2007

5 - 7- 0 7

WEEK OF

• ebigboys at reg· al went on step bystep from there." The team catalyst is leadoff batter and center fielder Terrell Hendrix, a freshman out of East Oktibbeha. "He's a unique indi– vidual, as coachable as any kid I've ever been associated with," Holliman said. "There's no doubt the guys believe in themselves now," Hol– liman said. "Theybelieve inwhat we're doing. We'll show up (for the regional) andwe'll compete." Hope floats

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they v.ill be as long as (Coach) Jeff Willis is there." Holliman, who was an assis· tant on f"ne '98 ECCC team, describes his club as one with a lineup that "won't scare anybody to deathp and with a pitching staff that doesn't have a true ace. The Warriors, he said, waded through the state tourney field with no great expectations. "'t's an old cliche, but we just took it a game at a time. We said we'd play the first one, then see what happened from there," he said. "Wewere fortunate enough to beat Gulf Coast and we just

on whether catcher JarrodSalta· Iamacchia will return to the Mis– sissippi Braves when Brayan PenacomesofftheDL in Atlanta. Pena is eligible to be activated onThursday, when theDouble-A M-Braves are scheduled to start a homestand against Tennessee. The M-Braves went 5-5 in their first 10 games without Salty, t heir switch-hitting cleanup batter who was off to a hot start. Theywere 18-7 before he was summoned to the big leagues. "You can't help but miss his presence," said M-Braves right fielder Matt Esquivel, who moved into the 4-hole. "'t's noth– ing new for me there. It's an opportunity to fill a role. If that's a load to carry, I accept the responsibility. "We still have a pretty solid lineup." Clint Sammons has filled in admirably behind the plate, and the emergence of first baseman GregCreekas a consistent No. 5 hitter has helped the M-Braves offset the loss of Saltalamac– chia's bat. "Creek's been huge," Esquivel said. "He'sdone somedamage." But make no mistake, with a first-half championship in their sights, they stillwant Saltyback.

Delta State is anxiously await· ing today's announcement by the NCAA of the at-large bids to the Division n regionals. DSU (44-14) moved up to No. 2 from third in the South Central Region rankings lastweek, a posi· tive sign but no guarantee - as the Statesmen painfully learned last year- that a postseason bid is forthcoming. Three automatic bids in the SouthCentral have been clinched; threeat-largebids jll'e upfor grabs. DSUwent 2·2 in theGulfSouth Conference Tournament, won by West Florida. TheStatesmenbeat the region's No. 1 team, Ouachita Baptist, in the tournament The Statesmen did not make the NCAAs last year for the first time since 1998.... Millsaps (35-11) is also hoping for gbOd news todaywhen the D– m field is announced. TheMajors were onewin awayfrom aCollege WorldSeries trip last year.

First basemaJ\ Adam Griffin and catcher Chris Parkman also played well in the state tourney. Holliman used four different starters in the four tourney games but used sidearmingright– hander Joel Denson - "our workhorse" - in three of the four.

State M-Bits ast CentrallookinThi

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ston to emerge with their first state championship since 1998 and the top seed for the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament that startsMonday atMeridian. The Warriors play Northwest on Monday at 4 p.m. The day's first game matches Gulf Coast andItawamba at 1, and the night· cap features Meridian and LSU· Eunice, the No. 1 team in the country. ~ "It only gets tougher now," said first-year ECCC coach Neal Holliman. "Gulf Coast and Meridian are as talented as any– body. LSU-Eunice is very good;

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The field for the junior college state tournament included two teams ranked in the top 10 in the nation plus a couple of others on extendedhot streaks. Lving in the weeds was East Central Community College, the 3eCOtld-place team from the Cen· tra1 Division with a 27·21 record coming into the six-teamtourna· menL The unsung Warriors rose to the occasion, beating No. 2· ranked Gulf Coast and No. 8 Meridian twice each in Perkin·

NESHOBA DEMOCRAT _ ___ NE~ONRECORD _________ MERIDIAN STAR-- ---- CLARION-LEDGER _ __!:._____ IMPACT _________________