Some final interesting tidbits from the championship week:
- All six champions were from the South, including two from the coast and three from the Pine Belt.
- All six champions clinched while occupying the first base (visitors) dugout. We knew Petal had defeated Madison Central when they lost the coin toss to see who would be the Game 3 home team.
- Undefeated pitchers did not fare well at the championships. Undefeated starting pitchers who had at least six wins on the season went 3-5 at Trustmark Park. Those with 10+ wins and an undefeated record went 1-3 (W- Jackson Posey, SUM; L- Will Cox, AMY; Brayden Jones, MC; Nick Johnson, RGL).
- Whose the best prospect in the state? The debate raged over the credentials of Madison Central right fielder Ryan Bolden and Richton shortstop Jacoby Jones. Based on what I saw (and note that it was only 2 games of Jones and 3 of Bolden), Bolden shows lots of promise, but he also made the most mistakes. Ryan’s swing is smooth and effortless, and he appears to have excellent gap power. The talk about his speed is legitimate – the guy can fly around the basepaths, and will certainly be capable of collecting a few triples each season. He did chase some pitches out of the strike zone, but that is to be expected of a guy who doesn’t see too many strikes to begin with. My biggest concern with Bolden is his fielding. He looked lost in right field against Petal, committing one error and taking at least two more poor lines to the ball, leading to extra base hits.
Jones, on the other hand, played brilliantly in his two games, reaching base in all but one plate appearance. He showed quickness (stealing home), a strong arm (in the field and on the mound), and a nice glove. His offensive production, particularly on the power side, will likely not match that of Bolden. But if he remains a middle infielder, it won’t have to, and judging by the web gems he made over the course of two days, he can play that position at the next level.
The Major League scouts chose Bolden. The Angels selected him 40th overall. Jones is likely not too far behind. More coverage of the MLB Draft to come on the Acropolis.
- Will this be the last year of the championships at Trustmark Park? The Conference USA championship tournament will be moving to the Teepee beginning next spring, and will take place in roughly the same time frame. Scheduling around the C-USA event and the Mississippi Braves could mean an even longer wait to play the championships, or, more likely, a change of venue. It’s a shame, the players and fans love getting the opportunity to play at Trustmark Park, and as a member of the media, I can tell you that the press box at Smith Wills Stadium has nothing on the Teepee. It will make dollars and sense as long as Southern Miss goes deep into the C-USA tourney, but if they lay an egg, the higher ups will only be dreaming about the crowds they got for Madison Central and Petal.
Without further ado, my All-Championship Teams:
First Team
C: Austin Knight – Sumrall
1B: Jimel Judon – Myrtle
2B: Conner Barron – Sumrall
3B: Cody Conkle – Petal
SS: Jacoby Jones – Richton
OF: Ryan Bolden – Madison Central
OF: Matthew Rylee – Richton
OF: Chad Guice – Sumrall
UTL: Brandon Smith – Petal
P: Stephen Evans – St. Aloysius
P: Taylor Byrd – Petal
Coach: Mark Ross – Long Beach
Second Team
C: Zach Randolph – Amory
1B: Ryno Martin-Nez – St. Aloysius
2B: Sean Wiginton – Myrtle
3B: Brayden Jones – Madison Central
SS: Pierson Waring – St. Aloysius
OF: Jacoby Langley – Petal
OF: Domonique Griffith – Sumrall
OF: Jacob Lindgren – St. Stanislaus
UTL: Jackson Posey – Sumrall
P: Justin Vaughn – St. Stanislaus
P: Stephen Joe – Ridgeland
Coach: Larry Watkins – Petal
Third Team
C: Brendan Beesly – St. Aloysius
1B: Zander Romano – St. Stanislaus
2B: Ricky Kennedy – Ridgeland
3B: Reed Evans – St. Aloysius
SS: Nathan Cockerham – Hamilton
UTL: Nick Johnson – Ridgeland
UTL: Tilur Smith – Richton
UTL: Luke Lowery – Sumrall
UTL: Blaze Napier – Richton
P: Michael Paul – Long Beach
P: Timmy Maloney – Long Beach
Coach: Brandon Davis – Richton
