20 Feb

just wondering …

Here are nine questions regarding Mississippians in MLB spring training camps:
Will Jake Mangum — a .296 career hitter in the minors — earn a spot on Tampa Bay’s roster and make his long-awaited big league debut?
Can Brandon Woodruff — 46-26, 3.10 career — reclaim his pre-injury form for Milwaukee after missing the ’24 season?
How will Colt Keith handle the sophomore jinx and the move from second base to first in Detroit?
Can Hunter Renfroe — .229 and 15 homers in 2024 — be a productive power bat for Kansas City?
What will 2024 All-Star Garrett Crochet — 3.58 ERA, 209 strikeouts — do for an encore after moving from lowly Chicago to Boston?
Can Hurston Waldrep, after a disappointing 2024 trial in Atlanta, be an impact arm for the Braves this season?
Does Brent Rooker, now armed with a fat contract, have another 30-homer season in him for the (Sacramento) A’s?
Is Doug Nikhazy — 7-4, 2.98 in the high minors in 2024 — ready to break through in Cleveland?
Can Tim Anderson, the fallen All-Star, carve out a role at shortstop or the outfield for the Los Angeles Angels?
P.S. Justin Steele, the ex-George County High standout from Lucedale, reportedly will be the Chicago Cubs’ starter in the second game of next month’s Tokyo Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Steele, a 2023 All-Star, went 5-5 with a 3.07 ERA in 24 starts last season. The season-opening Japan series is set for March 18-19. … Samil De La Rosa, a 5-foot-8 Dominican infielder, has signed with the Mississippi Mud Monsters, the new independent club. De La Rosa, 21, played four years in the rookie-level minors in the St. Louis and Atlanta systems from 2021-24. … Delta State, 8-3 with seven straight wins, is ranked No. 20 in the new NCBWA Division II poll, the first time the Statesmen have cracked the Top 25 in that poll in almost three years, per a school release. DSU swept three from then-nationally ranked Lee last weekend and beat Arkansas-Monticello on Tuesday.

19 Feb

juco snapshot

And then there were none. East Central Community College, the last unbeaten team in the state juco ranks, lost to Northeast CC 10-8 in a round-robin event Tuesday at Decatur. ECCC, No. 2 in the NJCAA Division II poll, is now 8-1, including a 13-5 win over No. 12 Jones College earlier Tuesday. Jayden Adcox hit a big home run for ECCC against Jones, and Langston Cotten went yard against Northeast. But the visiting Tigers prevailed as Drake Douglas and Carter Wells combined for five RBIs and Wells notched the save. Fifth-ranked Pearl River (10-2) beat Holmes and East Miss in a three-way at Poplarville. Jackson Hood homered in both games for PRCC, and Carson Fair closed out the win against Holmes for his fifth save, which leads the nation. Meridian, ranked 20th, moved to 10-3 with a sweep of Gulf Coast and Southwest on Monday at Summit. Chris Fox got a walk-off hit in a 1-0 win against Gulf Coast and Hampton Ross drove in four runs vs. Southwest. At Jackson’s Smith-Wills Stadium on Tuesday, Northwest (9-3) beat Hinds and Coahoma. … Gulf Coast’s Samuel Marsh was named the MACCC pitcher of the week after throwing a 13-strikeout complete game last week vs. Northwest Florida State. East Miss’ Hugh LeMasters (Bay Springs) took hitter of the week honors; he batted .429 (6-for-14) with eight RBIs and four runs in a 4-0 week for the Lions. P.S. Have a day, Judd Utermark. The Ole Miss junior stole home and hit a walk-off bomb in the 10th inning Tuesday as the Rebels (3-1) beat Arkansas State at Swayze Field. … Mississippi State (3-1) had as many errors as hits (four) in a 3-0 loss at Southern Miss (5-0). Joey Urban homered for the Golden Eagles, and five pitchers combined on the shutout. … Left-hander Brandon Mitchell, who won 22 games over five seasons at New Orleans, is the latest addition to the Mississippi Mud Monsters’ inaugural roster. He was 5-2 with a 7.28 ERA in the indy Pioneer League in 2024. The Mud-sters, of the indy Frontier League, have announced 17 player signings to date. The season starts in May.

18 Feb

lesson plans

We’ll learn a little more about Southern Miss and Mississippi State today. Both unbeaten but only lightly tested, they’ll renew their old rivalry in a 6 p.m. contest in Hattiesburg. The Golden Eagles outscored Lafayette 39-13 in a four-game sweep to start the season and the Bulldogs — freshly ranked No. 16 by Baseball America — whipped Manhattan 35-5 over three games. Ozzie Pratt leads USM hitters with a .500 average, a homer and seven RBIs. Drey Barrett is batting .385. USM used 15 pitchers against Lafayette, and they posted a collective 3.16 ERA. The Bulldogs’ pitching was even better: 1.96 from 12 hurlers. Aaron Downs is hitting an absurd .571 with a homer and seven RBIs, and Bryce Chance is at .556. Hunter Hines (.455) homered in the Dogs’ opener and now has 55 for his career, fifth-most in school history. MSU leads the all-time series with USM 86-44 and won last year’s game 5-4 at Pearl. Charlie Foster (0.00 ERA in one inning of work) is slated to start for State, which last played at Taylor Park in 2018, against Colby Allen (0-0, 6.00, over three innings), a Starkville Academy product. … We might learn a little more about Carlton Hardy’s first Alcorn State team today, as well. The Braves, coming off a season-opening 12-10 loss at Mississippi Valley State on Monday, host 0-3 Manhattan at 3 p.m. at Rat McGowan Stadium in Lorman. Alcorn, 6-43 in 2024, was picked to finish 11th (Valley was 12th) in the 12-team SWAC in a preseason poll of coaches and SIDs. Hardy, a former Grambling State player, came to the Braves from NCAA Division II Savannah State, where he had a fairly successful 18-year run. He led the Tigers to a 31-17 record in 2024. Alcorn hasn’t had a winning season since 2009. P.S. Left-hander Zack Morris, a former Arkansas and TCU pitcher, and righty Chris Barraza, a New Mexico State and Arizona alum, have signed with the Mississippi Mud Monsters, the new independent team set to play at Trustmark Park in May. The 6-foot-3 Morris put up a 3.63 ERA in the Frontier League in seven appearances last summer. Barraza was a 10th-round pick by the Los Angeles Angels in 2023 and pitched two seasons in Low-Class A (3.96 ERA).

17 Feb

three stars

A trio of heroes from Sunday’s NCAA Division I games:
Luke Hill, Ole Miss: The junior second baseman went 3-for-3 with two homers, a triple and five RBIs to power the Rebels (2-1) to a 15-5 win over nationally ranked Clemson in the Shriners Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Hill is batting .556 with six RBIs and four runs on the season.
Joseph Eichelberger, Jackson State: The senior outfielder went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer as the Tigers (2-1) beat Texas Southern 7-3 in the Cactus Jack HBCU Classic at Houston’s Daikin Park. Eichelberger is 4-for-12 with four RBIs and four runs for the Tigers.
Stone Simmons, Mississippi State: The grad student pitcher, making his first appearance in almost three years, threw three shutout innings, allowing one hit with five strikeouts, in a 5-1 victory over Manhattan on a cold day at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville. Simmons was a member of the Bulldogs’ national title team in 2021, had Tommy John surgery in 2022 and persevered through setbacks to return to the mound. “It was great,” the 6-foot-4 right-hander told 247sports.com. “It took a little while to settle in.” For the record, he retired the first batter he faced for the 3-0 Bulldogs, punched out the fourth and picked off a runner to end the first inning.

16 Feb

what’s that sound?

Before the big storms rolled through Mississippi on Saturday night, there was thunder emanating from Trustmark Park in Pearl. Belhaven University blasted Mount Saint Mary 27-3 and 12-0 in a doubleheader, completing a sweep of the series between NCAA Division III schools. The Blazers (3-0) banged out 36 hits, nine for extra bases, including two home runs at the spacious park. In the opener, Blake McCarthy homered and drove in six runs; Owen Abney went deep and knocked in three runs while scoring three times; and Hunter Harrell picked up four RBIs. In Game 2, Abney — a former Jackson Prep star — went 3-for-6 with four RBIs and Cole Fletcher drove in a pair of runs. The pitching victories went to Gunner Staten and Kade May. Mount Saint Mary, down from New York to start its season, is now 0-3 and coming off a couple of rough years (11-29 and 13-27). … At Twenty Field in Jackson, D-III Millsaps flashed some power, as well, getting homers from Gray Berry and Evan Scott in an 11-8 win against Edgewood (Wisc.). Berry and Scott drove in three runs apiece for the Majors (3-0). … Down in Hattiesburg, Southern Miss (3-0) put up 25 runs in a sweep of Lafayette (Pa.). Davis Gillespie homered and smacked a walk-off sac fly in a 7-6, 10-inning win in the opener, then homered again and drove in four more runs in an 18-4 romp in Game 2. Ozzie Pratt, Matthew Russo and Tucker Stockman had three hits each in an 18-hit attack in the nightcap. Pratt and Drey Barrett contributed homers Saturday for the Golden Eagles, who’ll wrap up the four-game series with the Leopards today at Taylor Park. P.S. Here’s a name to know: Pablo Rogue, a Dominican Republic native and transfer from Miami (Ohio), is batting .524 with a homer, five doubles, a triple, nine RBIs, 11 runs and three steals for East Central Community College. The Warriors, ranked No. 2 in NJCAA Division II, are 6-0. … Ex-Mississippi State standout Nathaniel Lowe lost his arbitration case with the Washington Nationals and will have to “settle” for a $10.3 million contract for 2025. Lowe, who hit .265 with 16 homers for Texas last season, had asked for $11.1M.

15 Feb

pitching in

This one goes out to the ones who pitch. A boatload of state college pitchers showed no love for hitters on Valentine’s Day. Yes, Mississippi State scored 30 runs in a doubleheader demolition of Manhattan on Friday, but not to be overlooked are the mound efforts of starters Pico Kohn (no runs, one hit, 11 strikeouts in five innings) and Karson Ligon (one run, eight K’s in four innings). The visiting Jaspers scored just four runs on the day. For Southern Miss, in a 9-2 victory against visiting Lafayette, J.B. Middleton delivered six scoreless innings. Ole Miss took down nationally ranked Arizona 2-1 as Hunter Elliott, looking like his old self, threw five shutout innings at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Delta State’s Drake Fontenot and Dylan Farley combined for 13 shutout innings in the streaking Statesmen’s 6-0 and 3-0 sweep of Lee University to open Gulf South play. Fontenot punched out 11 in seven innings. Mississippi College beat GSC foe West Georgia 3-1 as Caleb Peterson held the Red Wolves to one earned run over five innings. Andrew Shirah went 7 1/3 innings (two earned runs) for William Carey in a 9-2 win at Abraham Baldwin AC. Shirah is 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA for the 6-2 Crusaders and has won 21 games in his three seasons at WCU. At Trustmark Park in Pearl, Belhaven opened its season with a 7-3 win against Mount Saint Mary and with Colton Sylvester limiting the New York-based visitors to a lone earned run over six innings. And Millsaps beat Edgewood 10-4 as Nick Tarantino allowed one earned run with nine K’s in five innings.

14 Feb

spring flings

Kendall Graveman’s next comeback will begin with Arizona, which reportedly has agreed to a one-year deal ($1.35 million plus incentives) with the ex-Mississippi State standout. The veteran right-hander, 34, missed all of 2024 following shoulder surgery last off-season. He has a career ERA of 3.95 in 280 games and was an effective middle reliever during Houston’s playoff run in 2023. He was on the Astros’ roster in 2024 before becoming a free agent. He missed the 2019 season following Tommy John surgery and moved from starter to reliever in 2020 after a experiencing a neck problem related to a benign tumor. An eighth-round pick by Toronto in 2013, Graveman has pitched for the Blue Jays, Oakland, Seattle, the Astros and the Chicago White Sox. P.S. Still unsigned are pitchers Lance Lynn, former Ole Miss star, and Spencer Turnbull, a Madison Central High product. Lynn, 37, a starter most of his career, is being courted by some clubs as a closer, per reports. “I definitely have the fire for it,” he said in a recent interview. Turnbull put up a 2.65 ERA in an injury-shortened 2024 season with Philadelphia. … Former Taylorsville High star Billy Hamilton is looking for a return to affiliated ball after playing in Mexico last summer and this winter (see previous posts). Hamilton, 34, can still run: He stole a total of 73 bases in the two Mexican loops and has 838 bags all told in pro ball. … Coming off two rather awful seasons, East Central Community College alum Tim Anderson is “grateful” to be in the Los Angeles Angels’ spring training camp as a minor leaguer. “I’m still only 31,” he said in an mlb.com story. “There’s still room to grow, still room to get better, still a window.”

14 Feb

here and there

Four out of a hundred ain’t bad, all things considered. Little ol’ Mississippi has produced four members of MLB Network’s Top 100 Right Now in the big leagues. Austin Riley, the ex-DeSoto Central High star, is ranked No. 33, Brent Rooker (Mississippi State) No. 46, Garrett Crochet (Ocean Springs) No. 56 and Justin Steele (George County) No. 88. Riley leads a pack of seven former Mississippi Braves in the Top 100, with Freddie Freeman heading that list at No. 8. Ronald Acuna, coming back from injury, is No. 16. Spencer Strider, who missed most of 2024 and will start this season on the injured list, isn’t ranked at all after being No. 17 prior to last season. Three Biloxi Shuckers alumni made the new rankings, topped by Corbin Burnes at No. 35. … Former Ole Miss standout James McArthur had off-season elbow surgery and apparently will not be ready for the start of the season with Kansas City. McArthur, 28, had 22 saves for the Royals in 2023-24, his first two MLB campaigns. … The independent Mississippi Mud Monsters have added four players to their 2025 roster: pitcher/outfielder Tahj Cunningham, right-hander Luis Devers, catcher Nick Hassan and shortstop Travis Holt. The Feb. 12 signings were released on the Frontier League transactions page. Cunningham, 25, has played for the U.S. Virgin Islands national team and in a couple of foreign leagues in addition to a stint at Lake-Sumter State College, a Florida juco. Devers, 24, from the Dominican Republic, spent six seasons in the Chicago Cubs’ system, posting a 3.28 ERA. He was 4-3, 5.33, at High-Class A South Bend last season. Hassan, 25, is a former all-conference player at Kennesaw (Ga.) State (.323 last season) who played briefly in the Frontier League last summer. Holt, 25, played four years at High Point (N.C.) and another at Butler, batting .295 career; he has played a couple of seasons in indy ball.

13 Feb

four to follow

On the eve of opening day for NCAA Division I programs, here’s a player to keep an eye on for each of Mississippi’s so-called Big 4. … At Southern Miss, coming off a Sun Belt title and an NCAA trip, Davis Gillespie will be a big bat in the lineup. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound outfielder/first baseman batted .318 with eight homers, 44 RBIs and 46 runs — great run production in 57 games as a redshirt freshman in 2024. He played well in the star-studded Cape Cod League over the summer, hitting .268 with five doubles and seven RBIs. An Alabama native, Gillespie was a two-way standout in high school. … At Mississippi State, also an NCAA tourney team a year ago, Sawyer Reeves — cool name — is one of several newcomers who’ll fill key roles for the Bulldogs. Reeves, a portal pickup who played three years at The Citadel, hit .304 with five homers and 31 RBIs last year. The South Carolina native, 6-3, 205, is penciled in at second base for 2025. … At Ole Miss, coming off a rough year (27-29), freshman Owen Paino, a lefty-hitting shortstop, is one to watch. The New York state Gatorade player of the year in 2024, the 6-3, 205-pound Paino was rated a Top 100 draft prospect last year by Baseball America. He was described as a fluid defender with power potential. … At Jackson State, which won 36 games a year ago, Jordan McCladdie is not going to sneak up on anyone in 2025, having been named the SWAC preseason player of the year. After transferring to JSU from a junior college in 2024, the Georgia native hit .364 with four homers, six triples, 42 RBIs, 71 runs and 40 steals in 55 games. A lefty-hitting outfielder, the multi-tooled McCladdie lists at 6 feet, 190. … Southern Miss opens Friday at home against Lafayette (Pa.); Mississippi State, ranked in some preseason polls, welcomes Manhattan for a twinbill; Ole Miss begins against Arizona in the Shriners Showdown round-robin in Arlington, Texas; and Jackson State plays Grambling State in the Cactus Jack HBCU Classic round-robin in Houston. Also, Mississippi Valley State hosts Western Illinois, while Alcorn State, in coach Carlton Hardy’s debut, will also play Western Illinois in Itta Bena. P.S. Itawamba Community College freshman Jud Files was named the MACCC pitcher of the week; the Mooreville native threw five no-hit innings in a 12-1 win over Olney Central, striking out eight and walking two for the 6-1 Indians. … On the high school front, MaxPreps ranks Sumrall No. 22 and Jackson Prep No. 23 in its preseason national Top 25. Purvis checked in at No. 75 and George County No. 93.

12 Feb

an anniversary to celebrate

In recognition of Black History Month, here’s a tip of the cap to the 1945 Cleveland Buckeyes, who won the Negro League World Series with three Mississippi natives on the roster. Reference works differ on the Buckeyes’ overall record, but according to baseballreference.com, the team went 63-17-1. The Buckeyes won both halves of the split season in the Negro American League and then swept the National League champion Homestead Grays 4-0 in the Series. Lowndes County/Columbus native Sam Jethroe and Jackson’s Buddy Armour played center and left field, respectively, for the ’45 Buckeyes, and Lauderdale native Lovell Harden pitched out of the bullpen. A seven-time All-Star in the Negro Leagues, Jethroe, nicknamed “The Jet,” would go on to win rookie of the year honors in the majors in 1950 with the Boston Braves. According to the available stats from Baseball Reference, he batted .333 with 20 RBIs and five steals in 21 official games for the ’45 Buckeyes. Armour — a four-time All-Star and .285 career hitter — hit .254 with six RBIs and nine runs in 17 games that season. Harden made just two appearances. In the World Series against Homestead — which suited up Mississippians Cool Papa Bell and Dave Hoskins — Armour was 4-for-13 with two runs and three RBIs and Jethroe 4-for-15 with two RBIs and a run. Other members of that championship team celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2025 included player/manager Quincy “Big Train” Trouppe, pitching brothers George and Willie Jefferson, Cuban shortstop Avelino Canizares and third baseman Parnell Woods. P.S. Other anniversaries of note in 2025: It was 50 years ago — 50 years! — that the Jackson Mets made their debut at brand new Smith-Wills Stadium with a team that included Craig Cacek, Angel Cantres and Hattiesburg native Bobby Myrick. In 2000, the independent Jackson DiamondKats played their lone season at Smith-Wills, and 20 years ago, the Mississippi Braves — with Brian McCann, Jeff Francoeur and Blaine Boyer — debuted at Pearl’s Trustmark Park, while the indy Senators — managed by Hill Denson — began their final season at Smith-Wills. The Kansas City Royals will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their 2015 World Series winner, a team managed by former JaxMets catcher Ned Yost and featuring McComb native Jarrod Dyson as a reserve outfielder.