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 state playoff chases.

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. Thomas Stennis, Gulfport — Stennis, a senior side-winder pitcher, came up with one of the biggest outings of his career Monday night on the road in an 11-thumping of Oak Grove in game three of that Class 7A South State opening round playoff series. He allowed just two hits, struck out four and walked three in the complete game worksheet, and once the Admiral bats did their job, Stennis hit cruise control. “Everything was working for me tonight,” said Stennis, a side-arm throwing right-hander. “The slider was really working on the outside half of the plate. Hitters were swinging over the top and getting me weak ground balls and pop-ups.”
2. Roston Ragon, Hancock — In the third and deciding game vs. Hattiesburg Monday night in that opening round Class 6A South State playoff series, Ragon paced the Hawks with two hits, including a 3-run triple in the final inning, and he drove in a game-high four runs as home-standing Hancock thumped the Tigers 11-1 in six stanzas.
3. Bradyn Havard, George County — Havard hurled six solid stanzas scattering four hits, allowing one run and striking out 13 in the Rebels 6-1 win over Long Beach in game one of that opening round Class 6A South State series. That performance propelled his Rebels to complete the two game sweep over the Bearcats.
4. Kendall Morrison, Pearl River Central —  The versatile Blue Devil multi-sports standout posted a pair of hits and drove in three runs in an 18-2 destruction of Terry on the road Monday to complete a sweep of the Bulldogs in that opening round Class 6A South State series.
5. (Softball) Lexie Dreher, Hancock — On Monday night, in the third and deciding contest of the opening round Class 6A south State playoff series vs. West Jones, all Dreher did was help her Lady Hawks overcome an early 1-0 deficit by tallying six straight runs that included her three-run home run and a two-run single as she carried the big stick all night for the home team with those two hits and a game-high five RBIs in an 8-1 win.

This Week’s Games:

1. Hancock at George County— Thursday night in the Class 6A South State semifinals.
2. Petal at Gulfport — Thursday night in the Class 7A South State semifinals.
3. (Softball) Hancock at George County— Thursday night in the Class 6A South State semifinals.
4. West Jones at PRC — Friday night in the Class 6A South State semifinals.
5. (Softball) Ocean Springs at St. Martin — Friday night in the Class 7A South State semifinals.

South Miss 6 Sports Super 7 Polls

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

(April 29th 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. Pearl River Central (25-5)
2. George County (21-9)
3. Hancock (24-7)
4. Poplarville (24-9)
5. Ocean Springs (25-5)
6. St. Stanislaus (17-9)
7. St. Martin (17-13)

Softball:

1. Ocean Springs (24-8)
2. George County (24-6)
3. East Central (26-4)
4. Pass Christian (25-5-1)
5. D’Iberville (19-8-1)
6. St. Martin (16-12)
7. (Tie) Hancock (14-9-1) & Vancleave (16-15)