By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

Fifteen years ago, Long Beach won its first and to date only baseball state championship.

Yes, in 2010, the Bearcats used a late season surge to capture the Class 5A state title, wrapping things up with a two game sweep of Ridgeland at Trustmark Park in Petal.

Veteran LBHS head coach Mark Ross was in his 20th season leading the squad, and the Bearcats went 23-11 to make school and program history.

“You need to have chemistry, good players and a little luck to win a state title,” Ross told reporters on Friday, May 27th 2020, just after a 2-1 win over the Titans to seal the crown. “It’s real special for our community, fans and school administration.”

The Bearcats entered the Class 5A South State playoffs with a modest 15-10 mark, but went on a tear in the postseason winning eight out of nine games. They swept Brookhaven to open the playoffs, as well as West Jones in the South State finals and Ridgeland in the overall state title round. A loss in game two to Picayune in the Class 5A South State semifinal round was the lone blemish in the playoffs for LBHS.

“Six weeks ago, we began to play defense and get timely hits,” Ross also said that day 15 years ago. “Timmy and Michael are great leaders.”

Ross was referring to his top pitchers that season, in Timmy Maloney and Michael Paul, both of whom picked up the pitching wins in the state finals with a pair of impressive performances.

Maloney set the tone in game one in a 2-1 win as he allowed just four hits and struck out five in the contest, and he finished 12-2 on the season.

Chase Lunsford had an RBI-single in the win for LBHS and Derek LaCoste scored on a Titans error.

Paul then followed that up in game two the next day with a complete game worksheet of five strikeouts and scattering just four hits in a victory by the same score in the season finale.

Ridgeland came into the finals at a stellar 29-3 overall and on a 26 game win streak. The Titans were up 1-0 heading into the sixth stanza in game two before Long Beach made its move.

Koby Ross singled and moved on to second on a sacrifice bunt by K.B. Hammonds. Paul was then intentionally walked.

Garrett LaRosa reached on a fielder’s choice, and he moved on to second as Ross scored on the play to tie things up at 1-1.

LaCoste then delivered the eventual game-winning hit with an RBI-single.

Long Beach returned to the Class 5S state finals the next season, but fell to Ridgeland in two games.

In 2012, the Bearcats got back to the Class 5A South State championship round for the third straight season but lost to eventual state champion Pascagoula in a walk-off, 3-2 loss in the third and deciding game.

Ross retired after that 2012 season with a 389-252 mark in 22 seasons at the helm of the Bearcats.

LaRosa is the current Long Beach head coach.