08 May

big reveal

After directing 13 workouts with a group of players of varying levels of experience pulled from widely diverse backgrounds, Mississippi Mud Monsters manager Jay Pecci will pull back the curtain tonight and unveil the new pro team taking up residence at Trustmark Park in Pearl. “Spring training has been good,” Pecci said Wednesday night. “We got our pitching work in, that’s a key. The team looks great … on paper, at least. You’re never sure how it’ll pan out.” The Mud Monsters, an expansion team in the independent Frontier League, make their debut tonight (6:30) against the Florence (Ky.) Y’alls. On paper, the Mud Monsters have a leadoff batter — ex-Mississippi State standout Brayland Skinner — who batted .298 and stole 41 bases in the indy Pioneer League last year. On paper, in the middle of their batting order, they have a six-year minor league veteran with a career .303 average — Florence native Davis Bradshaw — and a 10-year pro vet who belted 17 homers in this league two years ago — former Columbia High star Ti’Quan Forbes. “We’ve got some power, some veteran experience,” Pecci said. “We have some guys who can go gap-to-gap, and I think we run well as a team. We had a lot of stolen bases in camp. Guys were eager to run.” Both Bradshaw and Forbes passed through Trustmark, which plays as a pitcher’s park, when they were in Double-A. “You have to be a true hitter to put up numbers here,” Pecci said. He marvels at Bradshaw’s plate discipline and ability to make contact. The manager said he is impressed as much with Forbes’ presence as he is with his skills: “He’s excited to be here, he wants to play everyday and he’s a good guy in the clubhouse. The kids gravitate toward him.” Forbes, 28, a late addition to the roster, was a second-round MLB draft pick back in 2014 and reached the Triple-A level in affiliated ball. Tonight’s starting pitcher, James Boeree, might be more impressive on the field than he is on paper. The Australia native, 25 but light on experience, lists at 7 feet 2. And reportedly throws in the mid-90s. “He has looked really good,” Pecci said. “He started an exhibition game for us and pitched well. He was built up when he came in to camp, all in on baseball. He has those long levers, but he has good body mechanics.” Pecci is also high on his primary catchers, Victor Diaz and Andriel Lantigua, both Dominicans with experience in affiliated ball. Diaz played in the Houston organization, Lantigua in the New York Mets system when Pecci was on their minor league staff. For his part, Pecci brings plenty of experience to his job. He coached and managed in the Mets’ chain for the past several seasons. An infielder at Stanford, he was drafted by Oakland in the 11th round in 1998 and played seven years in affiliated ball, then eight more in independent and foreign leagues.

05 May

roster construction

Sunday was cut day in the Frontier League, with teams in the independent league — including the new Mississippi franchise — having to trim their training camp roster to 28. Only 24 can be active on opening day, which is Thursday. The Mud Monsters will play host to Florence (Ky.) at Trustmark Park in Pearl. One of the seven players released by Mississippi was C.J. (Cordell) Dunn, a catcher who played high school ball at Center Hill in Olive Branch several years back. Among the familiar names still on the roster are Brayland Skinner, a Lake Cormorant native and ex-Mississippi State standout who was the first player signed by the Mud Monsters; minor league veteran and ex-Columbia High star Ti’Quan Forbes; McLaurin High and Meridian Community College product Davis Bradshaw, another minor league vet; Kyle Booker out of DeSoto Central High (and Tennessee); Aubrey Gillentine, an Amory native who pitched at Southern Miss; and Jackson Smith, a Raymond native who pitched at Mississippi College and Northwest Mississippi CC. Skinner, 25, an outfielder, played at State in 2021-22 and then at Memphis. He played in the FL last season, batting .298 with eight homers and 49 RBIs in 90 games. When the signing was announced, Mud Monsters manager Jay Pecci called Skinner “the sort of player that the Mississippi Mud Monsters can build around. Fast and versatile, he brings a ton of excitement to the diamond.” Recent addition Forbes, 28, an infielder, was a second-round draft pick by Texas 11 years ago, made the Triple-A level in affiliated ball and also has played in indy and foreign leagues. “Signing Ti’Quan is big for us,” Pecci said in a team release. “He’s had great success in affiliated baseball, so to get a veteran that can help the younger guys along and add that level of professionalism to our brand new club is great.” One player sure to get a lot of attention is James Boeree, a 7-foot-2 Australia native who pitched in juco ball in the States from 2021-23 and in the Australian Baseball League before that. There is a skill to building a Frontier League team. There are parameters regarding how many players of certain ages and professional experience can fill the ranks, i.e., a team cannot simply stock up on 30-year-old Triple-A veterans. Pecci, a Stanford alum, is well aware of the dynamics of player development, having enjoyed a long career playing and coaching in both MLB-affiliated and indy ball. Winning is a priority in the independent ranks, but there is also a developmental aspect for young players seeking opportunities in affiliated ball and a possible path to the major leagues.

03 May

blast from past

The Meridian Brakemen, a long defunct and largely forgotten independent team, were referenced today on the FS1 Game of the Week. Color analyst Tom Verducci mentioned that Boston starting pitcher Hunter Dobbins modeled his pitching motion after his father, Lance, who had pitched for the Brakemen and the Ohio Valley Redcoats during a brief pro career. The Meridian Brakemen franchise operated for two seasons, 1996 and ’97, in the Big South League, a small loop that also included the Greenville Bluesmen and the Tupelo Tornado. Dobbins pitched in Meridian — at Meridian Community College’s home field, which the Brakemen dubbed The Railyard — during both seasons, where his teammates included current East Central Community College coach Neal Holliman. Verducci and Kevin Kugler both wondered aloud about where the nickname Brakemen originated, speculating it had something to do with trains. Partly true. In fact, it derived from the nickname of Meridian native and country music legend Jimmie Rodgers, who was known as “The Singing Brakeman.” P.S. Ex-Madison Central star Spencer Turnbull reportedly has signed with Toronto as a free agent. The veteran right-hander, 32, put up a 2.65 ERA in 54 1/3 innings for Philadelphia in 2024 and has a career ERA of 4.26 in 78 appearances, mostly as a starter. He would no doubt need some minor league work before joining the Blue Jays’ active roster.

29 Apr

still grinding

Scroll through the list of the Mexican League’s current pitching leaders and you’ll run across the name Chris Ellis. Yes, it’s that Chris Ellis. The former Ole Miss star, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels 11 years ago, pitched for the Double-A Mississippi Braves nine years ago and appeared in 10 major league games between 2019 and ’22, is still wearing a uniform, still trying to get batters out for the Sultanes de Monterrey. The Mexican League is one of the many pro leagues not directly affiliated with Major League Baseball. Foreign leagues and independent leagues afford players who’ve been cast off by MLB clubs the opportunity to keep playing the game they love. Those leagues may also afford them the opportunity, potentially, to get back on the MLB track. Ellis, 32, has pitched in winter ball and indy ball since he last worked for a big league organization. He has pitched well this season for Monterrey; he is tied for the league lead with four saves in five appearances. Maybe an MLB scout will notice. Billy Hamilton, the former Taylorsville High star, is also playing in Mexico. At 34, he is tied for the league lead with seven steals and is hitting .281 in nine games for Jalisco. Hamilton played parts of 11 years in the majors, the last in 2023. He has spent the last two years in Mexico, playing winter ball there, as well. Clearly, he’s not ready to hang ’em up. Also still out there grinding is Cody Reed, the former Northwest Mississippi Community College standout from Horn Lake. The 32-year-old lefty, who pitched in 65 MLB games from 2016-21, is on the roster of Gary SouthShore RailCats of the independent American Association. Their season starts next week. Reed was in the Tampa Bay system in 2022, missed all of 2023 with injury and played in Mexico last summer, putting up a 4.12 ERA in 26 games for Tabasco. He may still have something left in the tank at 32. Demarcus Evans, a Petal High product, has been in pro ball since 2015 but is only 28 and has barely pitched the last two years since leaving the Texas Rangers’ system as a minor league free agent. A flame-throwing righty, Evans had a 4.75 ERA in 29 games with the Rangers in 2020-21 and a career ERA of 2.76 in the minors. He is on the roster of the American Association’s Cleburne club. … A large number of Mississippi-connected players are playing indy ball, including the likes of Davis Bradshaw, Brayland Skinner and Kyle Booker with the Mississippi Mud Monsters, the new Frontier League team that opens next week. Tyreque Reed, Regi Grace, Brett Sanchez and Banks Tolley are also on FL rosters. There’s Bobby Bradley, Errol Robinson and LeDarious Clark in the Atlantic League. Joe Gray Jr., J.C. Keys and Hayden Dunhurst are in the American Association. No doubt many of them are still yearning for The Show. P.S. Ex-Big leaguer Kirk McCarty, Southern Miss alum from Hattiesburg, had re-signed to play for CTBC Brothers in the Chinese Professional Baseball League but was released earlier this month. He previously played in Korea.

08 Apr

one month out

One month from today, Mississippi’s new pro team — the Mississippi Mud Monsters — is scheduled to launch its 2025 season. The independent club, owned by Joseph Eng, will play Florence (Ky.) on May 8 at Pearl’s Trustmark Park, former home of the Mississippi Braves. The Mud Monsters will play a 96-game schedule — 48 home dates spread over nine homestands — in the 18-team Frontier League, an MLB Partner League. The team’s manager is Jay Pecci, the hitting coach Jamie McOwen and the pitching coach Robert Carson, a former Hattiesburg High star who pitched in the big leagues.
Here’s a look at the Mud Monsters’ unofficial, very preliminary roster, based on the Frontier League’s transactions page:

Pitchers
Chris Barraza, RH
Gage Bihm, LH (Hinds CC)
James Boeree, RH
Tahj Cunningham, RH/OF
Luis Devers, RH
Jalen Evans, RH
Aubrey Gillentine, RH (USM)
Josh Lanham, RH
Brandon Mitchell, LH
Zack Morris, LH
Josh Paulina, RH
Jeremy Peguero, LH
Michael Reed, RH
Sergio Sanchez, RH
Jackson Smith, RH (Northwest CC, MS Coll)
Rodney Theopile, RH
Tyree Thompson, RH
Brian Williams, RH

Catchers
Victor Diaz
C.J. Dunn (Olive Branch HS)
Nick Hassan
Andriel Lantigua

Infielders
Ryan Cash, 3B
Samil De La Rosa, 2B
Kasten Furr, SS
Travis Holt, SS
Dane Simon, UT

Outfielders
Kyle Booker (DeSoto Cent)
Davis Bradshaw (McLaurin, Meridian CC)
Basiel Roberts
Brayland Skinner (MSU)

01 Mar

roster growth

The Mississippi Mud Monsters added five players to the roster in the last week of February, including a Hinds Community College alum and a former Olive Branch High standout. New members of the independent team, set to begin play in the Frontier League in May, are utility man Dane Simon, who played five years at Nicholls State; shortstop Kasten Furr, a former UNO and Louisiana Tech star; left-hander Gage Bihm, who pitched at Hinds and NAIA LSU-Shreveport; right-hander Brian Williams, a Texas Southern product; and catcher C.J. Dunn, an Olive Branch alum. Dunn, Williams and Bihm have indy ball experience, and Bihm also pitched briefly in the New York Mets’ system last summer. … The Mud Monsters’ opener is May 8 at Trustmark Park in Pearl.

11 Feb

taking up arms

The Mississippi Mud Monsters have signed a quintet of right-handed pitchers, including a 7-foot-2 Australian and two Mississippi natives who pitched at state colleges. The signings were announced on the Frontier League transactions page. James Boeree, the tall Aussie, pitched at Salt Lake (Utah) Community College from 2021-23 and in the Australian Baseball League before that. He reportedly throws 93 mph. Aubrey Gillentine, a mere 6-3, 220, is an Amory native who pitched at Southern Miss for three seasons before finishing at North Carolina-Charlotte in 2023. Jackson Smith is a Raymond native who pitched at Mississippi College in 2023 and at Northwest Mississippi CC before that. He pitched briefly in independent ball in 2023. Also added to the Mud Monsters’ inaugural roster are Josh Lanham, an alum of NCAA Division II Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.), and Josh Paulina, who pitched at D-II West Chester (Pa.) and at the rookie level in San Diego’s minor league system. … The Mud-sters’ roster now totals 10 players, per reports. The independent team will begin its inaugural season on May 8 at Trustmark Park in Pearl.

31 Jan

a growing list

Coming off an outstanding first full season in pro ball, Matthew Etzel is the latest Mississippian in the minors to get an invitation to major league spring training. The former Southern Miss star will go camping next month with Tampa Bay, which acquired the 22-year-old outfielder in a trade with Baltimore last summer. Etzel, drafted out of USM in 2023 by the Orioles, batted .272 with 11 homers, 66 RBIs, eight triples and 45 stolen bases in 2024, playing for three different teams. He finished the season at Double-A Montgomery. He joins a growing list of non-roster invitees with state ties:
Tim Anderson (East Central CC), Los Angeles Angels;
Gavin Collins (Mississippi State), St. Louis;
Blaine Crim (Mississippi College), Texas;
Tim Elko (Ole Miss), Chicago White Sox;
Matthew Etzel (USM), Tampa Bay;
Jacob Gonzalez (UM), Chicago White Sox;
Dakota Hudson (MSU), Los Angeles Angels;
Cooper Johnson (UM), Texas;
Braden Montgomery (Madison Central), Chicago White Sox;
Konnor Pilkington (MSU), Washington;
Drew Pomeranz (UM), Seattle;
Cooper Pratt (Magnolia Heights), Milwaukee;
Ethan Small (MSU), San Francisco;
Tyler Stuart (USM), Washington;
R.J. Yeager (MSU), St. Louis.
P.S. The Mississippi Mud Monsters have hired Robert Carson III, former Hattiesburg High standout and ex-big leaguer, as their pitching coach. Carson pitched in 31 games for the New York Mets in 2012-13 and spent seven seasons in independent leagues, most recently in 2021. He been an indy league pitching coach the last three years. The independent Mud Monsters will start their inaugural season in the Frontier League in May at Trustmark Park in Pearl. The “Mud-sters” have announced three signees to date, none of them pitchers.

18 Jan

familiar names

During his introductory teleconference on Tuesday, new Mississippi Mud Monsters manager Jay Pecci said he would “lean heavily” on players with local ties in constructing his roster for 2025. True to his word, two of the first three players the club has signed are Mississippi prep products: former DeSoto Central High star Kyle Booker and Lake Cormorant High alum Brayland Skinner, who played on Mississippi State’s College World Series winner in 2021. The signings were announced on the Frontier League website. The Mud Monsters, who will begin their inaugural season in the independent FL on May 8 at Trustmark Park in Pearl, also have signed Ryan Cash, a four-year indy league veteran. Outfielder Booker, 22, who played at Tennessee and Oral Roberts (.294 career average), spent the 2024 campaign in the Frontier League, batting .203 in 27 games. Skinner, 25, also an outfielder, played at State in 2021-22 and then at Memphis. He participated in the MLB Draft League in 2023 and played in indy ball last season, batting .298 with eight homers and 49 RBIs in 90 games. Infielder Cash, 27, played college ball at Oklahoma State and Oral Roberts. He hit .250 in 81 games in the FL last season, having previously played in two other indy leagues. P.S. The Mud Monsters and Belhaven University announced Friday that the Blazers will play their home games at Trustmark Park through the 2030 season. BU, an NCAA Division III school, has played some home games at the Pearl ballpark the past few seasons after their long tenure at Jackson’s Smith-Wills Stadium ended.

28 Oct

save the date

Mississippi’s new pro team has announced a schedule for 2025, with opening day set for May 8 at Trustmark Park in Pearl. The Mud Monsters, yet to announce a manager or a roster, will play a 96-game schedule — 48 home dates spread over nine homestands — in the independent Frontier League, an 18-team league comprised mainly of teams in the Midwest and East Coast (plus three in Canada). The Mud Monsters’ inaugural game will be against the Florence (Ky.) Y’alls. The Mud Monsters are moving into the 5,500-seat stadium vacated by the Mississippi Braves, the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. Diamond Baseball Holdings, the franchise owner, has moved the club to Columbus, Ga., presumably because of flagging attendance. (Baseball America noted that the 20-year-old Pearl ballpark needed some upgrades to meet MLB’s minor league standards.) … The Mud Monsters will be the seventh pro team to play in central Mississippi going back to 1953, when the original Jackson Senators pulled up stakes after their downtown stadium was destroyed by a tornado. Jackson’s Smith-Wills Stadium hosted the Mets, Generals, DiamondKats and Senators before the M-Braves arrived in Pearl in 2005. The Mud Monsters franchise is owned by Joseph Eng, an executive with Billtrust who also owns a franchise in the indy American Association. TBH Sports and Entertainment has been managing the ballpark, which is owned by Bloomfield Equities, a subsidiary of Yates Construction, which built the stadium.