cheers …

To Hinds Community College, now ranked No. 1 in NJCAA Division II, up from No. 2. The Eagles are 17-1 (5-1 in the MACJC) heading into a Saturday doubleheader at Baton Rouge CC. HCC is batting .340 as a team, led by Matt Jones at .452, and has a 3.59 ERA, with closer Austin Sanders shining at 1.69 with six saves. … To Hill Denson, the Belhaven University coach, who notched his 1,000th college coaching victory on Wednesday. Denson has 532 wins at BU to go with the 468 he won at Southern Miss. He is the all-time winningest coach at both schools. He also won more than 200 games as a high school coach, claiming a state title at Callaway back in 1981. Plus, he was a pretty good college and semi-pro player before that. They really should erect a statue of Denson at Smith-Wills Stadium. … To Millsaps’ Keith Shumaker, who won Southern Athletic Association player of the week honors after batting .600 with four RBIs and six runs for the Majors last week. Millsaps, off this weekend, is 13-4 (7-2 SAA) and ranked No. 23 in NCAA Division III. … To Delta State’s Brandon Cummins, who earned Gulf South Conference player of the week honors after hitting .563 with a homer, six RBIs and eight runs last week. DSU is 5-8, 4-4 GSC with a home conference series ahead this weekend against Alabama-Huntsville. … To Bobby Halford, William Carey’s coach and a former Crusaders player, and his fellow WCU baseball alums Forrest W. Stevenson, Dan Jennings and Rickey Coleman for their induction into the school’s athletic Hall of Fame. The ceremony is March 28.