Tag Archives: Mississippi Mud Monsters

20 May

at this point …

If seven games is enough to draw any conclusions about the 2025 Mississippi Mud Monsters, here’s one: They can swing the bats. As the Frontier League expansion team (4-3) begins its first road trip, four regulars are hitting .368 or better, led by Travis Holt, who went 3-for-5 in the season opener and has continued to rake. The former Butler and High Point standout is hitting .391. Davis Bradshaw, the McLaurin High and Meridian Community College alum, is batting .389. Not a shock considering he was a .300 career hitter in the affiliated minors. Karell Paz, a Cuba native who played in the New York Mets’ system, is at .381, and Victor Diaz, from the Dominican Republic via the Houston Astros’ system, is at .368. The club has hit just one homer – by former Columbia High star and pro veteran Ti’Quan Forbes – but Trustmark Park doesn’t yield a lot bombs. Forbes, Diaz and ex-DeSoto Central standout Kyle Booker lead the Mud-sters with five RBIs each. The team won the last three games of its homestand, sweeping Evansville while allowing just nine runs total. No. 1 starter James Boeree, the 7-foot-2 Australian, has a 3.38 ERA over eight innings in his two starts. Chris Barraza, an Arizona alum, has yet to allow a run in three relief appearances. … Mississippi opens a series tonight against the Down East Bird Dawgs, another FL expansion team, in Kinston, N.C. The team is managed by Brett Wellman, son of former Mississippi Braves manager Phillip Wellman.

15 May

the roads taken

Both Mississippi College and Delta State are in Florida for regional play today, but the last leg of the journey was quite different for the two old rivals. Both are in the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament as at-large teams. MC (32-21), back in the NCAAs for the first time in seven years, has won seven of it last nine games, going 2-2 in the Gulf South Conference Tournament after sweeping DSU three straight to finish the regular season. DSU (32-18) won the GSC regular season title but actually faded down the stretch, losing seven of 10, including a 2-and-out (with another loss to the Choctaws) in the GSC Tournament. If momentum really is a thing, their opening-round games might be a tell. MC, the 4-seed, will play Lynn (Fla.) at Tampa, Fla., on one side of the eight-team regional. Delta State, seeded sixth, will play West Florida at Lakeland, Fla., in the other four-team bracket. Tampa (43-7), in MC’s bracket, is the No. 1 team in the nation in D-II and the top seed in the regional. The only way MC and DSU could meet is in the best-of-3 regional finals. Here are some players to watch in today’s openers: For MC, Jordan Evans (.351, 12 homers, 47 RBIs, 73 runs and 24 steals). For Lynn, Cole Fowler (.435, .810 slug, 18 homers, 62 RBIs). For DSU, Dylan Coleman (.359, 13 homers, 46 RBIs). For West Florida, Brett Rowell (.345, eight homers, 46 RBIs). P.S. It’s closing time for the state’s Big 4 D-I schools, each of which has a winning record and NCAA Tournament aspirations entering the regular season’s end. Ole Miss, No. 22 in the Baseball America poll, hosts No.2 Auburn (coached by Aberdeen native Butch Thompson); No. 24 Southern Miss is at No. 14 Troy; Mississippi State travels to Missouri; and Jackson State hosts Southern University. Ole Miss and USM are projected as 2-seeds in the NCAAs by d1baseball.com, and State is a 3-seed. JSU’s path to a regional berth is via winning the SWAC Tournament. … Pushed back a day, Pearl River Community College and East Central CC, both ranked in the top five nationally, are slated to play Game 1 of their NJCAA D-II Region 23 Tournament finals today at Poplarville. … Worth noting: Ti’Quan Forbes, the former Mr. Baseball from Columbia High in his 11th pro season, hit the first home run in Mississippi Mud Monsters history on Wednesday night. The independent club, now 1-2, lost to Gateway 9-8 in 10 innings at Pearl’s Trustmark Park.

14 May

three things

1 — William Carey University, 10th-ranked in NAIA, saw its season end on Tuesday with a 16-11 loss to Oklahoma Wesleyan in an elimination game in the Hattiesburg regional. A nine-run seventh inning doomed the Crusaders, who committed four errors and walked 11 batters in the game. Carey (38-14) was outscored 26-17 in its two losses. Oklahoma Wesleyan plays Indiana Southeast today with the winner then meeting British Columbia in the championship round.
2 — The Mississippi Mud Monsters finally got back on the field for the second game of their inaugural season, but the independent club fell to Gateway 8-5 at Trustmark Park. Newly activated Rodney Theopile, a 6-foot-6 Nicaragua native, pitched four strong innings before the bullpen faltered in a seven-run fifth. Kyle Booker, former DeSoto Central High star, went 3-for-4 with three RBIs for the Mud Monsters (1-1). Game 2 of the Gateway series is tonight in Pearl.
3 — Ryan Rolison, a 2018 first-round draftee, made his big league debut and Kendall Graveman, a veteran big leaguer who missed 2024 after arm surgery, made his season debut. Ole Miss alum Rolison, who has made 95 minor league appearances, got the last out for Colorado in a 4-1 loss at Texas. Graveman, ex-Mississippi State standout, pitched a scoreless inning for Arizona in a 10-6 loss at San Francisco.
P.S. In case you somehow missed it: Former Mississippi Braves star Ronald Acuna homered in his first rehab game for Atlanta’s Florida Complex League team. Former National League MVP Acuna has been out since last May because of a knee injury. On the undercard in that FCL game, Southern Miss product Dalton McIntyre went 1-for-3 with an RBI for the FCL Braves; he was a 19th-round pick last summer.

09 May

here and there

Announcing their presence with authority, as the line goes, the Mississippi Mud Monsters opened their inaugural season Thursday night with a 13-2 beatdown of Florence at Trustmark Park. An announced crowd of 4,552 saw the new Frontier League club blow the game open in a seven-run sixth inning, aided by some shoddy defense from the visiting Y’alls. Brayland Skinner, Mississippi State alum from Lake Cormorant, had two hits and scored two runs and Travis Holt went 3-for-5 with two RBIs in the Mud-sters’ 16-hit attack. Starting pitcher James Boeree, the 7-foot-2 Aussie, threw four hitless (with four walks) innings before yielding to four relievers. Game 2 of the season is tonight in Pearl. … At Twenty Field in Jackson, top-seeded Millsaps College won its SAA Tournament opener 5-2 against Berry and will play Rhodes today in the winners bracket. Bradley Pelle homered to back the excellent pitching of Nick Tarantino, who notched his 10th win. … In Decatur, East Central Community College won its NJCAA Region 23 bracket, whipping Copiah-Lincoln CC 10-0 as Chris Bilingsley threw a one-hitter and Brady McAbee drove in four runs. At Poplarville, Pearl River, riding homers from Jackson Hood and Carlton Thompson, beat Mississippi Gulf Coast 10-1 to advance in the winners bracket. The host Wildcats will play the winner of today’s Gulf Coast-Northeast game for the sub-regional title. PRCC is ranked No. 2 in NJCAA Division II, East Central No. 7. The winners of the two brackets will play a best-of-3 for the region championship. … The five finalists for the Ferriss Trophy have been named: Southern Miss’ Nick Monistere and J.B. Middleton, Ole Miss’ Luke Hill, Mississippi State’s Ace Reese and Delta State’s Drake Fontenot. The winner of the award for the state’s best college player will be announced May 19. … The MHSAA playoffs are finally down to the final 28. Four teams in each of the seven classes. In Class 7A, the North championship will be settled between Madison Central and Tupelo, the South between Brandon and Oak Grove. Oak Grove is ranked No. 2 in the state, per MaxPreps, behind MAIS member Magnolia Heights. The MHSAA state finals begin May 19 at Pearl’s Trustmark Park. The 6A semifinals match Saltillo and Warren Central, Pearl River Central and George County. In 4A, there’s an intriguing matchup in the South between No. 3 Purvis and No. 4 Sumrall. Purvis features the Parker twins, JoJo and Jacob, both pro prospects. Sumrall counters with Landon Hawkins and Leo Odom. No. 7 West Lauderdale is in the 4A North finals. In 2A, fifth-ranked East Union and ace Landon Harmon meet Hamilton for the North title. … Condolences go out to Ripley High and the family and friends of Joel Gafford, who recently passed away at age 40. He won over 250 games in 15 years at Ripley and took the team to the state finals last year. … On Thursday, Jackson native and former big league star Chet Lemon died at age 70. Lemon was a three-time All-Star and a World Series champion during his 16-year career. Regarded as one of the best defensive center fielders of his era (1975-90), Lemon’s career WAR of 55.6 is the best among all Mississippi natives in the big leagues. Roy Oswalt is second with a 50.0 WAR.

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.

08 May

for openers

Opening day for the Mississippi Mud Monsters, the new independent team, is Thursday at Trustmark Park in Pearl. Opening day is always special. When it is punctuated with a win by the home team, it is even moreso. Over the last 50 years, there have been a lot of opening days for pro teams in central Mississippi, every year since 1975, in fact, save for 2001 (no team) and 2020 (COVID shutdown). There are some around who might recall the very first opening day, 50 years ago, at Smith-Wills Stadium, where the Double-A Jackson Mets beat Arkansas 6-4 in a Texas League game. A crowd of 2,800 turned out on a rainy day — and a love affair between city and team began. If you were there in 1984, when Lenny Dykstra put on a show for the JaxMets in a 6-0 win over Tulsa, you remember it. In 1985, Biloxi’s own Barry Lyons belted a walk-off homer for the JaxMets. Both the ’84 and ’85 Mets teams, stocked with future big leaguers, would win league titles. The Jackson Generals, the Houston affiliate that followed the Mets into Smith-Wills in 1991, won their inaugural game at Smith-Wills, 3-2 over Shreveport on a Rusty Harris pinch-hit single in the eighth inning. The 1993 Generals won their first five home games, all against Tulsa, managed by Jackson native Stan Cliburn. The ’93 Gens, featuring Roberto Petagine, Brian Hunter and Jackson’s own Fletcher Thompson, would go on to win the TL pennant. On opening day in 1995, Hattiesburg’s Kary Bridges hit a memorable walk-off bomb for the Gens. The independent Jackson DiamondKats won their first and only home opener in 2000, getting a game-winning hit in the eighth inning from Tupelo’s Willie Gardner. In 2003, the indy Jackson Senators won their opening day game, behind the pitching of Purvis native and staff ace Kenny Rayborn, and would go on to win the Central League championship. Trustmark Park formally opened 20 years ago in April, when the Double-A Mississippi Braves played their much-anticipated home opener. The game drew a crowd of 6,000-plus. That 2005 opening day lineup featured future big leaguers Brian McCann, Jeff Francoeur, Gregor Blanco, Scott Thorman, Anthony Lerew and Luis Hernandez. The manager was Brian Snitker. Alas, the M-Braves lost to Montgomery 11-6. But it was opening day, and it was still special. Thursday will be, too.

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.

01 May

names to know

JoJo Parker (No. 14), J.B. Middleton (31), Landon Harmon (47), Talon Haley (84), Pico Kohn (102) and Mason Morris (116): All are ranked among MLB Pipeline’s new Top 150 MLB draft prospects for 2025. Parker (Purvis), Harmon (East Union) and Haley (Lewisburg) are high school players; Middleton pitches at Southern Miss, Kohn at Mississippi State and Morris at Ole Miss.
Brent Rooker: The ex-Mississippi State All-American hit his eighth homer to spark a six-run ninth as the A’s, 16-15 with six wins in eight games, beat Texas 7-1 in the major leagues on Wednesday.
Colt Keith: The former Biloxi High star, battling a sophomore slump in MLB, hit his first homer of the season and scored twice for Detroit in a 7-4 victory at Houston; Keith, a .260 hitter in 2024, is batting .181.
Brandon Johnson: The Ole Miss alum, a fourth-year pro, notched his fourth save for Double-A Northwest Arkansas (Kansas City chain) and now has a 1.42 ERA over 10 appearances.
Konnor Griffin: The ex-Jackson Prep standout, Pittsburgh’s No. 2 prospect, belted his fifth homer for Low-Class A Bradenton and is batting .265 over 20 games as a pro rookie.
Ti’Quan Forbes: The Columbia High product, the state’s Mr. Baseball in 2014, has signed with the independent Mississippi Mud Monsters; Forbes, 28, an infielder, was a second-round draft pick by Texas 11 years ago and reached the Triple-A level in affiliated ball.
Austin Canale: The Belhaven freshman shortstop drove in five runs on a four-hit day as 2-seed Belhaven beat Huntingdon 16-1 on Wednesday in the first round of the CCS Tournament at Maryville, Tenn.
Eli Collins: The senior outfielder went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs to lead William Carey to a 15-5 win against Tennessee Southern in the first day of pool play in the SSAC Tournament.
Mason Nichols: The Ole Miss senior pitcher has been named the 2024-25 SEC Male H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the conference office. Nichols, a Jackson Prep grad, is a biological sciences major and is 3-1 with a 5.40 ERA this season.

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.

25 Apr

noteworthy

Pitching on four years rest — no, not really — Drew Pomeranz worked a scoreless eighth inning today for the Chicago Cubs in their 4-0 win over Philadelphia at Wrigley Field. Ole Miss product Pomeranz, 36, last pitched in a big league game on Aug. 10, 2021, with San Diego. He has battled injuries and bounced through a number of organizations since then. This is his 15th pro season. Acquired from Seattle earlier this week, the big left-hander struck out Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber to start, yielded an HBP and a walk, then got the final out of the inning. … Former Mississippi State standout Kendall Graveman, on the injured list all season with Arizona, has begun live pitching at the Diamondbacks’ spring facility, per reports. The nine-year big league veteran missed all of the 2024 season following shoulder surgery. … Colby White, an MSU product from Hattiesburg, has been released by the New York Yankees off the Double-A Somerset roster. Roughly two years ago, the right-hander appeared on the brink of making his MLB debut with Tampa Bay. A 2019 draftee by the Rays, he blew through four levels of the minors in 2021 and got a spring training invite in 2022 before having Tommy John surgery and missing that season. He has scuffled ever since. The Yankees claimed him of waivers from the Rays in May of last year but dropped him from their 40-man shortly thereafter. He had a 12.79 ERA in four games at Somerset this season. … Ex-Ole Miss star Doug Nikhazy is slated to make his big league debut for Cleveland on Saturday in Game 2 of a doubleheader. Lefty Nikhazy, in his fifth pro season, had a 3.44 ERA in four starts at Triple-A Columbus. A popular player in Oxford, he posted a 24-6, 2.81, record there from 2019-21. … Second baseman Angus Stayte, who hit .417 in the indy Pecos League in 2024, has signed with the Mississippi Mud Monsters. The team drafted two players, shortstop Roberto Gonzalez and catcher Elias Stevens, out of the Frontier League tryout camp on Wednesday. The new independent team now has 36 players on its preliminary roster. The FL season begins May 8.