By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

For the first time in 14 years, if the state playoffs began this week perennial state power East Central would be fighting for a spot in the postseason.

The Hornets have missed the state baseball playoffs just twice in the past three decades.
The back-to-back Class 5A state champions have lost five straight region games for the first time in over 30 years and they stand just 1-5 after two weeks of play in the region race. The Hornets are currently fifth in the league standings in the six squad loop and if the Class 5A South State playoffs started Tuesday the Hornets, who have won three state titles in the past 15 seasons, would be sitting at home.
Stone stretched out East Central’s recent slump on Saturday. The Tomcats invaded Jackson County for the second time in five days and escaped with an exciting 3-2 win to complete a sweep of the three game series.

“We lost a couple close games to Stone to wrap up last week,” veteran ECHS head coach Bo Long said Monday. “So a series win this week will be huge for morale plus hopefully get us some momentum going over the next few weeks leading up to the playoffs.”
The Hornets, at 8-9 overall, begin one of the most pivotal regulars season stretches in 15 years this week with a three game region series at home against Gautier Tuesday night.
That upstart Stone squad sits atop of the league standings, as the Tomcats remained perfect in the region race at 6-0. Vancleave, which handed ECHS its first two region losses then swept the Gators last week, sits in the second spot at 5-1 while Gautier and Wayne County are each 2-3 in the region race. Laurel is 0-4, and has barely been able to field a complete team at times this season.

When asked if just getting a win in region action at this point is key for his squad in stemming the tide a bit Long replied…”Absolutely..”
“We feel like we could/should have won three of the five we lost.” he added.
The situation is reminiscent of the 2010 season, when after winning the Class 4A state title in 2008 and playing for it again in 2009 the Hornets returned a much less experienced squad and struggled through a rare losing season at 12-16.
The Hornets went just 4-4 in league play that season and missed the state playoffs. It marked the first time in 15 years, since 1995, that ECHS failed to qualify for the postseason.

This season, Long returned just a couple of full-time starters after losing nine key starters and top reserves to graduation after they won back-to-back state titles.
But, unlike the 2010 team, the road back to the state playoffs seems much more clear for the current crop of Hornets. After Gautier this week, the Hornets face Laurel and then Wayne County to wrap up the regular season. A third place finish in the loop is certainly possible with the top four teams qualifying for the state playoffs.
After hosting the Gators on Tuesday night, the Hornets head to Gautier for game two on Thursday and then will head back to Hurley for game three Friday night.