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 opening round play of the state playoffs.

1. Tate Murphy, St. Stanislaus — St. Stanislaus is once again headed to the second round of the Class 3A South State playoffs, thanks in large part to the play of Murphy. The Rock-A-Chaws made easy work of Port Gibson and didn’t allow a run in the opening round of the Class 3A South State playoffs over the weekend, sweeping the Blue Wave 11-0 in game one on the road Friday and 15-0 in game two to wrap things up Saturday at home. In the series finale, Murphy had three hits, including a home run, and he drove in three runs Saturday. In game one on the road Friday, Murphy had two hits, including a double.
2. Cooper Lyrock, Pass Christian — In the series opener against Columbia Friday night, Pass Christian tallied a single run in both of the top of the sixth and seventh stanzas to overcome a 5-4 deficit and pull out the big 6-5 win. Lyrock’s one-out solo home run in the sixth knotted things up at 5-5, and he also earned the pitching win with four solid frames of relief work. He also posted a double in game two Saturday. Kayleb Munsch had two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs to pace the Pass at the plate.
3. Chadwick Brown, Poplarville — On Saturday, in a game that ended after five frames, Brown had two RBIs as well in the winning effort of a 15-4 win as his Hornets swept the series from Bay High. In the series opener at home Friday night, Brown collected a game-high four hits in a 10-4 win as well.
4. Sully May, Resurrection —  The Eagles completed a clean sweep of Saelm with 7-0 win on the road on Saturday, and May posted a pair of RBIs. On Friday, in a 16-1 home win in just three frames in game one, May drove in a game-high three runs with a three-run home run in an 11 run opening inning for the Eagles as RCS overcame an early 1-0 deficit and set the tone for the rest of the series
5. (Softball) Bristol Jones, Pass Christian— In a two game sweep of Franklin County, Jones struck out 25 total opposing batters and earned both wins. She also supplied two hits, including a double, and a game-high four RBIs in the series opener, a 10-0 win at home Friday night.

This Week’s Games:

1. Petal at Ocean Springs — Thursday night in the opening round of the Class 7A South State playoffs.
2. Hattiesburg at Hancock — Thursday night in the opening round of the Class 6A South State playoffs.
3. Long Beach at George County — Friday night in the opening round of the Class 6A South State playoffs.
4. Oak Grove at Gulfport — Friday night in the opening round of the Class 7A South State playoffs.
5. (Softball) Oak Grove at Ocean Springs — Friday night in the opening round of the Class 7A South State playoffs.

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. Ocean Springs (25-3)
2. Pearl River Central (23-5)
3. George County (19-9)
4. Hancock (21-4)
5. Poplarville (22-8)
6. St. Martin 17-11
7. East Central 15-13

Softball:

1. Ocean Springs (21-7)
2. George County (22-6)
3. East Central (24-4)
4. Pass Christian (23-5-1)
5. D’Iberville (17-7-1)
6. Gulfport (14-8)
7. St. Martin (14-11)