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 tournaments 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 Tuesday, 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 that came up big for their respective teams in their respective region action and one prep softball standout as well.

1. Nolan Scott, Stone — Scott, a junior, just helped his Tomcats sweep East Central in Region 4-7A action last week. Stone collected 16 hits in a 9-8 win Saturday in the series finale, and Scott tallied three hits apiece in the winning effort, including two doubles in his total. Stone took a 5-2 win in game two on Friday night at home, as Scott smacked a three-run walk-off home run with no outs in the bottom of the seventh. In the series opener in Hurley Tuesday night, Stone slipped past the home-standing Hornets 2-1 in 11 innings and Scott posted a pair of doubles in that win as well.
2. Jaxson Knight, Hancock — In a three game sweep of Pascagoula in Region 4-6A play, Knight tallied five hits and picked up a pitching win. On Friday night, he smacked a two-run home run and a double amongst his two hits to pace the Hawks to a 7-1 road win at Tillman Field in Pascagoula. That win came on the heels of a dominant pitching performance by Knight on the mound in a 5-0 Hawks win at home on Tuesday, as the versatile senior mult-sport standout hurled a four-hit shutout striking out 10 and had a hit as well. Knight also had a hit in a 9-4 win on Saturday over the Panthers.
3. Dane McElroy, Vancleave— McElroy has been one of the most dominant pitchers in South Mississippi this month in helping lead his Bulldogs to a pair of Region 4-5A wins. To open league play last week, he hurled a complete game, four-hit shutout as the Bulldogs nipped home-standing Wayne County 1-0. Then, this week, against perennial state power Purvis at home, McElroy turned in yet another complete game worksheet, scattering just four singles by the normally mighty Tornaodes and he struck out seven and walked just one in the dominating performance.
4. Tristan Fox, Ocean Springs — Fox helped guide his Greyhounds to a three game sweep over Gulfport in a key Region 4-7A series, as he stole home with two outs in the top of the seventh for the game-winning run in a close 2-1 win. On Friday night, he hurled a complete game one-hit shutout with five strikeouts in a 2-0 win over the Admirals, and he ended up with three hits in the series as well..
5. (Softball) Bristol Jones, Pass Christian — Jones struck out 13 batters in a commanding, complete game two-hitter in a 4-0 win over Bay High on Thursday in Region 8-4A play. She also struck out 15 to days prior in a 2-0 loss to Greene County, as she allowed just four hits and walked none in another complete game performance.

This Week’s Games:

1. West Jones at George County — Tuesday night in a key Region 3-6A game.
2. Picayune at PRC— Thursday night in Region 4-6A action.
3. Gulfport at Biloxi — Friday afternoon in Region 4-6A play.
4. (Softball) Pass Christian at D’Iberville — Friday night.
5. Columbia at Poplarville — Friday night in a key Region 7-4A game.

South Miss 6 Sports Super 7 Polls

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

(March 31st 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. Ocean Springs (17-2)
2. Pearl River Central (14-5)
3. Hancock (16-2)
4. George County (14-6)
5. D’Iberville (14-5)
6. Poplarville (15-7)
7. St. Stanislaus (12-5)

Softball:

1. Ocean Springs (18-7)
2. George County (17-6)
3. East Central (18-4)
4. Pass Christian (16-4-1)
5. D’Iberville (13-3-1)
6. Harrison Central (15-7)
7. Stone (14-8)