2004

ECCCbaseball team to honor Fortenberry

baseball team."

When baseball sea.;;on gets unden-. ay I cbruary 12 for the East Central Com– munity Coll~gc Di.1mond Warriors, players will h,we more than scoring runs and winning g,Hncs on thetr minds. Team members will also direct their thoughts to,,vard John rortenberrv, a freshman pitcher from C~rthage, who sustained a season-ending injury during an intrasquad <>crimmage on January 23. Fortenberry was hit in the face bv a line drh e, cruc.hing the ride side of hb face. I Ie underwent several hours of surgery at Univcrsit) of Mississippi Medical Center m Jack.c.,on follo,ving the inci– dent, but efforts to saw his right eye \\ere not succcssfu 1. Another surgery wns per– formed fhun;dily during which time doctors removed his eve and rt.?construclcd the right side of his face. Fortenberry is cxpcded to receive an artificial eye sometime in March. Dinmond Warrior head Jake Yarborough s,1id player; will display l'ortenberry's No. 29 on their caps throughout ll •2004 Cht-hander and former SC st ndout at Carthage lligh S~.h(lOI, wa~ among freshman Uf\ hurlers competing for the st1rting rotation. He was also WI expected to sec playing time in the outfit.'ltl. SP Yarborough said rorten- berry's acctdcnt ha:; been, IMI "devustaling to our whole AF ... •tr fcillen t amm te

Yarborough, now in his third year as head coach, led the Diamond Warriors to a 21- 21 mark last season. They were one game away from making the state playoffs, a goal Yarborough expects his team to reach this year. "We have sever a 1 returnees from last \ear, including six starter.., u1 the field and hvo pitchers. Our c;ophomores k.no'' ho\\ tough our schedule b and we expect them to give us lead– ership," Yarborough said prior to losing Drew Kenna with a broken wrist on Thursday. Kenna batted .392 as a freshman. "I think our team has a strong \~·ork ethic and a love for the game. We should be more athletic this vear. Our outfielders have g~od speed with arm strength. "We are fundamental in the infield. Our catchers are tough behind the plate. Our pitching staff consists of six sophomores and seven fresh– men. "Our kc\ to success lies "ith defense and pitching." Top otfensivc returnees and their re..,pccth e batting a\ eragt!::> from 2003 include Dexter Sellers (.320), and Michael Dunn (.287 with stx home runs and 30 RBis). The Diamond Warriors open up with Northeast Mississippi Community College February 12 in Booneville, and begin home action February 14 against Jones County Jumor College. Both dates are doublehcad- crs.

CARTHAGINIAN ----------------- ~ESHOBA DEMOCRAT ------ NEWTON RECORD -------------- MERIDIAN STAR ---------------- CLARION-LEDGER ---------------