Tag Archives: Alcorn State

10 Mar

movin’ on up

The NJCAA’s first Division II regular season poll is out, and there is a new No. 1: East Central Community College, up from preseason No. 2. New at No. 2 is Pearl River CC (previously No. 5) and jumping up to No. 4 is Jones College (previously ranked 12th). Northwest (21) and Holmes (24) are also in the Top 25 released today. Conference play starts this week in the MACCC, which figures to be another eight-week dogfight. East Central (18-4) visits East Miss (13-7) for a doubleheader on Wednesday, while Jones (14-5) is at Northwest (17-4) and Holmes (17-4) hosts Hinds (5-14). Pearl River (19-4) opens league play at home on Friday against Northwest. Of note: ECCC and PRCC will hook up March 18 in Decatur. ECCC’s Warriors are led offensively by, among others, Barret Rodgers, batting .419 with five homers and 27 RBIs; the team’s top pitcher has been Chris Bilingsley, 3-0 with a 2.59 ERA. For PRCC, Caston Thompson is batting .346 with four homers and 18 RBIs, while on the bump K.K. Clark is 4-0, 1.33. Jones’ T.J. Dunsford is raking at .441 with four homers and 17 RBIs; Brycen Smith leads Bobcats pitchers with a 3-0 record and 4.15 ERA. P.S. Alcorn State’s Jermel Ford, a senior from Hattiesburg, put up six hits, nine RBIs, six runs and eight steals in back-to-back games at Alabama A&M over the weekend, leading the Braves (2-10) to their first wins of the season. Alcorn plays at Louisiana-Monroe on Tuesday, then starts SWAC play at Bethune-Cookman on the weekend. … The Mississippi Mud Monsters, the new independent team in Pearl, recently signed three more players, veteran minor league pitchers Tyree Thompson and Rodney Theopile and outfielder Basiel Roberts. The season begins in May.

09 Mar

worth noting

After 10 losses to open the season, Alcorn State finally put one in the win column on Saturday. It did not go down smoothly. The Braves blew a late 12-5 lead, as host Alabama A&M scored five in the eighth and two in the ninth to tie. Alcorn then scored three times in the 11th — on a passed ball, a sac fly and an error — to pull out a 15-12 victory. Jermel Ford, a senior from Hattiesburg, went 2-for-5 with four RBIs, two runs and four steals. Ford, who pitched and took the loss in the series opener, entered the game batting .278 with no RBIs in 18 at-bats. New coach Carlton Hardy’s team will go for win No. 2 today at Huntsville, Ala. Reminder: The Braves went 6-43 in 2024. … Mississippi College swept a three-game Gulf South series against Auburn-Montgomery, the Choctaws’ first league sweep since 2021. MC is 13-8, 8-4 GSC, with six straight wins overall. … Tristan Pearson went 9-for-13 with five RBIs and J.D. Weed was 7-for-15 with six RBIs as Belhaven University (9-5) took two of three from LeTourneau at Trustmark Park in Pearl. The Blazers are 6-2 at Trustmark, now their permanent home. … Rigoberto Hernandez, from Panama, went 8-for-13, including a four-hit, four-RBI game, and William Carey University (18-4, 10-2) got strong pitching from Matthew Davis, Luke Lycette, Conner Wilson and Bobby Magee in an SSAC series sweep over Point U. Carey is ranked 12th in NAIA. … Matthew Russo’s walk-off homer — his fourth bomb of the year — gave Southern Miss (10-5) a 2-1 win against visiting UNC-Wilmington. … Rust College’s five-game win streak ended Friday with a thud, 21-8 at Wiley College. Game 2 of the HBCUAC series on Saturday was suspended because of rain. … Pearl River Community College (19-4) has won seven straight, three by shutout, and allowed only nine runs all told during the streak. The Wildcats, fifth-ranked in NJCAA Division II, have a 2.27 staff ERA.

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).

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.

26 Aug

all in a day

On this date in 1934, at old Comiskey Park in Chicago, Starkville native and Hall of Famer Cool Papa Bell scored the only run in the East-West Game, the Negro Leagues’ All-Star classic. Bell drew a walk to lead off the eighth inning against Alcorn State alum and Hall of Famer Bill Foster, stole second and ultimately scored on a two-out hit by Jud Wilson. Bell, one of the fastest players in the history of the game, was with the Pittsburgh Crawfords at the time, Foster with the Chicago American Giants. … On this date in 1939, at Ebbets Field in Brookyln, Columbus native and broadcasting Hall of Famer Red Barber was at the mic for the first televised major league game. Playing outfield for Cincinnati that day, in both games of a twinbill, was Ellisville native Harry Craft, who was hitless on the day. The Reds won the opener, the Dodgers took Game 2. … On this date in 1946, at Boston’s Fenway Park, Shaw native Boo Ferriss, a rookie with the Red Sox, won his 20th game, beating the Philadelphia A’s 4-3 in 10 innings. Ferriss also doubled in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th, boosting his average to .260. … On this date in 1984, at Anaheim Stadium in California, Jackson native Chet Lemon hit the only grand slam of his career, helping Detroit beat California 12-6. Lemon, who won a World Series ring with the ’84 Tigers, belted 215 homers over a 16-year MLB career. … On this date in 2021, at Yankee Stadium in New York, Amory native Mitch Moreland played the final game of his MLB career, going 0-for-3 for Oakland. Moreland went on the injured list with a wrist injury a couple days later. He finished his 12-year career with 186 homers, a World Series ring, an All-Star Game appearance and a Gold Glove.

12 Aug

short hops

Baseball is a non-contact sport, except when a 97-mph fastball hits you in the face. Blaze Jordan, the ex-DeSoto Central High star, took one just below his right eye on Friday in a game for Double-A Portland. “Baseball is rough sometimes,” Jordan said on X (Twitter). “Be back soon!” He went on the seven-day injured list with a nasty black eye. The 21-year-old Boston prospect is batting .253 with seven home runs and 51 RBIs in his first full year at the Class AA level. … Austin Riley, another DeSoto Central alum, blasted his 18th homer of the year – and fourth in August – but it was wasted in Atlanta’s “Nightmare on Blake Street,” a 9-8 loss Sunday at Colorado in which the Rockies scored seven times in the eighth inning. … One day after getting roughed up by Atlanta, former Mississippi State standout Dakota Hudson landed on Colorado’s IL with elbow inflammation. Hudson, who has a 6.17 ERA with the Rockies, was making his first big league appearance since July 3. He had been at Triple-A. … MSU alum Christian MacLeod made his Triple-A debut in the Minnesota system on Sunday, yielding four earned runs in five innings in a loss against Columbus. The 2021 draftee has pitched at three levels in 2024 and has a 3.26 overall ERA. … South Panola product Emaarion Boyd put up a four-hit game on Sunday for High-A Jersey Shore, scored twice and swiped his 20th bag of the season for the Philadelphia affiliate. Boyd, 20, the Phillies’ No. 18 prospect (per MLB Pipeline), is batting .241 for the year with 41 runs and 31 RBIs in 78 games. He has 84 steals in three pro seasons. … There is a new vibe at Alcorn State, where Carlton Hardy, a highly successful college coach, has taken the reins as the Braves’ head man. Hardy spent the last 18 years at Savannah State, where he won a couple of conference coach of the year awards and led the Tigers to a 31-17 record in 2024. The former Grambling State player takes over an Alcorn program that hasn’t had a winning season since 2009. The previous coach, Reggie Williams, went 16-122 in three years.

18 Jul

post-draft doodles

Ranked among the Top 200 MLB draft prospects by MLB Pipeline, Hunter Hines was not among the 615 players chosen during the three days of draft. That’s good news apparently for Mississippi State. The slugging first baseman will return to Starkville for his senior season, according to various reports. Hines, 6-foot-3, 210-pound lefty hitter, batted .257 with 16 homers and 56 RBIs for the Bulldogs in 2024, good numbers but a little down from his performance in 2023. He batted .297 with 22 bombs and 61 RBIs as an All-SEC pick that season, then was an All-Cape Cod League pick last summer. With 54 career homers at MSU, Hines will have a shot in 2025 at Rafael Palmeiro’s school record of 67. … Slade Wilks, one of Southern Miss’ all-time sluggers, went undrafted for the second straight year and is out of eligibility at USM. Wilks, a lefty-hitting DH, enjoyed a big senior year, batting .336 with 14 homers and 69 RBIs and finishing his career with a 36-game hitting streak. He even got a hit in his final at-bat in the black-and-gold. He was a third-team All-America selection and a first-team Academic All-American. Wilks stands fifth on USM’s career homer list with 46. … Lewisburg High product Samuel Richardson, who appeared on some draft prospect charts before the season, was not drafted and apparently will play for SEC newcomer Texas next season. … Former Lewisburg High standout Brady Tygart, a junior pitcher at Arkansas, was drafted in the 12th round by Boston and was pegged by MLB Pipeline as one of the “most interesting picks” of Day 3. He was a freshman All-America as the team’s closer in 2022 but had injury issues the last two years. All told, he had a 3.75 ERA in 48 appearances for the Razorbacks. … Alabama senior outfielder T.J. McCants, who played three years at Ole Miss, was also on the “most interesting picks” list after going in the 16th round to the Chicago White Sox. He batted .306 with 15 homers and 14 steals for Bama in 2024. P.S. Alcorn State still does not have a head coach for next season. Former major leaguer Reggie Williams was fired in mid-June after going 16-122 in three seasons in Lorman. The Braves were 6-43 (5-25 SWAC) in 2024.

20 Jun

rickwood connections

Historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham is the center of the baseball universe today, hosting the San Francisco-St. Louis MLB game that pays tribute to the Negro League clubs and players, many of them Mississippians, that called the ballpark home from 1924 into the 1950s. An array of black stars, Hall of Famers among them, passed through Rickwood during those years, and quite a few of the game’s great white players also appeared in exhibitions there. Hall of Famer and former Alcorn State player and coach Bill Foster pitched for the Birmingham Black Barons in 1925, throwing a one-hit shutout in his lone appearance, per baseball-reference.com. The legendary Satchel Paige broke into pro ball with the 1927 Black Barons, and one of his teammates was Jackson native Columbus Lance. The real heyday of the Black Barons was the mid-1940s, when the team won three league championships in a six-year span. The primary catcher on the 1943 title winner was Meridian native Paul Hardy, who played 11 years in the Negro Leagues. The ’43 Black Barons also featured the likes of Piper Davis, Clyde “Big Splo” Spearman, Felix McLaurin and Johnny Markham. The Birmingham club also won Negro American League pennants in 1944 and ’48, with the late, great Willie Mays, at 17, starring for the latter team. Jackson native Curtis Hollingsworth was a pitcher on the 1946 and ’47 Birmingham teams. P.S. Former Southern Miss standout Nick Sandlin has gone on the 15-day injured list for Cleveland with back inflammation. He has five wins and a 3.49 ERA in 33 relief appearances for the first-place Guardians. … Mississippi State alum Rowdey Jordan hit a seventh-inning grand slam for Double-A Binghamton on Wednesday, accounting for all the team’s runs in a 4-1 win vs. Akron. Jordan, a fourth-year pro, is batting .264 with six homers and 28 RBIs for the New York Mets’ affiliate. … Congrats to Northwest Mississippi Community College outfielder Cade Greer, who won an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove. Greer, from Olive Branch, handled 108 chances without an error as a sophomore for the Rangers.

29 Apr

big knocks

Hunter Hines’ two-run homer in the ninth inning on Sunday lifted Mississippi State to an 8-7 victory and a huge series win at Vanderbilt. The ex-Madison Central High star, who had three big knocks — including two homers — in Saturday’s win, is batting .284 with 12 bombs and 42 RBIs. With five wins in their last six SEC games, the Bulldogs have climbed to 12-9 in the league, 29-15 overall.
Gavin Caston’s two-run double in the third inning Sunday gave Alcorn State a lead and propelled the Braves to 6-1 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff at McGowan Stadium in Lorman. On Saturday, Dillon Brown smacked a go-ahead two-run knock in the fifth inning as the Braves rallied to win 5-4. Alcorn had not won a home game before Saturday and had won only two games all season. The Braves are now 4-34, 3-18 in the SWAC.
Austin Riley, the DeSoto Central product, delivered the winning run for Atlanta on Sunday with a 10th-inning single that beat Cleveland 4-3 at Truist Park. The Braves rallied from a late 3-1 deficit to improve to 19-7, best record in MLB. Riley needed a big hit: He was in a 2-for-22 slide entering Sunday and had just three RBIs in his previous 14 games. He’s at .234 with two homers and 14 RBIs for the year.

30 Mar

worth noting

The Gwinnett Stripers, Atlanta’s Triple-A club, opened their season Friday and Southern Miss alum Hurston Waldrep was not on the roster. That has fueled speculation that the Braves’ No. 2 prospect will start the season with the Double-A Mississippi Braves, who open next week. Waldrep posted a 1.53 ERA (and 41 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings) over four levels of the minors in 2023, after being drafted in the first round out of Florida. He allowed no runs in 4 1/3 innings in the Grapefruit League for Atlanta this spring. … Ex-Mississippi State standout Jake Mangum homered in his first Triple-A game on Friday for Durham (Tampa Bay system) and threw out a base runner from center field. … USM product Chuckie Robinson, starting at catcher, got a hit and threw out a runner attempting to steal in his debut with the Chicago White Sox’s Triple-A Charlotte club. … Perhaps disappointed not to make the New York Yankees’ 26-man roster, ex-Jackson Prep star Will Warren allowed three hits, three walks and five runs while getting just one out in his start for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. … Former Ole Miss star Drew Pomeranz has signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers after being released by the Angels. … Tim Anderson, ex-East Central Community College standout, is 3-for-8 in his first two games for Miami, where he signed as a free agent after the White Sox cut him loose after last season. … In college ball, the state’s six NCAA Division I schools went 0-6 Friday, the most glaring loss suffered by Alcorn State, a 29-3 loser at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Also of note: Mississippi State squandered a 6-2 lead in the eighth inning and fell at Florida 7-6.