fear the bobcats

On paper, Jones County Junior College looks tough to beat. The second-ranked Bobcats, who are hosting the MACJC Tournament in Ellisville, are the third-best hitting team in the nation at .366. They can also pitch: Their 3.54 ERA ranks 11th among NJCAA Division II schools. And their defense? Well, they just happen to lead the nation with a .975 fielding percentage, having made just 37 errors in 48 games. Mason Irby, Tanner Huddleston, Erick Hoard, Clint Sasser, Ben Stiglets, Mason Strickland — the list goes on – all have taken star turns during a 43-5 romp through the 2016 campaign. JCJC won the MACJC regular season title in a walk and pounded Mississippi Delta 8-1 and 15-2 in the best-of-3 round. The other three teams, Meridian, East Central and Northwest, in the double-elimination state tourney are nationally ranked and sport some impressive stats, as well. And, of course, anything can happen between the white lines. But JCJC certainly looms as the tourney favorite – and wouldn’t be a bad bet in the Region 23 Tournament, which will feature No. 1-ranked LSU-Eunice and three MACJC clubs. (The 0-2 team from the state tournament goes home.)