2009

Diamond Warrior~ ready to open season A "more thlct1 ~ and •·fa td' f-ast Ccnt1~tl Communlt) College baseball team \\111 take the field tn "l OQ .;;aid head Cl)ach cal Holl1man from "hose D1amo•1d \\ arnor' chool begin nctton b\ hosting t ~ ~ repor s Re,ill-la)~.:t c ( mmunll) tial, we have not gotten the most out of the year." ly missed making the playoffs. Not a single starter returns from the infield. Recogni zed by the ECCC head coach for having productive fall cam– paigns were Maloney, Eichelberger. Ming, and freshman right-handed pitcher Jay Mitchell of Greenwood, a product of Pillow Academy.

For r ast Central to have another championship season. Holliman said hts young pitching staff and his young team - which includes 21 freshmen \\ill have to meet the challenges of commun ity college baseball. And because his team 1s young, "there's still a lot to be detennined as to the role of ma,11y players." " We are young." he said. "but as a ''hole '' e really like the freshman class. They have adapted well to our philosophy and continue to show improvement each day." Holliman noted that the strength of this year's squad is the returning players. "We '' til depend a lot on our soph– omore players and their leadership." Sophomores include pitchers Steven Sames of Covington (La.) High School, Timothy ~laloney, a product of Northeast Lauderdale High School in Meridian, and Lance Gibson ofToxey, Ala., a transfer . from Lurleen B. Wallace Community College: outfielders Allen Cheek of CmToll Academy. Delta State University transfer Daniel Eichelberger and Clint Coleman. both of Louisville, and Zef-.ricka Hall of Carthage; infielders Jack Edmonson ofNanih Waiya, I lol.mcs Community College transfer John ;\11chael Williamson of Petal, and catch– er mfielder Kylie Ming of Louis' iUe. Bames and Maloney are the only returning starters on the mound from last )ear·., squad. which finished 28-26 O\'CrJU and - in league play and bare-

College \\\;dne:.d.t). I cb. 4 Double– hc·1u~r acuon g " under '' .t~ "tth a n m~:-mnm!! matchUJl at I p.m. at the liar!.. t1ay Ba eball Complex A SC\en-llmtn~ COnte t \\IIJ !oliO\\. "I feel \\C are more athleuc than in the pa~t .mu our O\ emU team ~reed 1~ the best smce \\C h:l\e been here.' !>

In addition to ~1itchell. other fresh– man team members include left-handed pitchers/outfielders Scott Lowrey o Neshoba Central and Ernie Triplett of Louisville; catchefSiinficlders outficlden– Jeremy May of Newton Count) High School and Quin Stokes of Carthage: middle infielders Drew Bmhl of Ocean Springs and Garrett Butler of Runnels High School in Prairie\'ille. La.; catcher/infielder San1 Wooten of Lake: left-handed pitcher/first baseman Ore\\ Wt!son of Newton County High School. left-handed pitchers Austin Buchanan of Neshoba Central and Willard Bacon of Choctaw Central: infielders Cooper Robertson of Caledonia High School and Stephen Hudson of Meridian. who played at Calvary Christian chool: right– handed pitchers Eric Dowell of Carthage. Barry Meeks of Sweetwater. Ala. and Patrician Academy, and Tyler Nicholson of Neshoba Central; right-handed pitch– er/infielder Tyler Davis of Newton County High chool; first basemen Callop Hampton of Magee. a transfer from Southwest Mississippi Community College, and Seka York of Chocta\\ Central; outfielder ldael Pestana of Morton; and catcher/infielder Jordan Smith ofUnion.

APPEARED IN:

NESHOBA DEMOCRAT--- – NEWTON RECORD-----– MERIDIAN STAR------ – CLARION-LEDGER - -----

CARTHAGINIAN - ---- -– SCOTT COUNTY TIMES------- UNION APPEAL - - - .li------– WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL----

SPIRIT OF MORTON------- -