By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

GULFPORT — The 2025 prep baseball season opens across the state of Mississippi on Monday.

But, for one head coach in the “Southern Six”, it promises to be one like no other no matter what transpires over the next few months.

Harrison Central’s Neil Frederic begins his eighth season and what appears to his final year at the helm of the Red Rebels. That’s because, in a strange situation, Frederic was informed several weeks back that his contract would not be renewed beyond this season by new Harrison County Athletic Director Kevin Roberts.

“On Friday, January 17th, 2025, I was told we have not won enough games in my tenure as the Head Baseball Coach at Harrison Central over the last eight years,” Frederic told SouthMiss6 Sports in an exclusive interview Sunday afternoon. “With that being said, I provided my resignation to the administration and the athletic department on Tuesday, January 21st. The 2025 season will be my last at Harrison Central. However, we have not stopped working. I have gotten so much support that helps me control today.”

The Pascagoula native Frederic has gone 82-102 at HCHS since coming back to the Coast from Center Hill High in 2018, where he served in the same capacity for several seasons.

Frederic, a former high school standout who played for coach Johnny Olsen at Pascagoula and later served on his staff at PHS, graduated from Pascagoula in 1994 and played at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Belhaven before transferring to LSU as a student. He also worked as a staff member at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Stone High before landing at Center Hill.

Harrison Central has never won a state baseball championship in the almost seven decade history of the program.

In his seven seasons leading HCHS, he has led the Red Rebels to the state playoffs five times including three out of the past four years since the Covid season of 2020 was cut short.

He took over in Lyman for the legendary head coach Pat Olmi, who spent 20 years in the same post. In his first season with HCHS, Frederic led the Red Rebels to their deepest playoff run in his tenure as they advanced to the Class 6A South State semifinals before losing in three games to eventual South State champion George County.

Last season, despite a losing record in the regular season due in part to the fact that HCHS had to play all games in the first part of the season on the road because of unexpected field renovations, Frederic guided his team to the first-ever Class 7A playoff berth in school history.

The Red Rebels open the new season Tuesday night at St. Stanislaus.

“I’m not a quitter. I’m unique, different and a fighter.” Frederic continued. “We will continue to fight. I really don’t talk to the guys about it. This is not about me, it’s about those guys in the locker room. There will only be one 2025 team, and I believe that they will sacrifice to make it special and work towards the pillars of our program. Our job is not done.”