The Southwest Mississippi Community College baseball team begins its quest for an MACJC state baseball championship today and the program’s first post-season appearance since 2006 when the Bears open a best-of-three series in Raymond against the Hinds Eagles.
Hinds (36-5, 23-5 MACJC) is seeded first in the playoffs and ranked third in the NJCAA, while the Bears (20-22, 13-15) enter as the eighth seed. The Bears defeated the Eagles, 5-3 and 8-4, in their previous encounters this season, when the Eagles were ranked first in the country.
Game 1 is set for 6 p.m. with Game 2 scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch Saturday. Game 3, if necessary, will be played approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 2.
Among those leading the charge for the Bears this season have been sophomore pitcher/infielder Sam Richard, a William Carey University signee, and sophomore catcher Trent Gordy (Germantown High School). Earlier this week, Richard and Gordy discussed the Bears’ upcoming foray into the playoffs.
Richard has been one of the Bears’ top pitchers this season, compiling a 5-2 record (including a win over the Eagles) with an earned run average of 3.12. At the plate, he had a .255 average with four doubles. Gordy is hitting at a .337 clip (with 10 doubles and 18 runs batted in), helping the team to a .294 overall batting average.
“We knew coming in (to this season) that we (the program) hadn’t been to the playoffs in a long time,” said Richard. “It was a team effort, but both Trent and I feel we both individually did a lot of things to get us here.”
Asked what their appearance in the post-season means to the program and its future, Richard said, “I think we’ve started something this year. (Head) Coach (Ken) Jackson and (assistant) Coach (Justin) Hay have really turned it around. I think that means there are good things coming in the future.”
Gordy said the team “should be honored” to be playing in the post-season. “We worked really hard and I think we deserve it.”
Neither player seemed to express the thought of any worries on the part of the team regarding a rematch with Hinds, knowing, however, it will not be easy.
“We are all focused on the process,” said Gordy. “We’re not worried about the outcome. I think we all feel pretty relaxed and we’re ready to go.”
However, “I don’t expect them to give it to us; it’s definitely going to be a job,” he said.
Richard echoed Gordy’s sentiments.
“We’re laid back and having fun right now,” he said. “We’ve made it to the playoffs, but Coach Jackson has got a 24-hour rule where we can’t celebrate one thing for too long. I think we’re relaxed because we’ve beaten them twice already. We have a little bit of confidence going in because we know we can beat them, but we also know they won’t just hand it to us.”
The other first-round matchups are Mississippi Delta at East Mississippi, Jones County at Northwest, and East Central at Meridian.
The winners of the opening-round series will move on to next week’s state tournament, which will be held at the home of the remaining highest-seeded team.
