2003

WEEK OF H.b~t/

East Cent. baseball opens 5-0 "V-.' e are a ~-oun-z team thi:; a 19·0 record in leading former head baseball coach at ?.loore\ille to the State Class Southeast Lauderdale High 2A Championship ; Jonathon School.

year with 21 rre.mme~ but I feel really coniiden· m tinE team's abilities We are hlttmg the ball well and the prtmer5 are impronn_ at e,;-ery ounn~ We are a d5'dk'""h·ely : und team and O!II mfense sh uld be able w proud_ 3Upp.m: for our pitcher:;. We alE ha~ dept:. in each po:iiuo~ and p:ayer5 are having ro compe+t for po.::i· tions.- o:aid E ~ Cie."l!rnl ba-:e– ball coach Jake Yarborough. now in h..li 32amd year in lead– ing the Diamon: Warri~ .. Yarboro :,b aid rop returnee' from la"t year's squad include miielde.r~ficher Justin Darby. serond baseman Jake Ne~tcr. catcner Joey Holcomb and p1tcher~ Alex Shepard of ~b~topol and J arrod Y aughn. Darby barr.ed 291 with 20 RBis. and N.::s~er posted a .257 average. Sheparo had a 2 · 0 earned run a\·erage and \'"aughn com· piled a 4.97 ERA. Other top rerurnees are first baseman Tyler Rogers and out– fielder Paul Brorrn. Newcomers on the mound include Jim Talley. who posted

Taylor. a transfer from Delta State University; and Hunter Holley, a southpaw from Philadelphia High School. Yarborough said he is also expecting strong performances from other members of the pitching staff, who include Brent McMillan, Gary Parker, Chris Middleton, Tra Hickmon, Drew McGehee, Dexter Sellers, Wes Turner and Jonathan Sigrest of Scott Central. Parker and McGehee are the southpaws in the group. Expected to see plenty of action in the infield are third baseman Michael Dunn, short stop Jacob Davis, first baseman Destin Moore, short stop Wes Turner and second baseman! short stop Brian McNeil. Sharing catching duties with Holcomb are Jacob Townsend and Robby Carey. Battling for starting posi– tions in the outfield are Drew Kenna, Gabe Snow and Kentay Eiland, David Martin, Cr~ig Martin and Van Wilson. Assisting Yarborough this season is Reggie Richardson,

Young Warriors roll East Central improved to 5- 0 on the young baseball season following Sunday's 11·4 win over Jones County Junior Col– lege in second-round action of the rain-delayed Rush Classic held at Meridian Community College. The Diamond Warriors broke open a tight game by scoring six runs in the top of the ninth to clinch the victory. East Central also scored two runs in the first inning, one in the third, and one in the eighth. Jones, which fell to 0-4 , posted three runs in the first and one in the fifth. Nester had two doubles to lead Warrior sluggers. Darby, Destin and Eiland had doubles each. Turner collected the win. East Central began action in the three-day tournament by rallying from a four-run deficit to defeat host Meridian Community College 10-9 Sat– urday afternoon.

APPEARED IN:

LAKE MESSENGER______________ SCOTT COUNTY TIMES____ ___ _ NESHOBADEMOCRAT______ UNION APPEAL------------- NEWTON RECORD________ WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL_____ MERIDIAN STAR_ ______ SPIRIT OF MORTON_ _____ _ CLARION-LEDGER_______ _ CARTHAGINIAN_'C_____ _