Monthly Archives: April 2014

22 Apr

happy hundred

While Mississippi State and Ole Miss are engaged at Trustmark Park in Pearl tonight, Southern Miss will be hooked up in a fairly significant game at Alabama. Not only are the Golden Eagles (24-17) and Crimson Tide (28-12) both playing well, but tonight’s game will be the 100th between the two schools. Alabama leads the series 72-27, but they’ve split the last 10 – and USM won 2-1 in a February game in Hattiesburg. USM, building its postseason resume after a sluggish start, has won 12 of its last 17 games. A win at Sewell-Thomas Stadium would be another nice feather in the cap. The Eagles will throw Cameron Giannini (2-2, 4.44 ERA) at the nationally ranked Tide. Leading the USM attack is Matt Durst, who is batting .301 with four home runs and 31 RBIs. Wonder if anyone in Eagles Nation expected this kind of production from Durst, a 5-foot-10, 229-pound catcher who transferred in from Northeast Texas Community College.

22 Apr

mississippi mismatch

The Mississippi matchup of veteran left-handers at Dodger Stadium on Monday night proved to be a letdown. Well, Cliff Lee, the ex-Meridian Community College star, was brilliant for Philadelphia, but Mississippi State product Paul Maholm fizzled for Los Angeles. Lee (3-2, 3.09) went eight innings, allowed four hits and no walks and struck out 10 in the 7-0 victory. The Dodgers were blanked at home for the first time in 2014. Maholm, trying to secure a rotation spot in his first year in Dodger blue, lasted just five innings and allowed eight hits and four earned runs, including a home run to Ryan Howard. Maholm is now 0-2 with a 5.60. He also committed an error that led to a run. … Elsewhere in The Show on Monday: Corey Dickerson, another Meridian CC product now back up with Colorado, belted his first homer of the year while going 3-for-4 in the Rockies’ 8-2 win against San Francisco. Dickerson is batting .375. Former Ole Miss star Alex Presley went 3-for-4, including a triple against Felix Hernandez, as Houston beat Seattle 7-2. Presley is batting just .200 for the Astros, who picked him up on waivers from Minnesota late in the spring. Southwest Mississippi CC product Jarrod Dyson returned from the bereavement list and started in center field for Kansas City, going 0-for-1 with a sac and a run in a 4-3 loss to Cleveland. Dyson is hitting .111 in just nine at-bats. The Royals say they plan to platoon the lefty-hitting Dyson with Justin Maxwell while starting center fielder Lorenzo Cain is out with an injury. Props to ex-Mississippi Braves standout Evan Gattis on his first career walk-off homer for Atlanta, which beat Miami 4-2 in 10 innings. Still can’t figure why Gattis is batting seventh in the lineup.

21 Apr

the rivalry

In April of 1984, a newcomer to Mississippi ventured out to Smith-Wills Stadium to watch a college baseball game. The newcomer had a hard time finding a parking place. The newcomer was stunned to see that the Jackson ballpark, which seats about 5,000, was practically full. For a college baseball game. Where the newcomer came from, no one would have believed this. That 1984 game matched Ole Miss and Mississippi State in the fifth renewal of what used to be known as the Mayor’s Trophy Game. It’s now called the Governor’s Cup and is played at Pearl’s Trustmark Park. The Mississippi Braves’ home stadium, which can accommodate 7,000-plus, will be packed when the Bulldogs and Rebels meet there Tuesday night. Both teams are nationally ranked, but that doesn’t matter. The fans would show up regardless. The tickets are pricey — $12 for general admission, $25 or more for a reserved seat — but that doesn’t matter, either. The fans will pay. Even lousy weather won’t keep them away. Ole Miss-State is that kind of rivalry. In a recent issue of Baseball America, a columnist built a case for Clemson-South Carolina as the best current college baseball rivalry. The columnist ought to make a trip out to the TeePee on Tuesday night. Like that newcomer to Mississippi back in 1984, he might be impressed. He might change his mind on that rivalry thing. P.S. The Rebels are coming off a series loss to LSU, though they outscored the visiting Tigers 8-7 in three tense games. State is coming off a series sweep at Missouri. Ole Miss took two of three from State in Starkville just over a week ago, outscoring the Bulldogs 23-11.

21 Apr

slowly but surely?

It seems odd to put Billy Hamilton and the word “slowly” in the same sentence, but here goes: The former Taylorsville High star is slowly starting to hit for the Cincinnati Reds. The jet-fast Hamilton, feeling some pressure perhaps as the Reds’ new leadoff batter this spring, got off to an awful start but is batting .282 over his last 10 games. He extended his hit streak to five games with a 1-for-5 effort in the Reds’ 8-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. He is now hitting .213 with seven stolen bases in nine tries. He has walked just three times and scored only six runs, but those totals should begin to rise. “I’m starting to get to the point where I’m more relaxed, and I can play this game with the big guys,” Hamilton told mlb.com before getting three hits on Saturday. The Reds, just 8-10, need Hamilton’s spark at the top of the lineup. They could also use some more offensive crackle from Ole Miss alumnus Zack Cozart, who is batting just .153. The Cincy shortstop went 3-for-5 Sunday and belted his first home run, so perhaps things are beginning to turn around for him, too. P.S. The New York Mets reportedly will recall 40-year-old outfielder Bobby Abreu, the only ex-Jackson General still playing affiliated ball. (Freddy Garcia apparently is going to pitch in Taiwan this year.)

19 Apr

juco showdowns

A lot happened but nothing changed at Moss Field in Raymond on Friday. A 10-run inning and a complete game from Chase Hensley enabled No. 1-ranked Jones County Junior College to beat host Hinds Community College 13-2 in Game 1 of their doubleheader. Hinds then won Game 2 by a 4-2 count. JCJC (36-6) is 16-4 in the MACJC South Division and maintains its 1 game lead over Hinds (25-14, 15-5) with one week left in the regular season. Hensley, now 5-0 for the Bobcats, also drove in two runs in the opener. In the Eagles’ win, Toler Robinson homered and Casey Sutton worked six strong innings. … At Poole Field in Scooba on Friday, East Mississippi, ranked fifth in NJCAA Division II, split with Northwest and kept a 1 game lead over Northeast in the North Division. EMCC is 28-10 and 15-5. Northwest slipped to 26-14 and 14-8, 2 games back. Taylor King’s 10th-inning homer propelled the Rangers to a 4-2 victory in Game 1. The Lions roared back with an 8-2 win in Game 2 behind the pitching of J’Daylin Jackson (7-1) and Conner Burton.

18 Apr

going places

The Milwaukee Brewers’ decision to move David Goforth from starter to closer is working out well. Goforth, the former Neshoba Central High and Ole Miss standout, notched his fifth save (in six appearances) on Thursday night as Double-A Huntsville beat the Mississippi Braves 1-0 at Trustmark Park. The game ended on a fly out (by Seth Loman) to the warning track with the tying run at third base, but, hey, what closer doesn’t like to make things interesting once in a while. It was Goforth’s second save in the Southern League series, which is tied 2-2 going into tonight’s finale. He lowered his ERA to 1.23. The right-hander, a fourth-year pro who made the switch to the bullpen in the middle of last season, is rated among the Brewers’ top 10 prospects and was invited to their big league camp this spring. Yes, Goforth is going places. P.S. It will be interesting to see if Jackson native Donnie Veal, designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, gets another big league opportunity. The left-hander has a 7.50 ERA in seven games this season and a 4.87 in 100 career appearances. But he is a lefty.

18 Apr

whirlwind weekend

The weekend started with a bang Thursday night in Oxford, where LSU beat Ole Miss 4-3 in 13 innings in a collision of top 10 teams. More fireworks are sure to follow. Mississippi State is at Missouri for a three-game SEC set, and Southern Miss is hosting Louisiana Tech in a three-game C-USA series. But the more compelling games may involve the smaller schools. To wit: Jackson State vs. Mississippi Valley State in Moorhead. JSU, the defending SWAC champ, sits in third place in the SWAC East at 6-9 (23-17 overall). Time to get healthy in this three-game set with 1-28 Valley. Player to watch: JSU’s Tilur Smith, who has picked up the slack for slumping Charles Tillery (.224) and is batting .347. Delta State at Shorter. The Statesmen are in the midst of playing 10 straight road games, but they are 15-5 away from Cleveland’s Ferriss Field, so no worries there. In fact, DSU seemingly has few worries at all. The Mean Green is 28-8, 19-4 Gulf South Conference and ranked in the top 10 in NCAA Division II. Player to watch: Landon Thibodeaux, hitting .351 with five homers and 25 RBIs. Mississippi College vs. Howard Payne in Clinton. The Choctaws are 15-15 after dropping Thursday’s series opener 6-3. They are chasing a bid to the National Christian College Athletic Association regionals, and they need more wins. Player to watch: Blake Mcilwain, (5-1, 2.91 ERA) who threw a no-hitter last weekend and is slated for one of today’s two games. Millsaps at Oglethorpe. The Majors, ranked in NCAA Division III in preseason, are 19-16 and 9-8 (fifth) in the Southern Athletic Association. They need to build some momentum for league tournament play, which starts next weekend. Player to watch: Keith Shumaker, rocking along with a .340 batting average and a 4-1, 1.56 pitching ledger. Belhaven vs. Bethel in Jackson. The Blazers (34-14) have been guaranteed an NAIA postseason berth as host of a regional, but they certainly don’t want to limp through the last two weekends of the regular season. They’re just 14-10 in the Southern States Athletic Conference. Player to watch: Reagan Rutledge, who is batting .313 and has 51 stolen bases in 55 attempts. William Carey vs. Auburn-Montgomery in Hattiesburg. The Crusaders began the year ranked in the NAIA poll but are just 27-22 and 13-11 in the SSAC, fighting for one of the eight tournament berths. A 13-15 record at Wheeler Field is hard to figure. Player to watch: Jeremy Ferguson, who has a .423 on-base percentage and a team-best 32 runs.

17 Apr

progress report

Two weeks into the Southern League season, the Mississippi Braves are just treading water. The record is 6-7. Tough to tell which direction they might be headed. The pitching has been in good form. The club’s 3.01 ERA ranks fourth in the 10-team league. Williams Perez is 1-1 with a 1.26 and fellow Double-A rookie Jason Hursh is 1-1, 2.57. J.R. Graham, like Hursh a highly rated prospect, has not allowed a run in 9 2/3 innings heading into his third start tonight at Trustmark Park. Closer Shae Simmons has four saves, and the bullpen as a whole has a league-best eight holds (for whatever that’s worth). One of the few stragglers is Ryne Harper, who has a 6.75 ERA in five appearances; he was very effective in 2013. The hitters, with a few exceptions, are flailing about. The .230 average ranks sixth in the SL, the 42 runs seventh. Gustavo Nunez, now displaced at shortstop by Elmer Reyes, is at .306. Seth Loman is batting .302 with three of the team’s five home runs. Emerson Landoni is at .282 and Joe Leonard at .267. No other hitter is above .238. Needing to pick it up soon are Robby Hefflinger (.171, no homers), Kyle Kubitza (.206) and Matt Lipka (.227).

16 Apr

smith-wills gets the call

It seems fitting somehow that Smith-Wills Stadium, in its 40th year of hosting baseball, would be chosen as one of nine sites for opening round competition in the NAIA national tournament. Belhaven University, which calls the old Jackson yard home, will get an automatic at-large bid as host of the regional. The five-team, double-elimination event will start May 12. “This takes a lot of heat off us,” Blazers coach Hill Denson said in a school release. BU is 33-14 and ranked 23rd, so it stood a decent chance of playing its way in, as well. The Blazers hosted a regional at Smith-Wills in 2010 and won it, advancing to the NAIA World Series. (William Carey hosted an NAIA opening round at Wheeler Field in Hattiesburg last season.) The Blazers bounced back from getting swept at Southern Poly over the weekend to beat Millsaps 4-1 on Tuesday in a Maloney Trophy Series game. Tougaloo visits Smith-Wills today.

15 Apr

more lynn-sanity

Lance Lynn might not be considered the ace of the St. Louis staff — he might even be the No. 5 starter — but the Ole Miss product produced an ace-worthy performance on Monday night. Lynn threw seven shutout innings against red-hot Milwaukee as the Cardinals beat the Brewers 4-0 and halted their nine-game win streak. Lynn allowed just three hits and three walks while fanning 11. “Today was as good as I’ve seen him,” a Cards teammate told mlb.com. Lynn is now 3-0 with a 4.00 ERA this season and is an impressive 37-18 over four MLB campaigns. … Atlanta did not face Philadelphia closer and ex-Mississippi State star Jonathan Papelbon on Monday and may have benefited from it. Dan Uggla belted a ninth-inning grand slam off fill-in closer Jake Diekman in the Braves’ wild 9-6 win. Former Meridian Community College standout Cliff Lee (2-1, 5.50 ERA) is slated to start against the Braves tonight in Philly. Left-hander Lee has been prone to allowing long balls in recent years, and Atlanta hit five (two by ex-Mississippi Braves star Evan Gattis) on a windy Monday.