By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

The 2025 prep baseball season opens across the state of Mississippi this week.

And, thanks to some inclement weather possible on Tuesday, suddenly quite a few “Southern Six” squads will make their season debut on Monday night.

The highlight of the opening week of play is a two game series between defending Class 6A state champion George County and Ocean Springs. The home and home affair was slated to start Tuesday night but was moved up a day to Monday night because of the threat of rain.

The teams will then meet again Friday night in Ocean Springs. Sandwiched in between those two meetings for the Greyhounds is a trip to Petal Thursday night to take on perennial state power Purvis Thursday night.

Originally, no “Southern Six” squads were slated to open the new campaign on Monday.

Elsewhere, while GCHS is battling OSHS, the other defending state champ from the “Southern Six” Vancleave doesn’t get started until a little later in the week as the Bulldogs are set to host Harrison Central on Friday night.

Vancleave captured the Class 5A state title last season.

However, prep baseball aficionados in Jackson County won’t have to wait that long for some big action as Pascagoula and East Central face off in a two game series this week as well.

The Panthers will host the Hornets at 5 p.m., Tuesday and then the two teams will head to Hurley for a rematch Friday night at 7 p.m.

Also on Monday, Pass Christian and Hancock will begin their annual season opening two game series Monday night in the Pass, and Long Beach will travel to D’Iberville as the Warriors and the Bearcats open the season against one another also.

On Tuesday, Herbert Wilson Field in Gulfport is the place to be as the home-standing Admirals host Pearl River Central at 7:30 p.m. That game is the nightcap of a season-opening doubleheader as Biloxi faces Picayune at 5 p.m. to get things rolling.

Later in the week, to cap off opening week play in the “Southern Six”, Pascagoula will host longtime arch-rival Moss Point at 1 p.m., at Ingalls field on Saturday.