By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PEARL — Former Vancleave head coach Daniel Best is looking for his third state championship ring in eight years Saturday afternoon.

Best, in his seventh season as head coach at Brandon, and his Bulldogs face Jackson metro rival Madison Central in game three of the Class 7A state championship here at Trustmark Park. A rubber match was needed in the series after the teams split the first two games, as the Jaguars won game one 11-7 on Thursday and the Bulldogs bounced back for a 4-3 win Friday night.

Best led the Bulldogs to the first-ever Class 7A state championship in the state of Mississippi last season with a sweep over Hernando, which marked just the second state title in school history and the first since 1967.

Best, a former Southern Miss All-American pitcher, took over at Brandon almost immediately after leading Vancleave to its first state title ever in 2018.

Brandon once again bulldozed its way to the Class 7A South State championship this season, for the second year in a row.

On this current two season journey to Trustmark Park, Best’s Bulldogs have eliminated four different Region 4-7A teams along the way including four straight wins over Ocean Springs, two over St. Martin and two over Biloxi. Plus, they have eliminated fellow Region 3-7A foes and perennial state powers Oak Grove (last week) and Northwest Rankin (last year) in two straight games in the Class 7A South State championship series.

Also, Best has family ties to the Coast. He is married to Lyndsey Castleman Best, who is from Biloxi and whose brother Steven Castleman also played baseball at Southern Miss.

Medal Count

That Brandon-Madison Central match-up will be the final prep baseball game in the state of Mississippi this season. But there is one other title tilt just before it.

Clarkdale and West Union are also knotted up at one game apiece and that third and deciding contest will take place at Noon on Saturday.

Both Brandon and Clarkdale are hoping to help the South side out in the total win count.

Coming into the final day of play Saturday, the North leads 4-1, after Saltillo won in Class 6A, Lafayette won in Class 5A, West Lauderdale won in Class 4A and West Union won in Class 1A.

So far, with two classifications remaining to be decided, Seminary in Class 2A is the lone representative to take the crown.

Here is the updated schedule/results:

MHSAA Baseball State Championships

At Trustmark Park, Pearl

Tuesday’s Scores

CLASS 1A

Game 1

West Union 4, Taylorsville 2

CLASS 3A

Game 1

Seminary 2, Mooreville 1

CLASS 4A

Game 1

West Lauderdale 2, Purvis 1

CLASS 6A

Game 1

Saltillo 4, George County 3 (8 innings)

Wednesday’s Scores

CLASS 2A

Game 1

East Union 4, Clarkdale 1

CLASS 3A

Game 2

Seminary 9, Mooreville 1 (Seminary wins series 2-0).

CLASS 5A

Game 1

Lafayette 7, South Jones 1

CLASS 6A

Game 2

Saltillo 3, George County 1 (Saltillo wins series 2-0).

Thursday’s Scores 

CLASS 4A

Game 2

Purvis 3, West Lauderdale 2 (series tied 1-1).

CLASS 5A

Game 2

Lafayette 9, South Jones 6 (Lafayette wins series 2-0).

CLASS 7A

Game 1

Madison Central 11, Brandon 7

Friday’s Scores

CLASS 4A

Game 3

West Lauderdale 3, Purvis 2 (West Lauderdale wins series 2-1).

CLASS 2A

Game 2

Clarkdale 4, East Union 1 (series tied 1-1).

CLASS 1A

Game 2

West Union 4, Taylorsville 1 (West Union wins series 2-0).

CLASS 7A

Game 2

Brandon 4, Madison Central 3 (series tied 1-1).

Saturday

CLASS 2A

Game 3

Noon — Clarkdale (26-10) vs. East Union (32-5)

CLASS 7A

3 p.m. — Brandon (24-13) vs. Madison Central (26-8)