By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

BILOXI — The annual “Battle at the Beach” prep baseball event is almost a decade old.
And this year, as it celebrates its ninth year, the event has blossomed into one of the premiere events for prep baseball in the state of Mississippi.
Once again, just like last year, BATB is set for a 10-day run with all games being played in the “Southern Six” footprint at a dozen different venues.
Almost 25 teams from six different states will compete during the event, which begins Thursday at Biloxi High School.

“The Battle at the Beach has grown every year since Coach Eddie Lofton started it when he first got to Biloxi eight years ago,” Biloxi second-year head coach Hawtin Buchanan said Wednesday afternoon. “It’s been really cool to watch it grow, and it’s a really great chance for people across the coast to see the baseball talent that our state and region has to offer. It’s also a great opportunity for teams and people not from our area to get to see how great of a place the Mississippi Gulf Coast is to live and visit.”
The Indians are once again the main host of the event, and games will take place at The Biloxi High Sports Complex on eight of the nine days of play as well as at MGM Park on some days.
The home of the Milwaukee Brewers Class AA affiliate will once again host several days of action during the BATB, beginning on day two of the event when a trio of local teams will be in action at the field where the Biloxi Shuckers call home.
After action gets underway Thursday afternoon at BHS with a single game between Booker T. Washington of Pensacola, Fla., and Mountain Brook, Ala.

Play on Friday expands to three total venues, with games taking place at BHS and St. Martin High as well as the first day of play at MGM Park which is a big one for local fans. Pass Christian faces Wayne Academy at 5 p.m., followed by the much anticipated “Battle for Tomahawk Cup ” between Biloxi and neighboring D’Iberville around 7:30.
Wayne Academy will begin the day at Biloxi High, taking on Booker T. Washington at 11 a.m., before moving southward towards the coastline.

In St. Martin on Friday, the host Yellow Jackets get into the action by facing Mountain Brook at 7:30 p.m., Before that, MBHS faces Alabama rival Orange Beach at 5 p.m.
On Saturday, action expands to four different sites with games being played at not only MGM and in St. Martin but Gulfport and Pass Christian as well.
The Battle at the Beach then takes a day off Sunday, before resuming play on Monday to finish up the annual affair with six straight days of action.
Stay tuned to SouthMiss6 Sports for daily updates on the BATB and full coverage over all 10 days of the event.