something new

With a roster chock-full of newcomers, Mississippi College enters a brave new world this season. Ready or not, MC starts play in NCAA Division II and in the Gulf South Conference. Actually, MC has been here before, but that was 20 years ago. There is some catching up to do. The Choctaws open Friday against an NAIA foe, Tougaloo, at Frierson Field in Clinton. Though still in transition from non-scholarship D-III to D-II, MC will play a full slate of GSC games, starting with a series at Christian Brothers next weekend. “We’ve been putting (the players) through the ringer the last few weeks, trying to get ready,” said Choctaws coach Brian Owens, the former Mississippi State pitcher now in his ninth season as the head man in Clinton. MC returns 11 lettermen from last year’s club, which went 21-19 (18-15 in the American Southwest Conference). Pitchers Brooks Fortenberry (4-4, 2.21 ERA) and Jayme Monroe (5-5, 3.28) and position players Marty Stringfellow (.362) and Hunter Bolin (.298, 13 steals) head the cast of returnees. There are 26 newcomers on the roster, and how they mesh together while also adapting to the D-II level will tell the tale on MC’s season. … Old MC rival Delta State, also sporting a remade roster, opens Friday against Nova Southeastern in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Statesmen, under veteran coach Mike Kinnison, were pegged by league coaches to win the ever-tough GSC, this despite losing six regular position players and five key pitchers from a 38-13 team. Among the missing is Will Robertson, who led the league in hitting (.388) in 2014 but reportedly will miss this season with an injury. Landon Thibodeaux (.327, five homers, 31 RBIs) and Jonathon Moody (9-4, 2.98), both first-team All-GSC in 2014, are back. … Also of note: West Florida, picked to finish third in the GSC, has added some Mississippi flavor to its roster: former East Mississippi Community College star Ladarious Clark and ex-Jones County JC standout Jordan Stark.