By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

A state championship is on the minds of prep baseball and softball players and coaches this week in the “Southern Six” as all seven classifications will be involved in their respective region races.

Getting to Trustmark Park in Pearl is the ultimate goal for every prep baseball player on every team in the state of Mississippi when the season tips off. And playing well in region action and earning a top four seed is the first step.

Getting to Hattiesburg at The University of Southern Mississippi is the ultimate goal for every prep softball player on every team in the state of Mississippi when the season tips off. And playing well in region action and earning a top four seed is the first step.

Each week until the overall state tournament starts in mid-May, SouthMiss6 Sports will be the place to be to keep up with the most complete and comprehensive info about all things prep baseball and prep softball featuring stories and photos in the “Southern Six” counties of the state of Mississippi.

Each week, on Monday, we will take a look at at least five players and five games to keep an eye on as well as release our weekly “Super 7 in the Southern 6” polls.

Around the Diamond in the “Southern 6”

This week’s “Around the Diamond in the Southern 6” players list is comprised of some of the area standouts in prep baseball and prep softball that helped their respective squads earn bids in the state playoffs last week:

1. Brock Sheppard, Poplarville — Sheppard helped guide the Hornets to a two game sweep over Morton in the opening round of the Class 4A South State playoffs as he had five hits including a home run and a double and collected five RBI’s in the pair of PHS wins.
2. Jacob Alexander, St. Patrick — St. Patrick is headed to the second round of the Class 3A South State playoffs for the second straight season, and Alexander is a major reason why. In a two game sweep over Morton in the opening round of the Class 3A South State playoffs, Alexander had game-high totals of three hits and three RBIs in both contests. He had four doubles among those six hits. He also picked up the win on the mound Monday night to wrap up the series.
3. Colt Robertson, Picayune — The Maroon Tide got a complete game pitching performance Thursday from Robertson to remain in the thick of the playoff chase with a 5-1 home win over Long Beach. Robertson struck out nine and allowed four hits. Robertson also had two hits and and RBI Friday against the Bearcats.
4. Sean Stiglets, St. Martin — Stiglets produced one of the biggest weeks of his career this week at just the right time as he helped St. Martin sweep arch-rival D’Iberville in three straight games to clinch its first-ever trip to the Class 7A state playoffs. Thursday night, in a 9-4 home win over the Warriors that secured the playoff spot, Stiglets collected a game-high three hits including a double and he drove in two runs. He began the series also with a game-high three hits in a close 8-7 road win over DHS on Tuesday. Then, in the regular season finale on Friday afternoon, St. Martin thumped the Warriors 12-3 and Stiglets had two hits and two RBIs.
5. Jordyn Bradley, George County (Softball)— Bradley, a multi-year starter for the Lady Rebels, helped GCHS secure its third straight region title with a series sweep over Region 4-6A foe Pascagoula. Bradley collected a game-high three hits and a game-high two RBIs in an 8-0 win over the Lady Panthers and scored four runs total in the two game series sweep.

This Week’s Games (Baseball):

1. Hattiesburg at Long Beach — Thursday in the Class 6A South state opening round playoff series game one for both teams.
2. Pascagoula at Pearl River Central — Friday in the Class 6A South State opening round playoff series game one for both teams.
3. Petal at Gulfport — Friday in the Class 6A South State opening round playoff series game one for both teams.
4. Columbia at Pass Christian — Friday in the Class 4A South State opening round playoff series game one for both teams.
5. West Jones at Picayune — Saturday in the Class 6A South State opening round playoff series game one for both teams.

South Miss 6 Sports Super 7 Polls

Super 7 in the Southern 6 Prep baseball and softball Polls!!!!

(April 21st edition)

(Our weekly polls are the ONLY ones in the state of Mississippi that’s voted solely on by a panel of head baseball and softball coaches)

Baseball:

1. Vancleave 23-5
2. Ocean Springs 22-5-1
3. George County 18-9
4. Gulfport 19-8
5. Pearl River Central 16-11
6. St. Patrick 18-9
7. Poplarville 20-8

Softball:

1. George County 24-2
2. East Central 22-5
3. Hancock 18-4
4. Ocean Springs 16-12
5. Gulfport 13-10
6. Stone 16-9
7. Harrison Central 12-14