By Curtis Rockwell/Sports Director

PEARL — The Petal High baseball team ended the regular season with four straight losses as well as dropping five of its final seven contests, including a 4-0 shutout decision to George County.
New PHS head coach Conner Douglas’ team finished the regular season at a mediocre 16-13 overall.
However, Thursday night here at Trustmark Park, the Panthers completed an almost inexplicable turnaround and ended the campaign capturing their seventh state championship, after sweeping Oxford for the Class 7A state title.

It had been 15 years since PHS last hoisted a state title trophy, one that at that point in 2011 completed a back-to-back journey to a pair of Class 6A state crowns.
But the latest had to be the most unlikely one in the storied history of the tradition-rich program. And it was one that was filled with games against “Southern Six” opponents, especially in a perfect 8-0 playoff run.
In addition, Douglas has ties to the Gulf Coast as well.
“I knew they were capable,” veteran George County head coach Brandon Davis said. “Sometimes you just have to stay the course.”
The Panthers completed an amazing playoff run by completing an undefeated run through the postseason, and ending up at 23-12 overall.
“Man, it’s surreal right now,” said Douglas, who spent 12 games as head coach at Long Beach during the Covid-shortened season of 2020. “I’m so excited for these guys. They fought through all the adversity, with people doubting us after we had that little bumpy road there.
“But they stayed true to themselves, fought hard, and, honestly, my heart’s about to explode for them. They deserve every bit of it.”

Petal was among the favorites in a crowded field of championship contenders in Class 7A coming into the season, including Ocean Springs, but the Panthers struggled for much of the regular season including that poor ending which dropped them into the fourth seed in Region 3-7A.
That set up a first round playoff meeting with the Greyhounds. The Panthers made quick work of OSHS, the top seed in Region 4-7A, with the first of what would turn out to be four straight clean sweeps.
“I said in an interview before the season started that I thought Petal was as talented as any team in the south, or maybe the state,” Greyhound head coach Ryne Long said. “We flipped the lights on and woke up the beast.”
After dispatching OSHS, Petal then did the same to Gulfport in its second straight playoff sweep.
Also, in addition to George County, which PHS split a pair of games with during the regular season, Petal also beat the Admirals during the regular season and toppled Harrison Central, Picayune and St. Stanislaus as well traveling down south to stop St. Martin in the annual “Battle at the Beach.”

Panther senior Trey Barnes, a Southern Miss signee, went three-for-four at the plate Thursday night and earned Most Valuable Player honors for the series.
He had a solo home run and a run-scoring single.
“He’s a winner,” said Douglas. “You can never tell how hard he’s playing because he’s so fast, and he glides like a deer. But when the lights are on, when it matters, you’re not going to find anyone better. He’s such a good teammate. He pumped some adrenaline for us in the Ocean Springs series (in the first round). What a player, and what a time to show up and be the best.”
It marked the third straight season that the Greyhounds, after winning a region title, were eliminated by a team that ended up playing for the state title.

(SouthMiss 6 Sports Writer Stan Caldwell contributed to this story)