By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

HURLEY — This week’s “Baria Law Firm Game Ball of the Week” goes to Jaxon Cripps of East Central as presented by SouthMiss6 Sports.

Every week throughout the end of the school year, we will honor student/athletes across the “Southern Six” with our “Game Ball of the Week” sponsored by David Baria, Attorney-Mediator.

Cripps, a senior shortstop, has helped lead his Hornets to the verge of clinching home-field advantage in the opening round of the upcoming Class 5A South State playoffs thanks to sweeping Laurel this week for their fifth straight Region 4-5A win.

In the three game series against the Golden Tornadoes, Cripps had a two-run home run and an RBI-single in the seven run first frame in the first game for the Hornets, which quickly ended the opener after the top of the third inning at 10-0.

The road back home didn’t get any better for the Golden Tornadoes in the nightcap as the Hornets recorded a 13-0 shutout that also lasted just three LHS turns at bat and Cripps had two hits and drove in a run. He also drove in a pair of runs in an abbreviated 15-0 win on the road in Laurel Thursday night.

East Central under veteran head coach Bo Long, who guided the Hornets to back-to-back Class 5A state championships in 2022 and 2023, has won eight region games in their past nine outings and sits in second place in the region race as of Friday.

Also, last week, Cripps continued his impressive senior season as he collected.a pair of two-run home runs Saturday against Gautier and he drove in a game-high five runs. He also drove in two runs in an 11-0 win over the Gators Friday night, as ECHS clinched the three game Region 4-5A series after losing the opener.

The Baria Law Firm, the Gulf Coast branch of Cosmich, Simmons and Brown, provides a beacon of trust and reliability in a complex legal landscape. Our firm’s unwavering dedication to you is at the core of everything we do. Choose David Baria of Baria Law as your legal ally, and let us handle the details while you focus on what matters most. Reach out to David at 228-395-8303 or dbaria@barialaw.com and at https://barialaw.com.