the right stuff

Sunday marked the 10th anniversary of the 2003 Jackson Senators’ home opener, which proved to be a harbinger of a special season. The Senators, playing before a Smith-Wills Stadium crowd of 3,474 (announced, of course), beat the Springfield/Ozark Mountain Ducks 10-3. Antoine Cameron drove in four runs, Purvis’ Kenny Rayborn pitched a strong five innings and Southern Miss product Danny Stout struck out the side in the ninth. It was a memorable game. That team, managed by Dan Shwam, would go on to win the independent Central Baseball League championship, the sixth pennant for a Smith-Wills based pro team. That season was sort of a last hurrah for the Sens, who struggled the next two years and then faded away after 2005, the year the Mississippi Braves moved into Trustmark Park. P.S. Millsaps is headed to Millington, Tenn., for NCAA Division III regional play, while Delta State will head to Tampa, Fla., for its D-II regional. Both of these teams are capable of deep runs in the postseason. Stay tuned.