle’s minor league player of the year after a .315, 31 homer, 130 RBI season in A-ball), infielder Johan Limonta (.302 for West Tenn) and pitcher Steven Hensley (an SL All-Star who went 7-11, 4.62 for the D-Jaxx).

They’re fit to be tied in the MACJC races. In the North Division, Holmes Community College and Northwest are knotted at the top with 8-2 records, trailed by Itawamba — which plays both of the leaders this week — at 7-3. In the South, Jones County and Mississippi Gulf Coast share first at 7-3, a game up on Pearl River (6-4). Northwest maintained a share of first by sweeping Northeast on Saturday behind the pitching of Tarus Hervey and Chris Casto. It was the third straight division sweep for the Rangers. Holmes, which owns two wins over Northwest, swept Mississippi Delta on Saturday; Rafiel Johnson had a pair of hits to back Chris Hutchinson’s pitching in a 12-2 romp in the opener, and Johnson came back in Game 2 to throw a complete game in a 3-2 win. Northwest is at ICC today, and Holmes hosts the Indians on Thursday. In the South, Jones and Gulf Coast split a doubleheader on Saturday to remain tied. JCJC’s Vito Perna (now 5-0) threw a five-hitter and hit a three-run homer in a 10-1 win. Gulf Coast bounced back to take Game 2 3-2 as Zach DeSoto knocked in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning. Jones hosts Hinds today, and Gulf Coast welcomes Southwest.
P.S. Former Northeast CC star Phillip Chapman, a Clinton native, went 4-for-5 and finished a single shy of the cycle in Memphis’ 13-5 win over Alcorn State on Sunday. Chapman, a senior catcher at Memphis, hit two homers and drove in four runs.

Yes, the Mississippi Braves appear to have a wealth of pitching (see previous post), but this isn’t to imply that they’re bankrupt in the game’s other phases. There are position players of note, as well, and here’s the skinny on five of the most intriguing:
*Shortstop Tyler Pastornicky. There are some players who reach this level and just look like they belong in this game. Pastornicky, the son of a former big leaguer, is one of those. Acquired from Toronto in the Yunel Escobar trade last summer, Pastornicky jumped from A-ball to Double-A and hit .254 with two homers and 15 RBIs in 38 games. His glovework was solid, too. Then he went to the Arizona Fall League and impressed in that highly competitive loop. He’s rated the No. 14 prospect in Atlanta’s system and, at 21, is penciled in as the shortstop of the future. He might not be with the M-Braves very long.
*Outfielder Cory Harrilchak. Harrilchak, drafted in 2009 out of Elon, is rising fast. He played at two levels of A-ball in 2010, hitting .306 at low-A Rome and .269 at high-A Myrtle Beach; he then hit .333 in the AFL. Harrilchak has good speed and is regarded as an outstanding defensive player.
*Third baseman Donell Linares. The Cuba native, 27, is entering just his third full pro season in the U.S. He had what Atlanta farm director Kurt Kemp termed an “OK year” in 2010 with the M-Braves, hitting .240 with 11 homers and 47 RBIs before a broken wrist in late August ended his campaign. He makes contact (only 41 strikeouts in 417 at-bats). But at 210 pounds, he lacked speed on the bases and agility around third base. “He worked hard on his body, on getting in better shape, in the fall,” Kemp said at the start of spring training. “If he continued that work in the off-season, it’ll benefit him this year.” In sum, it’s a pivotal year for Linares.
*Outfielder Antoan Richardson. The Bahamas native and former Vanderbilt star energized the M-Braves when he joined the team (as a free agent) in midseason of 2010. Richardson is — in a word — fast, which translates into bunt hits, stolen bases and big catches in center field, the kind of plays that wow the crowds. In 74 games for the M-Braves last year, he hit .279 with 24 steals and 60 runs. He earned a late promotion to Triple-A and might not be here long this summer. He’s not a highly rated prospect but shouldn’t be overlooked.
*Outfielder/infielder Marcus Lemon. Where and even how much he’ll play remains to be seen, but Lemon, recently acquired from Texas, bears watching. First of all, he has a great baseball lineage; he is the son of Chet “The Jet” Lemon, a Jackson native and former big leaguer who was considered one of the best defensive center fielders of his day. Marcus Lemon hit .271 in his second Double-A tour in 2010. He has played shortstop, second base and every outfield post during his pro career. That kind of versatility never hurts.

You might have heard something that sounded like fireworks coming from Orlando, Fla., way on Sunday. That would have been Southern Miss (now 22-5 and sure to climb in the polls) celebrating a Conference USA sweep of Central Florida. Many things went right for the Golden Eagles, but the performance of DH Marc Bourgeois stood out: 10-for-13, two home runs, nine RBIs. Meanwhile, the thud that emanated from Athens, Ga., was Mississippi State crashing back to earth after being swept in a Southeastern Conference series at Georgia. State (19-9, 4-5 SEC) was all pumped up after sweeping Auburn in Starkville last weekend. Best to remember that the baseball season is a marathon, not a dash. The Bulldogs’ offensive ills weren’t suddenly cured; they scored just five runs in the three games against Georgia. USM and State play Tuesday night at Trustmark Park. Expect more noise.
P.S. Jackson State’s Desmond Russell was at it again on Sunday. As the Tigers swept host Mississippi Valley in a SWAC doubleheader, Russell, a freshman from the Bahamas, notched a complete game win in the opener and then drove in four runs with a pair of homers as the cleanup batter in Game 2. … Congratulations to Matt Young, who made his big league debut (and scored a run) on Sunday and became the 50th Mississippi Braves alumnus to advance to The Show. And ex-M-Braves lefty Tim Collins (No. 49 on the list) got his first win with Kansas City.

The Mississippi Braves’ pitching for 2011 “looks good,” according to manager Rocket Wheeler. He might be understating things just a tad. The M-Braves’ opening day roster includes three starting pitchers listed among Atlanta’s top 10 prospects (as rated by Baseball America), another who is in the top 30 and — for the time being — a onetime major leaguer. Randall Delgado, a Panama native who just turned 21, is Atlanta’s No. 3 prospect. In eight games with the M-Braves last summer, the slender right-hander went 3-5 with a 4.74 ERA. His numbers will improve — bank on it. With a fastball that hits the mid-90s, Delgado has fanned 434 in 399 innings as a professional. Brett Oberholtzer, a left-hander, is Atlanta’s No. 9 prospect and will be making his Double-A debut. He was 6-6 with a 4.15 ERA in A-ball last season and has a 3.15 ERA over three pro years. J.J. Hoover, the No. 10 prospect, is a big righty who won 11 games in A-ball and then went 3-1 with a 3.48 ERA in four late-season starts for the M-Braves. Paul Clemens, a right-hander rated the Braves’ No. 26 prospect, may throw as hard as anyone in the organization (reportedly reaching 97 mph). He posted a 3.69 ERA working as a starter and reliever in A-ball last season. And then there’s Kenshin Kawakami, the fallen big leaguer whom the Braves signed out of Japan in 2009 and still owe $6.67 million for this year. Kawakami went 7-12 with a sub-4.00 ERA in ’09 before crashing to 1-10, 5.15 ERA last season. There are reports that other clubs, including some in Japan, are interested in acquiring Kawakami and taking on some of his salary. Stay tuned. If he does pitch for the M-Braves, it figures that he can get Double-A hitters out. As for the M-Braves’ bullpen, it should be solid, as well, with several returnees (Michael Broadway, Benido Pruneda, Jaye Chapman, Richard Sullivan) joined by promising young lefties Luis Avilan and Rowdy Hardy and big Billy Bullock, who had 13 saves in Double-A for Minnesota in 2010.

So much pitching on display Saturday by state colleges. Little smiley faces go out to Southern Miss’ Geoffrey Thomas (now 6-1); Ole Miss’ David Goforth (beats LSU for his first win); Mississippi Valley’s bullpen (4 2/3 shutout innings to beat Jackson State); Belhaven’s Allen Johnson (complete game) and Josh Clarke (sixth save); Millsaps’ Aaron Williams (5-1 with a complete game); and Delta State’s Josh Branstetter (5-1 after a second straight complete game) and Brandon Hardin (two-hit shutout). And special kudos to Mississippi College’s revamped rotation. Led by Ryan Glover, making his second start, and Bo Craig, his third, the Choctaws completed a crucial sweep at East Texas Baptist. Bubba Davis rates mention for tossing 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief in Saturday’s first game. On Friday, Ian Underwood went eight innings for the W in his first start.
P.S. Today’s hot spots: At Baton Rouge, Ole Miss meets LSU in the rubber game of their series; at Itta Bena, Valley (8-1 in the SWAC East) tries to further distance itself from the pack in a doubleheader against Jackson State; and in Cleveland, resurgent DSU (7-1 in the Gulf South Conference West) goes for a sweep against Christian Brothers.

Mississippi Braves manager Rocket Wheeler has his first roster for 2011, and there are many names of note on it. Onetime Atlanta Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami will open the year in the Double-A club’s rotation. And then there’s newly acquired (from Texas) second baseman/outfielder Marcus Lemon, the son of Jackson native and ex-big leaguer Chet Lemon. Also making the club are top-rated Braves pitching prospects Randall Delgado, Brett Oberholtzer and J.J. Hoover along with shortstop Tyler Pastornicky and outfielder Cory Harrilchak. Reliever Billy Bullock, acquired in a recent trade with Minnesota, was a rising prospect in the Twins’ system. Rounding out the pitching staff are Paul Clemens, a starter, and bullpen arms Luis Avilan, Michael Broadway, Jaye Chapman, Rowdy Hardy, Benido Pruneda and Richard Sullivan. Jesus Sucre returns as one of the catchers, along with Matt Kennelly. Donell Linares is back at third base, and Ernesto Mejia, who appeared here briefly in 2009, returns to play first. Mejia, re-signed after a year in the Kansas City system, hit 21 homers in A-ball in 2008. Ex-Chicago White Sox farmhand C.J. Retherford, Jordan Kreke and Gerardo Rodriguez are the other infielders. Speedy Antoan Richardson, one of the best players on the 2010 M-Braves club, is back in center field, and the fourth outfielder on the roster is Gavin Dickey, who hit 17 homers in independent ball last summer. “Ninety percent of these guys, I’ve had before,” said Wheeler, who spent the previous five years at Class A Myrtle Beach. “It’s going to be a fun summer. We’ve got a little power and we’ve got a little speed. And the pitching looks good. Now we’ve just got to put it all together.” The season starts April 7 at Trustmark Park.

There are several series of significance for state college teams this weekend. Ole Miss at LSU. Mississippi State at Georgia. Jackson State at Mississippi Valley. Delta State hosting Christian Brothers. Etc. But pay particularly close attention to Mississippi College’s trip to East Texas Baptist; they play one game tonight and a doubleheader on Saturday. MC, nationally ranked in preseason, is 12-11 and 2-4 in the Division III American Southwest Conference. The Choctaws need to win this series, maybe even sweep. It can be done. ETBU is an unimpressive 9-17 and 3-6. It’s odd what has happened to MC, which lost several key bats and arms from last year’s record-setting club that almost made the D-III World Series. The Choctaws have found new hitting heroes: Spencer Brunson is raking at a .473 clip; Stuart Magee is at .404 with six homers and 31 RBIs. It’s pitching that has let MC down in what has been a year of the pitcher everywhere else. The staff ERA has soared to 5.04, among the worst in the ASC. Top starters Stephen Byrd (2-1, 5.01) and Scott Truesdale (2-2, 5.64) have been knocked around. Bubba Davis, who has the team’s only two saves, has a 7.71 ERA. Daniel Cowart, who figured to have a prominent role as either a starter or closer, is 0-4 with an 8.44. Only Craig Mackay (2-0, 3.38 in four starts) has been consistently effective. Coach Brian Owens said before the season that he had confidence in his pitching staff. It’s time they justified it.

Just for the record: Tim Collins worked in relief for Kansas City on Thursday, becoming officially the 49th Mississippi Braves alumnus (not including injury rehabbers) to appear in a big league game since the Double-A club arrived in Pearl in 2005. It’s a remarkable number. Former M-Brave Jason Heyward homered on opening day for the second straight year, a neat feat but one topped by at least two other performances by players with Mississippi ties. On opening day in 1937, Gee Walker, a Gulfport native and ex-Ole Miss star, hit for the cycle for the Detroit Tigers; no one has done that before or since. And on opening day in 2005, Vicksburg native Dmitri Young hit three homers for the Tigers, becoming only the third player in big league history to do that.
P.S. Former Mississippi junior college standouts Roy Oswalt (Holmes CC) and Cliff Lee (Meridian CC) grace the cover of Sports Illustrated this week. In case anyone was wondering, the current Philadelphia Phillies hurlers never faced each other in juco ball. Their careers did not intersect. … Former University Christian and Itawamba CC standout Jonathan Van Every has been released by the Washington Nationals. The onetime big leaguer was a non-roster invitee to the Nats’ big league camp this spring.