the heat is on

Itawamba Community College won six of its last eight games to claim fourth place in the MACJC North Division and earn a 14th straight postseason trip. “It’s all about getting hot at the right time,” said Indians coach Barry Collier. Unfortunately for ICC, no team in the state juco league is hotter than Pearl River, which hosts the 23-21 Indians today in the weather-delayed first round of the playoffs. PRCC has won 11 straight games and is 36-10, ranked ninth in the most recent NJCAA poll. As South Division champs, the Wildcats will also host the four-team state tournament if they win the best-of-3 series against ICC. Pearl River, coached by former Southern Miss (and Jackson Senators) standout Josh Hoffpauir, has an array of talent, led by starting pitchers Christian Talley and Brandon Fry, both USM signees. Ole Miss-bound Braxton Lee is among a group of strong hitters that also includes Darius Knight, Darien Brown and Krisjon Wilkerson. Also today, North Division champion Northeast (28-15) hosts Gulf Coast (25-19); South runner-up East Central (26-19) hosts Delta (24-18); and North No. 2 Northwest (27-14) hosts Jones County (28-16). East Central shortstop Tim Anderson might be the state’s best juco player and top draft prospect, but there is plenty of other talent in action this weekend. ICC has Mississippi State signee Ben Hudspeth to throw at Pearl River. Northeast has three recent state player of the week winners: Justin Neal, Will Robertson and ex-MSU hurler Tanner Gaines. Northwest is led by slugger Dylan Castoria, a Mississippi Valley State signee who is batting .396 with five homers. Jones trots out Delta State signee Benji Sullivan and former Terry High star Westin Stringer, who is 7-0. Expect surprises in the juco postseason; there almost always are a couple. P.S. Delta State (39-8-1) faces an elimination game today against West Florida in the Gulf South Conference Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn. Win or lose, DSU will get an NCAA Division II regional bid. … William Carey, which went 2-1 in pool play in the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament, will host an NAIA opening round tournament next week at Wheeler Field in Hattiesburg. The Crusaders are 35-21. Belhaven, 1-2 in the tournament and 37-21 overall, is hopeful of receiving a bid when they are announced on Sunday.