Baseball playoffs season is here. Here’s the lineup, plus which teams to watch in South MS.
South Mississippi baseball is gearing up to take on the rest of the state in a high-stakes month of playoff baseball.
The Coast’s best teams are ready for another run after the region produced two championship series teams in 2021. Pascagoula and Resurrection both reached the final series of the season before falling just short of the ultimate prize.
The Panthers are on the outside looking in this time around but Resurrection and a host of others are primed for a deep run in the postseason.
The playoffs begin this weekend with three-game series’ to be played starting Friday.
Who to watch
Region 8-5A No. 1 East Central
The Hornets won two of three against a strong Vancleave team and are more than prepared to carry that momentum into the 5A bracket. TJ Dunsford and Andrew Marble have been electric on the rubber, each toting a sub-1.00 ERA into the playoffs.
Dunsford has also been the team’s top hitter, batting in 20 runs on 29 hits. Logan Terry, Carson Ryder, Anthony Tanner and Hollis Porter are all batting north of .300 and round out a formidable lineup.
The Tomcats rode the dominance of do-it-all senior phenom Gehrig Conard to a 6-2 district record and a weekend date with Purvis in the first round of the playoffs.
Conard has struck out 110 batters so far, which is the most of any Mississippi pitcher listed on MaxPreps.com. He also leads the team in hits, doubles and OPS. With Conard and fellow two-way standout Adrian Byrd, Stone will be a difficult out in the 4A bracket.
Region 8-3A No. 1 St. Stanislaus
Pitching has carried most successful Coast teams this year, but the Rock-a-Chaws come in with a different vibe. St. Stanislaus has a powerful lineup and has had little trouble putting big numbers on the scoreboard. Brad Corley’s team is nearly averaging double-digit runs each game.
The lineup has produced 20 home runs in 24 games, led by Seth Farni’s eight. Hugh LeMasters is batting .413 while Farni, Brandon Rhodes, Ethan Jacobi, Jackson Montjoy and Chesley Rhodes are all hitting over .300.
Region 8-1A No. 1 Resurrection
There may not be a more complete team in South Mississippi than Resurrection Catholic. The Eagles brought back nearly everybody from last year’s squad and are among the favorites to bring the Coast a title this time around.
Joe Scarborough, JT Schnoor and Max Askew have been lights out on the mound. The trio collectively have a 2.04 ERA, giving Resurrection a significant advantage in a three-game series. Scarborough and Askew also help bolster the lineup along with Walker Frederic, who is batting .438 with 35 hits.
Sleeper teams
Region 7-6A No. 3 St. Martin
The Yellow Jackets fought their way in with a 5-4 district record and must face Oak Grove in the first round. St. Martin is no pushover here, as the Yellow Jackets did take two of three games against district champs D’Iberville in early April.
In a best two-out-of-three series, pitching is paramount and St. Martin has it. Parker Dobson, Tyler West and Coby Gollott are all throwing sub-3.00 ERA baseball. West has been particularly strong, striking out 41 batters against just five walks and allowing only six extra base hits in 43.2 innings.
Region 8-5A No. 2 Vancleave
The Bulldogs may be the most dangerous two-seed in the state with its arsenal of pitching arms. Vancleave has a stifling one-two combo on the mound between starters Carson Robb and Max Miller. The two have combined to allow only 12 runs over 100 innings pitched.
If the bats find consistency for head coach Justin Edwards and supply a deep pitching staff with run support, Vancleave could be racing past its round one matchup against Hattiesburg.
Region 7-5A No. 3 Picayune
Picayune has been one of the streakiest teams on the Coast. The Maroon Tide have battled through three different four-plus game losing streaks while also stringing together consecutive wins five different times throughout the year. If the tide turns Picayune’s way, West Jones could be in trouble in round one.
Tanner Busby has been strong on the mound for Picayune with a season ERA of 2.71. Sophomore Kylar King has quietly crafted an excellent season at the plate. He leads the team in batting average, hits and OPS.
Full matchups
6A
- Biloxi vs Warren Central
- Hancock vs Pearl
- St. Martin vs Oak Grove
- Ocean Springs vs Petal
First round byes: D’Iberville, Gulfport
5A
- Vancleave vs Hattiesburg
- George County vs Wayne County
- Picayune vs West Jones
- Long Beach vs Florence
First round byes: East Central, Pearl River Central
4A
- Pass Christian vs Columbia
- Stone vs Purvis
- Moss Point vs Sumrall
- Poplarville vs Greene County
3A
- St. Stanislaus vs Port Gibson
- St. Patrick vs Franklin County
1A
- Resurrection vs Mount Olive
