major impact

In a Millsaps College lineup crowded with big hitters, Keith Shumaker has managed to stand out. Shumaker, a sophomore third baseman, leads the Southern Athletic Association in RBIs with 22 and is tied at the top with three home runs. The former Jackson Academy standout, a left-handed hitter who goes 6 feet 3, 220 pounds, was named the SAA player of the week earlier this week on the heels of a 7-for-17 performance. (He also threw six shutout innings as a starting pitcher.) Shumaker, who hit .307 with 22 RBIs all of last season, is surrounded by the likes of Stephen Gates (.458), Samuel Doucet (.431) and Wes Perkins (.414) on a club that is off to an 11-3 start. The Majors swept Hendrix in three games at home in their inaugural SAA series and head to Georgia this weekend to meet Berry College (5-1 in the league). The new SAA has no automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, so every game has added significance for at-large consideration. The top two teams in the league’s regular season race will host four-team mini-tournaments and the winners of those will clash in a best-of-3 for the SAA title.