NJCAA Region 23 tournament brackets announced

The National Junior College Athletic Association has released the 2008 Region 23 Men's and Women's basketball tournament brackets. The Meridian Community College men and women have both claimed spots in the championship.

On the women's side, Itawamba claims the number one ranking having defeated the Lady Eagles Thursday night to secure the top seed as state champions. MCC is second, followed by Southern Shreveport (No. 3 seed), East Central (No. 4 seed), Southwest (No. 5 seed), Holmes (No. 6 seed), Copiah-Lincoln (No. 7 seed), and Pearl River (No. 8 seed).

In a rematch from last years Region title game, the MCC women will battle South Division foe Co-Lin in quarterfinal round action on Monday, March 3 at 8:00 p.m. The Lady Wolves hold a 7-1 advantage over the Lady Eagles in their last eight meetings, including the 2007 Region 23 championship game. However, MCC defeated Co-Lin in their most recent meeting on Feb 11, by a score of 83-77.

Itawamba holds onto the top seed in the men's bracket with Co-Lin and Northeast placing second and third respectively. MCC will enter the tournament as the No. seed and square off against Bossier Parish on Tuesday, March 4, at 12 p.m., in the Region 23 quarterfinal round. MCC and Bossier did not meet this season

All games will be played at the A.E. Wood Coliseum, in Clinton on the campus of Mississippi College.


2008 NJCAA Region 23 Women's Championship Pairings and Schedule
Quarterfinals - Monday, March 3rd
#3 Southern Shreveport vs. #6 Holmes 12:00 p.m.
#4 East Central vs. #5 Southwest 2:00 p.m.
#1 Itawamba vs. #8 Pearl River 6:00 p.m.
#2 Meridian vs. #7 Co-Lin 8:00 p.m.

Semifinals -Wednesday, March 5th
Winner 2v7 vs. Winner 3v6 – 12:00 p.m.
Winner 1v8 vs. Winner 4v5 - 2:00 p.m.

Finals - Thursday, March 6th
Winner Semi #1 vs. Winner Semi #2 - 6:00 p.m.


2008 NJCAA Region 23 Men's Championship Pairings and Schedule
Quarterfinals – Tuesday, March 4th
#4 Meridian vs. #5 Bossier (LA) 12:00 p.m.
#3 Northeast vs. #6 Pearl River 2:00 p.m.
#1 Itawamba vs. #8 MS Gulf Coast 6:00 p.m.
#2 Co-Lin vs. #7 MS Delta 8:00 p.m.

Semifinals – Wednesday, March 5th
Winner 2v7 vs. Winner 3v6 - 6:00 p.m.
Winner 1v8 vs. Winner 4v5 - 8:00 p.m.

Finals - Thursday, March 6th
Winner Semi #1 vs. Winner Semi #2 - 8:00 p.m.

MCC Tennis remains undefeated

The Meridian Community College men’s and women’s tennis teams traveled to Fairhope, Alabama to play a dual match against Faulkner State Community College on Wednesday.

Meridian’s women, who are now 3-0 in the young season, defeated Faulkner State by a score of 9-0.

In ladies’ no. 1 doubles Alycia LeMerle and Ashton Hartley defeated Kari William and Britney Ellison 8-0.

At no. 2 doubles, former Meridian High School standout, Kelly Sterling and Katy Shoptaugh of Baton Rouge, LA defeated Rebecca Bell and Alllison Cameron 8-2.

At no. 3 doubles MCC’s sophomore duo, Jodi Webb and Molly Moon, defeated Jordan Wiggins and Dent 8-1.

In singles action Meridian swept all courts losing just 11 games the entire day.

LeMerle defeated Williams 6-0, 6-0.; Sterling defeated Cameron 6-1, 6-0; Ashton Hartley, former Clinton High School champion, defeated Rebecca Bell 6-0, 6-2; Shoptaugh defeated Miller 6-1, 6-0.

At no. 5 singles Jodi Webb defeated Wiggins 6-2, 6-2 and at no. six singles Kayla Daughtrey from Laurel, MS defeated Ellison 6-0, 6-2.

In men’s action Meridian had a somewhat tougher day but fought hard to come away with a 6-3 win.

In men’s no. 1 doubles Meridian’s sophomore duo of Nicolas Zabrodiec and Blake Sherman defeated Cannon Rivers and Michael Little 8-4; freshmen Dawson Dyess and Elliott Clark, both local products, defeated Wesley Lambrem and Konri Allen 8-2.

At no. 3 doubles Meridian’s Wilson Bounds and Justin Newman lost to Madison Bond and Daniels 8-5.

In men’s singles, at no. 1 MCC’s Zabrodiec defeated Rivers 6-4, 3-6, 10-2; at no. 2 MCC’s Sherman rolled to an easy first set 6-1 but had to fight off Little in a set tie-break to win after leading the second set 5-1.

At no. 3 singles, a heated match between Lambrem and MCC’s Dawson Dyess was the fan focus for the day as Lambrem was a “McEnroe” on the court. Dyess lost the match 7-5, 6-0. At no. 4 singles Clark defeated Peniete 6-3, 7-5; at no. 5 singles Newman secured the team win by defeating Allen 7-5, 1-6, 10-4 minutes before Blake Sherman pulled off the set tiebreak to sweeten the victory.

The MCC men are now 3-0.


Other notes…

Eagle baseball- After having their Tuesday game cancelled with Shelton State, the MCC Eagles (5-7) will head to Delgado for a showdown with the Dolphins on Saturday. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m.

Lady Eagle softball- Coach Robert Eakins and his team prepare to host Pensacola JC at Tommy McDonald Field this afternoon. First pitch is schedule for 3:00 p.m.

Eagle golf- Coach Sean Covich and his MCC golf team will look to bounce back after a second place finish last week at Hinds with a trip to ECCC’s Spring Invitational in Forest. First round gets underway Sunday morning with the final round concluding on Monday afternoon.

Lady Eagles fall one game short of State Title

(FULTON) - Meridian Community College’ bid for a state basketball championship came up one game short, as the Lady Eagles fell to host Itawamba 77-67 Thursday night in the MACJC State Tournament finals in Fulton.

The No. 18 ranked Lady Eagles, who fell to 23-5, will now be the No. 2 seed for next week’s NJCAA Region 23 Tournament in Clinton.

Thursday at Itawamba, the host Lady Indians jumped to a 38-30 halftime lead on the way to a state crown.

Courtney Cannon scored 17 points for ICC, which improved to 20-8 and earned a No. 1 seed for next week’s Region 23 tourney; which will be held at Mississippi College in Clinton.

All American guard NaDosha Strickland pumped in a game-high 25 points in the loss for MCC, while Meridian freshman Tiara Parker scored 13.

MCC coach Hilary Allen said his team will square off against South Division foe Copiah-Lincoln in Region 23 quarterfinal action on Monday (time TBA).

Southwest, Holmes, East Central, Pearl River, and Southern Shreveport, LA round out the women’s field.

MCC’s men, who are 16-11, also qualified for the Region 23 tourney and will find out time for their first round game later today.

Fifth ranked Indians too strong for MCC’s men

(FULTON, Miss) - The men’s basketball team from Meridian Community College has pulled off some mighty big wins in the second half of the 2007-08 season.

But finding a victory Wednesday night against the nation’s No. 5 ranked team on its home floor proved too tall a task for the Eagles.

Homestanding and fifth-ranked Itawamba jumped out to a double-digit lead early and coasted to an 82-63 win over Meridian in an MACJC State Tournament semifinal contest in Fulton.

The loss knocked the Eagles (16-11) out of the state tourney, but they still have qualified for next week’s NJCAA Region 23 Tournament. Brackets for the event, which will be held at Mississippi College in Clinton, will be announced Friday.

Wednesday night, MCC fell behind 43-28 in the first half and could not catch up, despite a game-high 23 points from Bay Springs product Regis Huddleston.

Patrick McCurtis added 18 points form MCC, while Mario Luckett scored 11, Travis Thompson six and Otis Williams five.

The host Indians will meet Copiah-Lincoln in tonight’s state title game at 7:45 p.m.

Lady Eagles advance to finals with 2OT win

(FULTON, Miss) - Twice this season, Meridian Community College and Southwest Mississippi locked horns in a classic women’s basketball game- with each team winning once.

Wednesday afternoon, they met for a third time in the MACJC State Tournament at Itawamba, and it may have been the most exciting of the three matchups.

Sophomore All American NaDosha Strickland and freshman guard Tiara Parker combined for 65 points Wednesday, leading MCC to a 91-88 win over Southwest in double overtime.

The win lifted the 18-ranked Lady Eagles to 23-4 on the year and sends them into tonight’s 6 p.m. state championship game against host Itawamba (19-8). Tonight’s final will pit the South and North Division champs against one another in Fulton.

Wednesday, MCC got a game-high 36 points from Strickland and 29 points from Parker- former standouts at Bay Springs and Meridian High School.

“Both of them played extremely well tonight,” said MCC coach Hilary Allen.

“And we had to have it. Southwest is a fine basketball team.”

The Lady Bears had beaten MCC earlier this season on a buzzer-beater in Summit, then the Lady Eagles returned the favor with a win over Southwest in Meridian.

Southwest was up 42-38 at halftime Wednesday, and the teams were tied at 75-all at the end of regulation and 81-all at the end of the first overtime period.

Jennifer Wair chipped in 12 points and had a team-high 12 rebounds for the Lady Eagles, while the Lady Bears got 28 points in defeat from Britley Wiltz.

Despite the outcome of tonight’s state title game, MCC has already clinched a spot in next week’s NJCAA Region 23 Tournament in Clinton.

Eagle soccer players continue their career

Graduating sophomores of the Meridian Community College men’s soccer team have signed national letters of intent to continue their careers at the NCAA level.

Kyle Hutchinson and Terry Silva have both committed to Mississippi College to play soccer starting in the fall of 2008.

Hutchinson, a sophomore from Gautier, was a key member on MCC’s 2007 squad that finished 11-5-1 and claimed runner up in the MACJC South Division.

Silva, a sophomore from Starkville, led the Eagles with 18 goals and 6 assist on the year. He was also the team captain.

“Terry is one of the best to come through this program,” said George.

“He has so much character on and off the field and gives you his best each and every match. I will miss this lad as it will be difficult to replace him.”

MCC soccer inks MHS standout

(MERIDIAN)- Meridian High Soccer standout Kyle Dew made his intentions known Wednesday as he will continue his soccer career at Meridian Community College.

Dew is no stranger to competition as his Meridian High team capped a 20-6 mark on the year and advanced to the South State Championship falling short to Ocean Springs by a narrow margin.

"Kyle is a very polished player with great distribution and a powerful left foot,” said MCC soccer coach Alex George.

“He is also the kind of young man you look for in that he is a gentleman on and off the field and he's all about the team. Every team needs a guy like this,” added George.

Dew was a starting left midfielder for MHS and co-captain for last two years. He will join an outstanding freshmen class consisting of several International and out of state elites along with a host of in-state talent.

MCC golf claims runner-up at Hinds

(RAYMOND)- The Meridian Community College golf team claimed runner-up at the Hinds Invitational with a two day score of 612 (304-308). It was the fourth top-three finish for the Eagles squad this year.

Mississippi Gulf Coast bettered MCC by 11 strokes to win the tournament. MGCCC shot 306-295 to win over Meridian for the second time this season. Gulf Coast won the MCC/Rush Invitational by 23 strokes over MCC's A-team at Briarwood earlier this season.

“Undoubtedly Gulf Coast is playing better golf than we are right now,” said MCC coach Sean Covich.

“The good news is that we have time to improve and get our top five healthy once again.”

Adam Porter of Pearl River won medalist honors with a 75-71.

MCC was led by Joe Konieczny who posted rounds of 75-76. Konieczny was named to his third All Tournament team of the season.

Clay Bounds finished with rounds of 72-82, Jarrod Lemaster shot 78-76, Jarrod Moulds posted 79-77, and Bryant Self's 87-79 closed out MCC's team scoring.

Michael Burton shot 79-78, Taylor McCrary shot 84-82, Curt Sparks shot 85-83, and John Everett shot 87-90 to close out the individual scores for MCC's B-team.

“I was really proud of Michael. His last four tournament rounds have averaged about 75.. so he’s earned a spot on our A team for this next trip,” said Covich.

The Eagles return to action Sunday-Monday in the ECCC Inv at Forest CC.

Other news and notes…

After starting off the season undefeated- both the MCC men’s and women’s tennis teams head down to Faulkner State in Mobile to make up a match cancelled earlier this week. MCC will hit the courts at 1:00 pm Wednesday.

After a busy weekend in the Rush Tournament, the MCC softball team had to do shuffle some more of their 2008 schedule as their Tuesday contest at Shelton State was cancelled due to weather. The teams have announced that the game will be made up Thursday in Tuscaloosa, then MCC will return home to face Pensacola JC on Friday and Jefferson Davis CC on Sunday both games start at 3:00 pm and will be played at Tommy McDonald Field.

Much like the softball team, MCC’s baseball team had a date with Shelton State on Tuesday that was cancelled. No make up time game has been announced as of yet. The Eagles will travel to Delgado on Saturday.

Lady Eagles top EMCC, move into state semis

Meridian Community College women’s basketball coach Hilary Allen said he would have preferred to play someone other than rival East Mississippi in his team’s first game in the MACJC State Tournament.

Lucky for Allen, his Lady Eagles were up to the challenge.

MCC got a game-high 26 points out of All American NaDosha Strickland and the Lady Eagles pulled away in the second half to top EMCC 78-64 in a quarterfinal round game in the state tournament in Itawamba.

“First day of the tournament… all the nerves and butterflies, hey, it was tough,” Allen said after his national-ranked team improved to 22-4 on the season.

“It was a really good win for us. Scooba played very well in the first half… we didn’t really start to pull away until probably the 10-minute mark.”

Allen said former Meridian High School standout Shaurice Miller of EMCC was tough to handle early, scoring 14 of her team-best 21 points in the first half.

In addition to Strickland’s 26 points, MCC got 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds from Zirconia Hopkins and 17 points from freshman Tiara Parker.

The Lady Eagles led 31-25 at halftime.

MCC’s women are in action again this afternoon, taking on Southwest Mississippi in a semifinal contest at 1:30 pm.

The MCC men are also in action in the semis tonight, as the Eagles take on the nation’s No. 5 ranked team-and tournament host- Itawamba Community College at 7:45 pm.

*If either MCC team makes it into the championship game- WMER 1390 AM will broadcast those games. Women’s championship game is Thursday at 6:00 pm while the men play at 7:45 pm.*

MCC's men advance in MACJC State Tournament

The Meridian Community College men’s basketball team won their opening round game in the MACJC State Tournament versus Mississippi Delta Community College on Monday night.

The Eagles defeated MDCC by a score of 70-67. Regis Huddleston led the MCC scoring attack with 21 points on the evening.

Mario Luckett and Travis Thompson each registered a double-double for the Eagles. Luckett scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while Thompson added 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Eagles will face North Division champion and tournament host-Itawamba Community College Wednesday at 7:45 p.m. ICC defeated Mississippi Gulf Coast to advance in the tournament.

MCC is now 16-10 on the season.

MCC golf leads at Hinds

(RAYMOND) - Former Lamar standout, Clay Bounds, led the Meridian Community College golf team on day one of the Hinds Invitational at Eagle Ridge GC in Raymond with an opening round of 72, even-par.

Bounds' even-par round leads the medalist race by one stroke over Brett Holmes of Gulf Coast who shot a 1-over par, 73.

MCC is in first place after day one with a team score of 304, two shots ahead of Gulf Coast who fired a 306.

For MCC- Joe Konieczny shot 3-over par, 75; Jarrod Lemaster shot 6-over par, 78; Jarrod Moulds shot 7-over par, 79; and Bryant Self closed out MCC's team scoring with an 87.

Final round of the Hinds Invitational begins tomorrow at 8:30 a.m.

MCC splits with Faulkner

By Jamey Lanier
special to The Star

The up-and-down start of the 2008 baseball season continued Saturday at Scaggs Field as the MCC Eagles split a pair of games with visiting Faulkner State to even their record at 5-5.

Despite the .500 record Eagle's coach Chris Rose isn't panicking.

"We just need to get some two-out hits, there's no doubt that we can hit the ball," said Rose. " Today the walks killed us, we just need to make some plays."

The Eagles pounded the Sun Chiefs 10-3 in the first game of the doubleheader with solid hitting and a pitching performance from freshman left-hander Jason Judge.

The former Lake Hornet pitched six strong innings and rang up five strikeouts in a performance that had to make Rose feel better about the remainder of the season.

"Jason pitched good, six strong innings and Graham Upshaw did good in relief,"said Rose.

Drew Snider led the hit parade for Meridian, going two-for-three with a double and three RBI. Tyler Vick added two hits and two RBI followed by Scott Mosley's two-for-four, double and two RBI. Josh Demoney chipped in two hits and an RBI. Judge ran his record to 1-0.

Meridian took an early lead in the second game getting a 2-0 lead before the boys from Bay Minete, Al., took advantage of a breakdown in Eagle pitching to claim the lead at 4-2 after four innings.

Ian Sharp took the loss for Meridian to put him at 2-1 on the year.Tyler Koelling was three-for-four at the plate and Shannon Steed added an RBI single. Jarrod Parks and Snider each had RBI doubles.

The Eagle's return to action Sunday when they will play host to Pensacola at 1:00 p.m

MCC Lady Eagles win South Division

Former Bay Springs standout NaDosha Strickland ended her home career at Meridian Community College with a bang Thursday.

On ”Sophomore Night,” MCC’s pre season All American exploded for a game-high 37 points as the Lady Eagles claimed a 19-point victory over visiting Gulf Coast, 94-75.

With the win, MCC improved to 21-4 (11-3) and captured the programs first ever MACJC South Division Championship. The Lady Eagles will play as the No. 1 seed from the South in the State Tournament on Tuesday vs. the No. 4 seed from the North, East Mississippi. This will be the third meeting between EMCC and MCC this season. The Leady Eagles swept the previous two regular season meeting by a combined score of 149-114. MCC’s match up with East Mississippi beings at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The MACJC State Tournament is being played at Itawamba CC.

MCC Baseball in action this weekend

After winning three of four games in the Rush Tournament last weekend the Meridian Community College baseball team prepares to host two out of state teams this weekend at Scaggs Field.

MCC (4-4) will play host to Faulkner State (AL) on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and then host Pensacola (FL) Junior College on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

MCC softball host Rush Inv this weekend

The Meridian Community College softball team picked up their first two wins of the season on Tuesday, routing visiting Bishop State 22-3 in the opener and closing the double-header with a 7-1 win. The Lady Eagles now prepare to host the 2008 MCC/Rush Invitational Tourney this Friday and Saturday at Northeast Park.

Participating teams include: Bevill State Community College-Sumiton, AL; Carl Albert State College-Poteau, OK; Central Alabama Community College-Alexander City, AL; Copiah – Lincoln Community College-Wesson, MS; Meridian Community College-Meridian, MS; and Northeast Mississippi Community College-Booneville, MS.

Action was scheduled to begin Friday morning but due to weather the brackets are being rescheduled to play on Friday afternoon and then on Saturday.

MCC host Gulf Coast for Sophomore Night

After being swept on the road by Southwest Mississippi Community College Monday night, the Meridian Community College basketball teams return home Thursday for “Sophomore Night” at the Graham Gymnasium to host South Division opponent, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

The Lady Eagles are 20-4 overall and 10-3 in the division. MCC is tied for the South Division crown with East Central.

The Eagles are 15-9 overall and 9-4 in the division. MCC is in second place in the South Division.

Tip off for the women’s game is slated for 6 p.m. while the men’s contest starts at 8 p.m.

MCC concludes the Arizona Intercollegiate Golf Classic

(CASA GRANDE, Ariz) - The Meridian Community College golf team concluded the Arizona Intercollegiate with a final round team score of 306.

MCC, the only junior college team in the field, finished in 12th place. The Eagles were just four strokes from placing in the top-10.

MCC was led by former Lamar standout Clay Bounds who placed in a tie for 16th individually out of nearly 80 golfers. The Meridian freshman shot an even-par 72 on the final day for a 54-hole total of 3-over par. Bounds shot 73-74 on day one.

Joe Konieczny assisted the Eagles scoring efforts with a 2-over par 74 on the final day. Konieczny shot 77-75 on day one.

Jarrod Moulds shot a 77 on the final day, coupled with rounds of 76 and 73.

Bryant Self shot 83 to close out the event. Self shot 80-81 on Monday.

Along with being the lone junior college in the field, MCC was also the only team with four golfers participating instead of the usual five due to team captain Joshua Ivy was out with an injured wrist.

"It really hurt us only having four scores but this will make us a better team in the long run," said MCC coach Sean Covich.

"Playing in this event will give us an advantage if we make it back for the NJCAA national championship here in May."

First day leader, Oklahoma Christian shot 285 on the final day to win the event outright. OCU shot a 54-hole team score of 12-under par.

Bruno Buccolo of Oklahoma Christian University won the medalist title with an 8-under 54-hole total of 208 (70, 67, 71).

Meridian returns to action in the MACJC/Hinds Invitational Sunday and Monday at Eagle Ridge GC in Raymond, MS.

MCC Golf heads to Arizona for start of spring season

(CASA GRANDE, AZ)-­ The Meridian Community College golf team will begin play in the 2008 spring season at the Arizona Intercollegiate Monday and Tuesday at the Francisco Grande Golf Course in Phoenix, AZ.

This trip will mark the third time that Eagles have appeared in Arizona; the previous trips were for the NJCAA national championship at Palm Valley GC.

"This is a great event with a lot of great programs represented," said MCC head coach Sean Covich. "Our guys are excited to represent Meridian and the State of Mississippi during this tournament.”

The Eagles will join nearly 20 other teams in the tournament including the nations No 1 team in the NAIA poll- Oklahoma Christian University. The field includes other top teams from around the country as Berry University and California Baptist University will also participate.

“This will be a great opportunity for our guys to get exposure to some four year university programs,” said Covich.

Sophomore team captain and recent Southern Wesleyan University signee, Joshua Ivy, will sit out this event due to an injury to his left wrist. 2007 MACJC Second Team All State member Bryant Self will be the lone returning sophomore to participate for MCC. Self will be joined by a trio of freshmen including former Lamar standout golfers, Clay Bounds and Jarrod Moulds. Fellow freshman, Joe Konieczny will round out the starting line-up for MCC.

MCC will tee off at 8:00 a.m. MT Monday at the 7,545 -yard, par-72 Francisco Grande Golf Course. The 54-hole event will be in the shotgun start format, with the teams playing 36 holes on day one and 18 holes on day two.

Eagles open up home slate w Rush Tournament

The Eagles (1-3) play their home opener Friday against Southeastern Community College at noon in game one of the Rush Tournament played at Scaggs Field.

“It’s been a slow start for us so far,” Rose said.

“But we look forward to getting back home at Scaggs Field this weekend. We scored 11 runs in our last outing, which is a positive.”

Friday’s home opener will be the first of eight games over the weekend of the Rush Tournament.

Following their noon game with SECC, MCC will face Wabash (IL) Valley College at 3:00 p.m. Wabash Valley and Wallace-Hanceville will play the nightcap on Friday at 6:00 p.m.

Saturday will feature three games beginning at 11:00 a.m., with Wallace-Hanceville playing SECC, then Pearl River Community College facing off against Wabash Valley and then the Saturday nightcap features SECC versus Pearl River.

MCC will return to action Sunday as they face SECC at noon and then Wabash Valley at 3:00 p.m.

The Eagles remain at home following the Rush Tournament, hosting Pensacola Junior College Feb. 22.

MCC keeps winning streaks alive with sweep of Pearl River

The Meridian Community College basketball teams swept South Division foe Pearl River Community College on Thursday night.

The Lady Eagles won their eighth straight divisional game with a 72-71 last second victory over PRCC to improve to 10-2 in the South Division. MCC’s Dana Parker nailed a 3-point basket with no time remaining to give Meridian its only lead of the game as time expired. The Lady Eagles are now 20-3 overall.

Parker and NaDosha Strickland led MCC with 16 points, while Tiara Parker and Jennifer Wair each had 11 points for the Lady Eagles.

Pearl River fell to 16-7 (7-5).

The Eagles have a streak of their own after defeating Pearl River 82-77 Thursday. MCC has now won five straight ballgames and seven of their last eight to push them all the way to second place in the MACJC South Division.

Freshman Patrick McCurtis led the Eagles with 21 points; Regis Huddleston scored 19 while Mario Luckett added 17 points.

MCC is now 15-8 (9-3), while Pearl River fell to 14-9 (7-5).

MCC will remain on the road Monday when they travel to Southwest Mississippi before returning home to host Mississippi Gulf Coast for “Sophomore Night” in the Graham Gymnasium on February 21.

MCC’s Strickland named NJCAA Player of the Week

The National Junior College Athletic Association has named Meridian Community College sophomore NaDosha Strickland (Bay Springs, Miss) as the NJCAA Division I women's basketball player of the week.

Last week the 5-9 guard led Meridian to an 81-55 win over No. 18 East Central and a 97-87 win over Jones County. Against East Central she had 32 points, nine rebounds, three assists and five steals. In the win over Jones County she tallied 37 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals. On the week she was 26-of-50 (.520) from the floor, including 6-of-14 (.429) from three-point, and 11-of-13 (.846) from the free-throw line.

On Monday night Strickland reached a milestone scoring her 1,000th career point with MCC as she led the Lady Eagles with 32 points in an 83-77 win over Copiah-Lincoln.

The No. 20 Lady Eagles are 19-3 (9-2) on the year and look to stay atop the MACJC South Division standigns when they travel to Pearl River Thursday.

Strickland is the third Lady Eagle athlete to be named a national Player of the Week. MCC women’s soccer players McKenize Butler and Holly Head each received that honor this past fall as they led the Lady Eagles to the programs first ever MACJC State Championship in women’s soccer.

Eagles & Lady Eagles look to keep their streaks alive against Pearl River on Valentines Day

The Meridian Community College basketball teams will travel to South Division foe Pearl River Community College Thursday.

The women’s game tips off at 5 p.m. while the men play at 7 p.m.

The Lady Eagles have won seven straight games in the MACJC South Division which places them atop the division with a 9-2 record. MCC is seeking its 20th win overall, they will enter Thursday nights game with a 19-3 mark and carry a No. 20 national ranking into the contest.

The Pearl River Lady Wildcats are 16-6 (7-4) and currently third in the South Division.

The Eagles have a streak of their own after defeating division leader Copiah-Lincoln Monday night. MCC has won four straight ballgames and six of their last seven to push them all the way to second place in the MACJC South Division, just one game back of Co-Lin.

MCC is 14-8 (8-3), while Pearl River is 14-8 (7-4).

Meridian swept Pearl River in a pair of games back on January 21, with the Lady Eagles winning 86-69 and the Eagles winning 68-63.

MCC will remain on the road next Monday when they travel to Southwest Mississippi before returning home to host Mississippi Gulf Coast for “Sophomore Night” in the Graham Gymnasium.

MCC softball opens up play today

MCC opens its 2008 softball season and head coach Robert Eakins’ 19th coaching campaign (15 as head coach, 4 as assistant coach) with the Lady Eagles today as MCC travels to Milton, FL to face Pensacola Junior College.

The Lady Eagles usher in its 16-game 2008 home schedule February 19 when they host Bishop State Community College at Tommy McDonald Field.

MCC returns 4 starters from the 2008 team that finished with a 21-21 record.

DeMiracle Biggs, Whitney Drachenburg, Shanese Hunter, and Gabrielle Morgan highlight the returning starters for MCC.

Biggs is currently helping the Lady Eagle Basketball team stay atop the MCJAC South Division standings and will return to the softball team after the 2008 postseason tournaments.

Drachenburg will be the top returning hitter for MCC as she batted for a .326 average last season with 17 RBI and 31 hits in 30 games played.

Morgan, from Quitman High School, was named second team All State last year for MCC after going 10-6 on the mound with a 2.44 ERA.

MCC’s Parks named pre season All American, Eagles open up home slate with Rush Inv

MERIDIAN, Miss. - The national honors keep coming in for the Meridian Community College baseball team which started the season ranked No. 9 in the NJCAA Div. II baseball poll.

Eagle sophomore infielder, Jarrod Parks, was named to the pre season NJCAA All America team this week.

Parks, who signed to play with Tulane University next season, is one of seven returning players from the 2007 Eagle squad that went 41-15 and won the MACJC Central Division championship.

“Jarrod deserves this simply due to his outstanding hard work and his stats from last year,” MCC head coach Chris Rose said.

“Now he just has to continue to play well and show those that voted that he is worthy of this honor.”

Parks batted for a .408 average last season second only to the NJCAA baseball player of the year, then Eagle sophomore, Tyler Moore. He was third on the team with seven homeruns, also scoring 37 runs with 60 hits, including nine doubles and three triples. His 40 RBI was also third best on the team and he reached safely 10 out of 12 stolen base attempts. As a member of Madison Central, he was named to the Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen, along with being named to the National Amateur Baseball Federation National Team where he was a two time All-World Series selection and named the NABF World Series MVP. He was also a two time All District, All Metro and All State selection for MCHS.

The Eagles (1-3) play their home opener Friday against Southeastern Illinois Community College at noon in game one of the Rush Tournament played at Scaggs Field.

“It’s been a slow start for us so far,” Rose said.

“But we look forward to getting back home at Scaggs Field this weekend. We scored 11 runs in our last outing, which is a positive.”

Friday’s home opener will be the first of eight games over the weekend of the Rush Tournament.

Following their noon game with SE Illinois, MCC will face Wabash (IL) Valley College at 3:00 p.m. Wabash Valley and Wallace-Hanceville will play the nightcap on Friday at 6:00 p.m.

Saturday will feature three games beginning at 11:00 a.m., with Wallace-Hanceville playing SE Illinios, then Pearl River Community College facing off against Wabash Valley and then the Saturday nightcap features SE Illinois versus Pearl River.

MCC will return to action Sunday as they face SE Illinois at noon and then Wabash Valley at 3:00 p.m.

The Eagles remain at home following the Rush Tournament, hosting Pensacola Junior College Feb. 22.

MCC’s Strickland scores 1,000th career point

Meridian Community College All American NaDosha Strickland received a commemorative game ball from MCC women’s coach Hilary Allen following her 1,000th career point for the MCC Lady Eagle basketball team.

Strickland scored her milestone in the first half vs. Co-Lin Monday night in Meridian. The former Bay Springs standout is the second player under Coach Allen to notch over 1,000 career points. She ended the game with 32 points in an 83-77 victory over Co-Lin.

MCC takes two from Co Lin

Lady Eagles 83
Co-Lin women 77

Meridian Community College women’s basketball coach Hilary Allen has tried to get the monkey off his back when it comes to his Lady Eagles facing South Division nemesis Copiah-Lincoln Community College. The Lady Wolves have owned MCC since the 2005-06 season, winning all seven of the meetings between the two teams- including last season’s dramatic NJCAA Region 23 championship game in Clinton, MS.

The Lady Eagles had won seven of their last eight games before Monday night’s showdown with the Lady Wolves. MCC’s lone loss in that winning streak was an 81-68 setback at Co-Lin.

The Lady Eagles had the feeling that their six game winning streak and current first place standing in the South Division wasn’t going to be validated until they were victorious over traditional power Co-Lin.

MCC took the early lead thanks to Jennifer Wair and Nadosha Strickland who both combined for 18 first half points. For Strickland, a preseason All American from Bay Springs, a mid-range jumper for two points gave her 1,000 career points while at MCC.

“NaDosha is only the second player that I’ve had to score over 1,000 career points,” said Allen.

“She’s an outstanding player that does everything well for us.”

Behind the play of their two standout sophomores, the Lady Eagles led Co-Lin 39-34 at half.

Co-Lin would climb back into the ballgame and by the 15 minute mark the Lady Wolves claimed a four point lead at 49-45.

MCC would then lean on Strickland who scored 23 of her game-high 32 points in the later half of the final period to lead MCC to a hard fought 83-77 victory over Co-Lin.

“NaDosha and Jennifer played outstanding, Jennifer had over 20 rebounds and our sophomores led us tonight no doubt,” said Allen.

Jennifer Wair added 20 points and Dana Parker chipped in 10 points for MCC.

Co-Lin was led by Kristen Ellis who had 23 points.

Meridian improved to 19-3 and 9-2 in the division, while Co-Lin fell to 14-6 and 6-5. The Lady Eagles are in first place in the MACJC South Division.

Meridian will travel to Pearl River on Thursday night.

Eagles 83
Co-Lin men 77

After winning five of their last six ballgames, Meridian’s men found themselves in a tie for second place in the South Division heading into Monday nights contest with divisional leader- Co-Lin.

MCC would enter the game trying to avenge a 79-76 loss earlier in the season to the Wolves.

Otis Williams single handedly led MCC to a 47-43 lead at half. Williamson made seven of eight three point basket attempts to help him score a game-high 27 points in the first half. As a team, MCC connected on a season-high 10 three point buckets.

In the second half, Williams and the Eagles continued to make shots from behind the 3-point line as MCC claimed a carbon copy score of the women’s game, an 83-77 win over Co-Lin.

The Eagles were led by Williams who had a career-high 34 points, while Regis Huddleston added 27.

“Our guards played well for us tonight,” said MCC coach George Brooks.

“I though in the second half we played better defense and we got a great effort from the guys,” added Brooks who’s team improved to just one game out of first place in the MACJC South Division.

Co-Lin was led by Greg Truvillion who had 25 points.

Meridian improved to 14-8 and 8-3 in the division, while Co-Lin fell to 16-6 and 9-2.

Meridian will travel to Pearl River on Thursday night.

MCC prepares to host Co-Lin for Homecoming 2008

The Meridian Community College basketball teams will play host to South Division nemesis Copiah-Lincoln Community College tonight for Homecoming 2008.

The women’s game tips off at 6 p.m. while the men play at 8 p.m. Homecoming festivities will include the crowning of Homecoming Queen at halftime of the men’s ballgame.

The Lady Wolves of Co-Lin have owned MCC the past four meetings, winning all of them- including last season’s dramatic NJCAA Region 23 championship game in Clinton, MS.

The Lady Eagles have won seven of their last eight games coming into tonight’s showdown with the Lady Wolves. MCC’s lone loss in that winning streak was an 81-68 setback at Co-Lin.

MCC currently sits atop the South Division standings with an 8-2 record while Co-Lin is tied for third with a 6-4 record.

After winning five of their last six ballgames, Meridian’s men find themselves in a tie for second place in the South Division heading into Monday nights contest with divisional leader- Co-Lin.

MCC enters the game trying to avenge a 79-76 loss earlier in the season to the Wolves.

Co-Lin is 9-1 in the division while MCC is 7-3.

Broadcast of the game can be found on WMER 1390 AM and Comcast Cable Channel 12.

MCC’s Ivy inks with Southern Wesleyan University golf team

Quitman, MS native and Meridian Community College sophomore golfer Joshua Ivy signed a national letter of intent to play golf for Southern Wesleyan University in South Carolina on Monday afternoon. Southern Wesleyan is a member of the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division I.

"We are especially blessed that the Lord led Josh to join the SWU family. Josh is not only an accomplished golfer and student but also a young man of high spiritual and personal character. His accomplishments as a member of the MCC golf team are well known. We are confident he will meet and exceed those accomplishments at SWU,” said SWU Golf Coach Brad Bradshaw.

“What I found most impressive is Josh's decision to chose a student body where he can comfortably and naturally live, talk and walk his faith in Christ," Coach Bradshaw added.

"Josh is one more strategic component to help lead us to national ranking and an invitation to the '09 National Championship."

As a junior golfer, Ivy was a standout on the Mississippi Junior Golf Tour. He won over 20 junior tour events and earned a spot on the MJGA Cup Team five times. But his bigger honors came in his first junior college season at Meridian, where he led his team to the 2007 MACJC state/Region 23 title and third place finish in the NJCAA national championship.

Under MCC head golf coach Sean Covich, Ivy has continued to grow his golfing resume, winning the 2006 MCC/Rush Fall Invitational his freshman season shooting 2-under par for the 36-hole event (74-68). During the fall semester of his sophomore season Ivy posted two rounds of even-par or better at the NW Shoals Fall Invitational (71-70). Over his MCC career, Ivy has posted 18 tournament rounds of 75 or below.

“Josh is an outstanding young man who does everything the right way on and off the golf course,” said Covich.

“I am just so proud that he’s getting an opportunity to play at the next level. I have been blessed to coach him. When people think of MCC golf I want them to think of players like Josh- he is exactly what a true MCC student-athlete should be- respectful, polite, hardworking, dedicated, and he achieves in the classroom, on the course, and as a leader. He will certainly be successful at whatever he does in life.”

Ivy is the 17th MCC golfer the past decade to sign a golf scholarship with a four year university. As a member of the MCC golf team, Ivy has been chosen as the team captain for two consecutive seasons. He is also a member of the MCC Golf All Academic Team and was given the 2007 MCC Golf Sportsmanship Award.

Slidell prep star inks with Meridian Soccer

Meridian Community College soccer coach Alex George announced to the signing of Slidell, LA standout soccer player, Theo Hooker, Friday afternoon.

Hooker, a senior at Salmen High School in Slidell, will join the Eagles for the 2008 soccer season in August.

MCC men’s soccer team went 11-5-1 in 2007, claiming Runners-Up in the MACJC South Division. The Eagles won the Men’s Soccer NJCAA national championship in 2000.

Meridian picks up road wins at Jones Co.

Meridian Community College women’s coach Hilary Allen has preached all season that his Lady Eagles needed to pick up conference victories on the road.

Lately, that hasn’t been a problem for 20th ranked MCC.

Preseason All American NaDosha Strickland pumped in a game-high 37 points and MCC jumped all over Jones County Thursday night- holding on for a 97-87 win over the Lady Bobcats in Ellisville.

The win was the sixth straight for Meridian’s women, who improved to 18-3 overall and 8-2 in South Division action. Jones dropped to 10-11.

The Lady Eagles bolted out of the gate for 58 first-half points, building a 23-point lead at intermission.

In addition to Strickland’s game-high 37, MCC also got 24 points from Jennifer Wair, 13 from Dana Parker and 12 from Tiara Parker.

In mens action, after falling to the Bobcats by one point earlier this season, the Eagles returned the favor at Jones Thursday night.

MCC, which improved to 13-8 overall and 7-3 in the South Division, led 32-31 at halftime and put four players in double figures.

Regis Huddleston led the way with 25 points, while Mario Luckett scored 18 and Otis Williams 13. Travis Thompson chipped in 11.

MCC will be inaction Monday night when they host Copiah-Lincoln for Homecoming 2008.

Eagles swept in season opener

(Monroeville, Ala.)- Host Alabama Southern Community College spoiled Meridian Community College’s opening baseball series with a sweep over the Eagles Thursday afternoon in Monroeville, Ala.

Alabama Southern defeated MCC 3-0 in game one and 5-2 in game two.

MCC’s Garrett Harris (0-1) gave up six hits with three strikeouts in six innings of work, in the first game. Jason Coats (0-1) of Meridian gave up nine hits in game two for MCC.

At the plate, Josh Demoney and Jarrod Parks each had a single which tallied up for MCC’s two hits in game one.

In game two, Parks and Scott Moseley each resisted an RBI single for Meridian's two runs.

MCC (0-2) will be in action Saturday in Birmingham when they face Lawson State.

MCC Golf inks Louisiana, Mississippi prep stars

(MERIDIAN) – The Meridian Community College golf team has placed in the top-five at the NJCAA national championship three consecutive seasons, and recruits are taking notice, as three of the top players in the Gulf States region inked with the Eagles Wednesday.

Tanner Sparks of Belmont, MS; Garrett Westbrook of Baton Rouge, LA; and Cory Williamson of Collins, MS all signed national letters of intent to join MCC head golf coach Sean Covich and his program beginning in the 2008-09 academic year.

“I am extremely pleased to have Tanner, Garrett and Cory join the Meridian tradition,” Covich said. “I fully expect them to excel in their academics and athletics. They are also great young men and will be great additions to our program.”

Sparks, who is a senior at Belmont High School, is the cousin of current MCC golfer- Curt Sparks and brother of current Southern Miss golfer- Tyler Sparks.

He helped guide Belmont to back-to-back MHSAA 2A State Championships in golf. He was named second team All State and first team All County two years in a row.

As a junior, he was named the Most Valuable Golfer for Belmont High School after winning the Five County District Tournament shooting even par, 72.

In 2007, he played in eight junior tour events across the Southeast, placing in the top-15 in six of those events.

At the Callaway Golf/PGA Junior Series event at Old Waverly, he placed 8th out of 64 golfers shooting rounds of 79-77. Later that summer he placed 25th at the Future Tour Championship in Greenville, MS shooting rounds of 76-76.

In 2006, he placed 5th at the Mississippi Big "I" Junior Classic shooing rounds of 74-74 at the MSU Golf Course in Starkville, MS.

He qualified for the Mississippi Golf Association’s State Match Play Championship and was the 5th seed after a qualifying score of even-par 72. He eventually lost to 2005 State Mid-Amateur Champion, Todd Metz in the “Sweet Sixteen” round.

“Tanner comes from a golfing family,” said Covich. “His two cousins both played college golf and his brother is playing for USM now. He is starting to find his swing and certainly is capable of being in our top five by the end of next season.”

Westbrook, who is a senior at St. Michaels High School in Baton Rouge, is a two-time Metro Player of the Year (Baton Rouge).

Last year as a junior, he averaged 72.8 and was the Region 4A champion shooting even-par 72 at Oak Harbor in Slidell, LA.

Last summer, he qualified for the Trusted Choice Big "I" Junior Classic in Boise, ID after winning the Louisiana State qualifier. In the national event he shot 75, 74, 76, and 80 to finish 32nd out of 110 golfers from across the nation.

Last summer he also received an invite to the prestigious Press Thornton “Future Masters” Golf Tournament in Dothan, AL where he made the cut shooting rounds of 75, 76 and 74.

On the Arrowhead Junior Golf Tour, he captured the Koasati Pines Junior Classic in Kinder, LA last April with rounds of 72-76 and also tied for fourth at the Stanford Group Junior Classic in Zachary, LA last March shooting even-par for the 36-hole event (72-72).

As a sophomore, he fired a 5-under par 67 at Beaver Creek CC to claim runner-up in the Baton Rouge Metro High School Championship.

He is also a two-time member of the Louisiana Junior Cup team.

“Garrett has an impressive tournament resume and comes to us with a lot of playing experience,” said MCC head coach Sean Covich. “He also possesses a drive to succeed on the course that is essential in making it as a college golfer.”

Williamson, who is a senior at Simpson Academy in Collins, MS, is a four-time member of the Mississippi Junior Cup Team.

He has lettered in golf for Simpson eight straight seasons, also playing basketball for five, football for four and baseball for two.

He has won three medalist titles in his high school career, including the 2006 and 2007 MPSA North State championships. He shot 71 in both his sophomore and junior seasons.

He has posted nine career top-five finishes in MPSA High School golf, with five rounds at even-par or better (72, 72, 71, 71, 71).

As a standout on the MJGA Tour, he has collected seven career wins, including the 2005 MJGA Northwood event in Meridian. He shot even par (71-71) to win.

In 2005, he finished second at the Callaway Golf/PGA Junior Series Event at Mississippi State, shooting 73-74-74.

“Cory is perhaps one of the more naturally talented golfers I’ve ever seen,” said Covich. “No doubt he will end up at a four-year school playing golf after his career at MCC is over.”

The Eagles, currently ranked No. 7 in the NJCAA men’s golf poll, open up the spring season by playing in the Arizona Intercollegiate in Phoenix, AZ on February 18-19.

MCC Baseball opens up season at Alabama Southern

The Meridian Community College baseball program will open up its 2008 baseball season and Coach Chris Rose’s 3rd coaching campaign with the Eagles today against Alabama Southern in Monroeville, Ala.

First pitch is slated for noon.

The Eagles will play one more Alabama opponent on the road Saturday before retuning home to usher in its 32-game home schedule next weekend (February 15-17) when they host a five team field in the annual Rush Invitational Tournament. Teams participating include Pearl River, Southeastern, Wabash, and Wallace-Hanceville.

MCC’s non-conference schedule is highlighted by match ups against the 2007 NJCAA World Series Champions, Chipola College and traditional-rival, Delgado Community College. The Eagles will make a trip to Marianna, FL on March 7 and 8 to face the defending national champions, Chipola in a two game series. MCC will play a home-and-home series with Delgado on March 1 in New Orleans, LA then in Meridian on April 23.

MCC’s first MACJC Central Division contest is against the defending MACJC State Champions, East Central on March 18 in Decatur. The Eagles first home contest against a divisional opponent is March 29 versus Holmes.

MCC returns seven starters from the 2007 team that finished with a 41-15 record and won the MACJC Central Division Championship.

Local players, Scott Moseley (Enterprise) and Drew Snider (West Lauderdale) will join Jarrod Parks (Madison Central) to highlight the returning starters. Moseley and Snider have signed to play for Nichols State University and Parks has committed to Tulane University.

MCC @ JCJC tonight

After both Meridian Community College basketball teams defeated rival East Central Monday, the MCC squads prepare to travel to Ellisville, Miss to face Jones County Junior College on tonight. Tipoff from the JCJC campus is set for 6 p.m. for the women’s game and 8 p.m. for the men’s game.

Thanks to an 81-55 drumming of No. 18 ECCC, the Lady Eagles are now in a tie for first place in the MACJC South Division. MCC is 17-3 overall and 7-2 in the division.
MCC defeated the Lady Bobcats earlier in the season, 83-77.

The Lady Eagles are currently riding a five-game winning streak and are seeking their third consecutive road win in the South Division.

Much like the Lady Eagles, MCC’s men are in a battle for position in the South Division. The Eagles are 12-8 overall and 6-3 in the division. They are alone in third place in the South Division, just one game back of second place Pearl River.
The Eagles will try to avenge a one-point loss to JCJC earlier in the season, 62-61.

MCC Sweeps ECCC

(Courtesy of The Meridian Star, Brandon Walker)

• Lady Eagles roll in league showdown of tow nationally-ranked squads

MCC women 81
ECCC women 55


(MERIDIAN) – In midst of his eighth season in charge of the Meridian Community College Lady Eagles, head coach Hilary Allen was the first to admit Monday night was a special night.

In his tenure with the Lady Eagles, Allen has won more than 100 games, a pair of conference championships and currently has the Lady Eagles No. 25 in the latest NJCAA national poll.

Still, even Allen himself can’t remember a better performance from his Lady Eagles than Monday night’s showing.

Playing host to No. 18 East Central at Graham Gymnasium, the Lady Eagles roared out to a 44-25 halftime lead en route to a convincing 81-55 victory over the Lady Warriors.

“It’s the best game we’ve played since I’ve been at Meridian,” Allen remarked after the 26-point win.

“I thought we played well in all facets of the game against very good competition, which is the most exciting thing to me.”

After a back-and-forth start between a pair of evenly-matched teams, Meridian began to pull away at the midway point of the first half. Leading 28-24 after 15 minutes, Meridian followed the lead of sophomore NaDosha Strickland, who scored 12 straight points to spark a 16-1 run over the final 4 minutes of the first half.

The scoring burst gave Strickland a game-high 18 points at halftime and stretched MCC’s cushion to 19 points.

“That’s just what she does,” said Allen of the former Bay Springs standout.

“She is a heck of a player who really hates to lose, so she has the ability to put us on her back when we need it.”

Strickland didn’t let up after the break, adding 14 for a game high 32 points on the night.

Meridian’s Tiara Parker also had a hot hand on the night with 20 points while guard Dana Parker added 14 on four-of-five shooting from 3-point range.

The lead remained at 19 through the first 5 minutes of the second half until Strickland and Parker connected on back-to-back treys to push the lead 25 points at 59-34.

“Dana and Tiara both gave us great efforts tonight on offense,” Allen said.

“And defensively, the entire team was fantastic. Our ball pressure was outstanding.”

MCC’s defense forced the normally-sure handed Lady Warriors into a season-high 22 turnovers.

For East Central, Mystee Dale scored 21 points to lead the way while Tawayatha Evans added 16.

With the win, MCC forged a tie atop the MACJC South Division standings with East Central with both teams now owning 7-2 marks in divisional play.

“Make no mistake, East Central is still the team to beat in our division and we really wanted to make a statement that we can play well at home against top-notch competition,” Allen stated.

“I think we did exactly that.”

Overall, Meridian improved to 17-3 on the year and they will travel to face Jones County Thursday night.

MCC men 63
ECCC men 61

Meridian’s Eagles completed the sweep in Monday’s nightcap, outlasting East Central by two points to improve to 12-8 overall and 6-3 in MACJC South Division play.

The Eagles utilized a 30-point outing from guard Regis Huddleston to hang on for the win.

Huddleston, who has averaged 19 points on the season, scored a game-high 20 second-half points to lead the Eagles.

Behind Huddleston’s 30, Mario Luckett added 10 and Otis Williams chipped in eight for MCC.


MACJC South Division WOMEN
SCHOOL RECORD
Meridian 7-2
East Central 7-2
Pearl River 6-3
Copiah-Lincoln 5-4
Southwest 5-4
Gulf Coast 3-6
Jones County 3-6
Hinds 0-9

MACJC South Division MEN
SCHOOL RECORD
Copiah-Lincoln 8-1
Pearl River 7-2
Meridian 6-3
Gulf Coast 5-4
Jones County 4-5
East Central 3-6
Southwest 2-7
Hinds 1-8

Eagles ranked ninth in preseason poll

With the opening of junior college baseball season less than a week to go, preseason accolades continue to roll in for the Meridian Community College Eagles.

The Eagles, preparing for their third season under head coach Chris Rose, enter the season ranked at No. 9 in the NJCAA’s preseason Division II poll.

On the heels of a 41-15 season a year ago, the Eagles will open this season Thursday at Alabama Southern in Thomasville with a top ten ranking to tow.

Longview (Mo.) Community College will begin this season at the top of the Division II poll, followed by LSU-Eunice at No. 2 and Mesa (Az.) CC at No. 3.

Meridian stands as one of two state schools in the preseason poll. The Eagles are joined by No. 18 MS Gulf Coast.

Top 25 Battle Set for MCC and ECCC Women

(MERIDIAN) - A much-anticipated MACJC South Division battle will ensue in Meridian on Monday evening, as the 25th-ranked Meridian Lady Eagles play host to the 18th-ranked East Central Lady Warriors.

The MCC Lady Eagles carried a 10-game win streak into its most recent game against ECCC on January 10th in Decatur, but the result of that tilt was a 79-76 setback for MCC. Still, the Lady Eagles are a stellar 16-3 overall, 6-2 in division play and have beaten the likes of East Mississippi, Mississippi Gulf Coast and Southwest Mississippi along the way. The Lady Eagles are coming off an 83-65 road win over Hinds Thursday night.

As for East Central, it has won seven of its last eight outings to improve to 16-2 overall and a 7-1 division best mark. The Lady Warriors are coming off an 86-78 decision over Jones County on Thursday, and their most notable wins to date have come over Copiah-Lincoln, East Mississippi, and Meridian. ECCC is up four spots from No. 22 to No. 18 in the national poll.

In the first meeting between these two teams, ECCC took an early advantage by leading the entire first half and taking a 37 -28 lead into halftime. MCC fought back but a failed game-tying 3-point attempt fell off the mark and ECCC secured a 79-76 win over Meridian. The Lady Warriors were led to victory by Mystee Dale who scoed 25 points. NaDosha Strickland and Jennifer Wair scored 16 points a piece to lead MCC’s scoring efforts.

The ECCC/MCC battle will also have South Division implications as both teams are #1 and #2 in the standings respectively. ECCC leads the division with a 7-1 record while MCC is alone in second pace at 6-2, just one game behind ECCC. The top four teams from the South Division advance to play in the MACJC State Tournament February 25-28.

Tip-off for the women’s showdown is slated for 6 p.m. from the Graham Gymnasium, the men play following at 8 p.m. The games will be broadcast on WMER 1390 AM and the audio also heard on Comcast Cable Channel 12.

Top 25 Battle Set for MCC and ECCC Women

(MERIDIAN) - A much-anticipated MACJC South Division battle will ensue in Meridian on Monday evening, as the 25th-ranked Meridian Lady Eagles play host to the 18th-ranked East Central Lady Warriors.

The MCC Lady Eagles carried a 10-game win streak into its most recent game against ECCC on January 10th in Decatur, but the result of that tilt was a 79-76 setback for MCC. Still, the Lady Eagles are a stellar 16-3 overall, 6-2 in division play and have beaten the likes of East Mississippi, Mississippi Gulf Coast and Southwest Mississippi along the way. The Lady Eagles are coming off an 83-65 road win over Hinds Thursday night.

As for East Central, it has won seven of its last eight outings to improve to 16-2 overall and a 7-1 division best mark. The Lady Warriors are coming off an 86-78 decision over Jones County on Thursday, and their most notable wins to date have come over Copiah-Lincoln, East Mississippi, and Meridian. ECCC is up four spots from No. 22 to No. 18 in the national poll.

In the first meeting between these two teams, ECCC took an early advantage by leading the entire first half and taking a 37 -28 lead into halftime. MCC fought back but a failed game-tying 3-point attempt fell off the mark and ECCC secured a 79-76 win over Meridian. The Lady Warriors were led to victory by Mystee Dale who scoed 25 points. NaDosha Strickland and Jennifer Wair scored 16 points a piece to lead MCC’s scoring efforts.

The ECCC/MCC battle will also have South Division implications as both teams are #1 and #2 in the standings respectively. ECCC leads the division with a 7-1 record while MCC is alone in second pace at 6-2, just one game behind ECCC. The top four teams from the South Division advance to play in the MACJC State Tournament February 25-28.

Tip-off for the women’s showdown is slated for 6 p.m. from the Graham Gymnasium, the men play following at 8 p.m. The games will be broadcast on WMER 1390 AM and the audio also heard on Comcast Cable Channel 12.