Tag Archives: Itawamba Community College

07 Jul

summer session

Southern Miss stars Chuckie Robinson and Tim Lynch seem to be enjoying their summer vacation. Robinson was named New England Collegiate Baseball League player of the week on Monday; he hit .643 with four homers in a four-game stretch for Ocean State. The Golden Eagles catcher is batting .317 with six home runs and 14 RBIs. Lynch, also playing for Ocean State, is leading the NECBL in homers with seven and batting .313 with 17 RBIs. … Ole Miss’ Errol Robinson has a league-leading 17 runs and Mississippi State’s Dakota Brown has posted a 1.92 ERA in six games to help the Hyannis Harbor Hawks rise to the top of the Cape Cod League’s West Division. Robinson is batting .300. State’s Reid Humphreys, playing for Bourne in the CCBL, has three home runs, tied for fourth in the loop. … Bulldogs signee Tanner Poole, who played at Itawamba Community College this past season, leads the Southern Collegiate Baseball League in steals with 20, while batting .372 with 25 runs for Piedmont. Poole hit .378 with 26 steals for ICC. … Ole Miss’ Will Stokes has a 2.07 ERA and one save in six appearances for the Baltimore Redbirds, who have the best record (20-6) in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League. Fellow Rebels Nic Perkins (.276) and Will Golsan (.270) also play for the Redbirds. P.S. Hinds CC alums Casey Echols and Matt Jones have signed with Mississippi College and Tennessee Tech, the Raymond school announced. Echols, son of ex-State star Tracy, hit .296 with four homers this season, Jones .369 with 49 runs. The signing of Jones brings to 13 the number of Eagles bound for NCAA Division I schools this fall.

16 Jun

here and there

Ex-Southern Miss right-hander Christian Talley has signed as a free agent with the Colorado Rockies, the school announced today. USM had three pitchers drafted last week: Cody Carroll, Ryan Milton and Ferriss Trophy winner James McMahon, who was picked by the Rockies. … Stan Cliburn, the former Forest Hill High star from Jackson, recently notched his 1,500th win as a professional baseball manager. Cliburn’s Southern Maryland Blue Crabs are currently tied for first in the independent Atlantic League’s Freedom Division. One of his regulars is ex-big leaguer Fred Lewis, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College product who is batting .238 with 13 RBIs and 18 runs in 44 games. Cliburn, who also played in the big leagues, managed his first team in 1988 and has been working in pro ball ever since. His twin brother Stu, also an MLB vet, is the pitching coach for Chattanooga in the Southern League. … Former Hattiesburg High standout and onetime big leaguer Robert Carson has signed with Bridgeport of the Atlantic League. The big left-hander, 26, was recently released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on the heels of a 50-game drug suspension that cost him an invite to major league spring training. … Itawamba CC alum Tim Dillard is soldiering on in his 13th pro season. The onetime big leaguer, now 31, has a 4.24 ERA in 12 games for Triple-A Colorado Springs in the Milwaukee system. Dillard recently moved into the Sky Sox starting rotation. … Here’s a young player to watch: Mason Irby. The lefty-hitting catcher, a Southeast Lauderdale High product, was a second-team NJCAA Division II All-America pick as a freshman at Jones County Junior College this past season after batting .395 with three homers and 51 RBIs. He is playing for Niagara in the New York Collegiate Baseball League and at last look was hitting .359 with five doubles and six RBIs in 11 games.

10 Jun

buffalo shuffle

The elevator ride continues for Scott Copeland, the former Southern Miss pitcher, but he can’t really complain about these ups and downs. The Blue Jays recalled Copeland from Triple-A Buffalo to start today’s game against Miami at Rogers Centre. This is Copeland’s fourth call-up since May 2, when he made his big league debut. He went back to Buffalo on May 4, back to Toronto on May 18, back to Buffalo on May 28, back to Toronto on June 2, then back to Buffalo on June 3. Before today, Copeland had only pitched in two games for the Jays, both in relief, and hadn’t allowed a run over three innings. He is 4-1 with a 1.97 ERA for Buffalo. Originally drafted by Baltimore, Copeland signed with Toronto as a minor league free agent in the summer of 2012. P.S. Tampa Bay has announced that Desmond Jennings will undergo arthroscopic surgery today on his troublesome left knee. It’s unclear when the Itawamba Community College product might play again. He has been out since April 26. He missed the last month of 2014 because of issues with the same knee.

18 May

worth noting

Dan Jennings, who played at Southern Miss and William Carey, will move from general manager to field manager of the Miami Marlins today, according to numerous reports. Jennings has worked in the Marlins’ front office since 2002. He’ll replace the fired Mike Redmond. Jennings played three years at USM (1979-81) and one year at Carey, graduating from the latter in 1984. He was inducted into WCU’s athletics Hall of Fame earlier this year. Jennings had a brief fling in pro ball as a player and coached high school ball in Alabama before becoming a big league scout. … Former Mississippi State star Mitch Moreland hit his second homer for Texas on Sunday. He is 5-for-20 since returning from the disabled list and is at .288 with 12 RBIs for the season. … Pascagoula’s Joey Butler, who had another hit on Sunday, is batting .300 with two homers and seven RBIs in 13 games for Tampa Bay. He was called up when Itawamba Community College alumnus Desmond Jennings (knee) went on the DL. Jennings reportedly is close to returning to duty. … Billy Hamilton got a day off Saturday and hit in the 8-hole on Sunday for Cincinnati. “You’ve got to roll with it,” the ex-Taylorsville High standout told mlb.com about being dropped from the leadoff spot. He went 1-for-3 and is now at .214 for the year. Ole Miss product Zack Cozart, hitting .300, has moved to the top of the order for Cincy. … Ex-UM star Lance Lynn threw 7 1/3 innings, allowing one run, as St. Louis beat heavy-hitting Detroit 2-1. Lynn (3-3, 2.96 ERA) has won two straight starts. “Lance was great, no question about it,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny told mlb.com. … Meridian CC alum Corey Dickerson is playing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot and might be headed for the DL. The Colorado outfielder is batting .309 with five homers and 16 RBIs.

03 May

big league chew

After a tough year at the plate in 2014, ex-Ole Miss standout Zack Cozart has come out swinging this season. The Cincinnati shortstop went 3-for-5 in an 8-4 win against Atlanta on Saturday to boost his average to .308. He hit his fifth home run — off Jackson native Donnie Veal — to surpass his total for all of last year and now has 12 RBIs. Cozart, valued more for his glove, hit .221 a year ago. … Taylorsville High product Billy Hamilton, the Reds’ center fielder, took an 0-for-5 that dropped his average to .204. He still leads the majors with 13 steals, however. … The Reds’ Jay Bruce had two triples against the Braves, marking the first time a Cincy player has done that in a game since Vicksburg native Dmitri Young 15 years ago. … Aaron Barrett, another UM alum, notched his third hold of the season by retiring the only two batters he faced in the eighth inning of Washington’s 1-0 win against the New York Mets. Barrett trimmed his ERA to 1.64. … Former Southern Miss star Scott Copeland, in his sixth pro season, made his big league debut and threw a scoreless ninth inning for Toronto in its 11-4 victory at Cleveland. … The frustration must still be building for Mississippi State product Jonathan Papelbon. He worked a scoreless inning in mop-up duty as Philadelphia lost to Miami 7-0. Papelbon has a 0.96 ERA for the 8-17 Phillies. … Ex-USM star Brian Dozier took an 0-for-5 as Minnesota’s leadoff batter – he’s no longer hitting cleanup — and saw his average tumble to .209. … Ole Miss alum Drew Pomeranz went 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs in a game Oakland would lose to Texas 8-7 in 10 innings. Since throwing seven scoreless frames in a brilliant 2015 debut, Pomeranz is winless in four starts while his ERA has swelled to 4.61. … Former Itawamba Community College star Desmond Jennings has missed six straight games for Tampa Bay with a knee problem. He could be headed for the disabled list, where he would join fellow Mississippi products T.J. House, Mitch Moreland and Cliff Lee.

23 Apr

showing up late

Billy Hamilton’s not hitting (.204), but he is still finding ways to have an impact for Cincinnati. The ex-Taylorsville High star scored both of the Reds’ runs in a 2-1 victory over reeling Milwaukee on Wednesday night. He led off the game with a single, stole second (No. 9 on the year) and scored on a Joey Votto hit. In the ninth, Hamilton, on via a walk, went first to third on a Votto hit and scored what proved to be the game-winning run on a wild pitch. “(W)e’re going to be the best base-running team in baseball,” Hamilton told mlb.com. … Corey Dickerson, who has been hitting (.302), belted a pair of home runs, including a game-tying shot in the bottom of the eighth, to help Colorado beat San Diego 5-4. Meridian Community College product Dickerson has four homers and 12 RBIs on the year. … Desmond Jennings has been scuffling (.212), but he made key contributions late in Tampa Bay’s 7-5 win over Boston. The former Itawamba CC standout, who went 2-for-4, scored a run in a four-run sixth that tied it at 5-5 and then got the go-ahead run across in the seventh when he grounded into a double play. Not an RBI, but a productive out.

25 Feb

the lighter side

Desmond Jennings must be hoping that lighter will translate to better in 2015. The former Itawamba Community College star showed up for Tampa Bay’s camp noticeably thinner than last season, when he was listed at 6 feet 2, 200 pounds. “Trying to figure out a way to stay healthy and stay on the field for a full season,” Jennings told mlb.com. The veteran outfielder missed the last month of 2014 with a knee problem; his numbers — .244, 10 homers, 36 RBIs, 15 steals — were down from 2013. The onetime football standout stole 52 bases in the minors one year and got 31 bags for the Rays in 2012. P.S. Biloxi Shuckers fans should see a pretty good team take the field this season, though when the new Southern League club might actually take the field in Biloxi remains up in the air. As many as five of the Milwaukee Brewers’ top 10 prospects (as rated by mlb.com) could suit up for the Shuckers: No. 1 Tyrone Taylor, an outfielder; No. 2 Orlando Arcia, a shortstop; No. 7 Clint Coulter, a catcher; No. 9 Jorge Lopez, a right-hander; and No. 10 Victor Roache, an outfielder. Former Mississippi Braves outfielder Kyle Wren (No. 13), who batted .283 with 13 steals for the M-Braves in 2014, might also make the Biloxi roster to start this season. Ole Miss product David Goforth (No. 18) pitched for Milwaukee’s Double-A club in Huntsville in 2014 and posted 27 saves; he is likely to start in Triple-A if he doesn’t make the Brewers’ big league roster. As for the team’s schedule, the tentative plan is for the Shuckers to play the first two months on the road, including a five-game “homestand” against the M-Braves in Pearl from May 6-10, then open MGM Park on June 6. Some club officials say the stadium could be ready before that. Of course, it could also be later than that.

21 Feb

on the juco watch

Not to make too much about statistics from this early in the season, but there are a few worth mentioning from the state junior colleges. Itawamba Community College’s Tanner Poole has eight stolen bases, tied for the national lead in NJCAA Division II. Poole, a sophomore from Amory, is batting .455 with two home runs and 11 RBIs for the Indians, who are 5-1. T.J. Watson is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA. … East Mississippi’s David Pimentel, a freshman from Tennessee, tops the nation in homers with three. … Jones County’s Daniel Goff, a former George County star who is 2-0 with a 1.50, was named the NJCAA D-II pitcher of the week on Thursday. He fanned 11 in a six-inning stint against Jefferson (Mo.) College on Wednesday. Tyler Schankin has hit two homers for the 11th-ranked Bobcats (7-1). … No. 2 Hinds, off to an 8-0 start, got a seven-inning no-hitter from Derek Martin of Flora on Wednesday against Bossier Parish (La.). Austin Sanders, from Madison, has a win and three saves for the Eagles, and Jonathan Washam is batting .500 with seven RBIs.

16 Jan

coming back

After finishing last season in Japan, Joey Butler will get another shot at sticking with an MLB club this spring. The former Pascagoula High and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College standout recently signed a minor league contract with Tampa Bay. A right-handed hitting corner outfielder, Butler, 28, has a chance to crack the Rays’ 25-man roster in the spring, some reports say. The Rays’ current projected outfield starters are former Itawamba CC star Desmond Jennings in center, veteran David DeJesus in left and newly acquired rookie Steven Souza in right. Butler, who has played just 14 MLB games (with Texas and St. Louis), is a career .293 hitter in the minors. He goes 6 feet 2, 220 pounds and has averaged almost 11 homers a year in seven minor league seasons. P.S. Props to Ole Miss alum Lance Lynn on signing a 3-year, $22 million deal with the Cardinals.

11 Nov

transaction watch

Atlanta has been active on the minor league free agent market, snapping up, among others, Jackson native Donnie Veal, ex-Delta State star Eli Whiteside and three players who spent time with the Mississippi Braves this past season: Seth Loman, Emerson Landoni and Cedric Hunter. Veal, a left-hander, and Whiteside, a catcher, have done big-league time, including brief stints in 2014 with the Chicago White Sox and Cubs, respectively. Hunter, who was with the San Diego Padres to open the 2011 season, had a huge year for the Double-A M-Braves. The outfielder batted .295 with 14 home runs, 72 RBIs and 12 steals in 120 games. He might be a darkhorse candidate for the MLB roster in the spring, especially if the Braves trade Justin Upton or Jason Heyward. … Also re-signing with his 2014 organization is Itawamba Community College product Tim Dillard, a veteran big leaguer who pitched in the Milwaukee system last season. … Former M-Braves standout Antoan Richardson was removed from the New York Yankees’ 40-man roster and became a free agent.