something new
The new Southeast Collegiate Baseball League is scheduled to begin play on June 8 with multiple teams based in Jackson, Hattiesburg and Baton Rouge, La. The wood-bat college summer league is a joint venture between former big leaguer Chris Snopek’s P360 Performance Sports and Baton Rouge-based Traction Sports Performance, of which ex-big leaguer and LSU alum Ryan Theriot is Director of Business Development. The league will give playing opportunities to graduated high school seniors and college-level players with eligibility remaining, according to a press release. The 2020 prep and college seasons were halted in March by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the players listed on the SECL rosters are Hayden Dunhurst and Trey LeFleur from Ole Miss, Southern Miss’ Hunter LeBlanc, D.J. Stevens of Jackson State, Delta State’s Jake Barlow and Bryson Ware, a former Germantown High standout headed for Auburn. “The phone was already ringing about forming a college league,” Snopek, a former Ole Miss star, said in the release. “We thought we could put a few teams together, but the response has been incredible, so we realized this was bigger than we expected.” P360 owns baseball training centers in Jackson, Flowood and Hattiesburg. Former USM pitcher and onetime big leaguer Scott Copeland will be involved with the SECL’s Hattiesburg teams. Traction Sports has a facility in Hattiesburg as well as Baton Rouge. The SECL commissioner is Cory Hough. For more information, visit p360performancesports.com or tractionsports.com.