MCC looks to build on past successes

The Meridian Star

The Meridian Community College baseball team has been built around tradition for many years, and the Eagles are hoping to build on that solid tradition in 2009.

MCC will open the 2009 season with many changes to its program, but changes that most fans have come to love in the past. MCC will re-enter play in 2009 as a Division 1 program for the first time since 2004.

Meridian has competed in the MACJC league for the past four years as a Division II team and is excited about the move back to its original status.

"We are all excited about this opportunity to move back into Division One," MCC head coach Chris Rose said. "This program has had so much success in the past and we are looking forward to building on that foundation that was built by many great people here at MCC."

MCC will rejoin the Miss-Lou Conference in 2009, a league which now includes Delgado and Baton Rouge Community College. Meridian and Delgado were two of the three original members of the conference from 1988-2002.

"Everyone is very familiar with Delgado and we know that rivalry with them runs deep in our history," said Rose. "They have a solid program and those will be very important games down the road."

The Eagles will play the Dolphins six times during the regular season and also face Baton Rouge the same amount of times. The annual Region 23 Tournament will be held at Baton Rouge Community College and the winner of that tournament will move on to Super Regional play against the winner of the Region 16 Tournament from Missouri.

The ultimate goal for the Eagles is to reach the NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction for the seventh time (1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2004).

"We know the road is going to be much tougher to reach the World Series," Rose said. "The amount of great teams around the southeast and the country is phenomenal. We will need to have solid leadership from our returning sophomores and pitching is always a huge key."

The Eagles return a solid nucleus of players from its 2008 team that won the MACJC Central Division Championship and the MACJC State Tournament.

Sophomore catcher Wesley Thigpen will lead the way for the Eagles for its quest toward a championship in 2009. Thigpen had a solid 2008 season with a .368 batting average and threw out 85 percent of base stealers. Thigpen signed with Mississippi State back in November.

Former West Lauderdale standout Tyler Vick will see plenty of action at third base for MCC after hitting 15 home runs last season. He also signed in the early signing period to continue his career with South Alabama. Vick missed several games in the second half of the season in 2008 and will look to put up big numbers in the middle of the Eagle lineup.

Sophomore Brent Tanner will see time at first base for MCC after a successful 2008. Tanner hit four home runs in the state tournament last season and will be another important part of the power for the Eagles. Tanner is also a South Alabama signee.

The middle of the infield will include a pair of new faces for the Eagles in 2009. Jonathan Pace will step in and play second base for MCC and Jordan King will move in and play shortstop. Pace is a freshman, while King is a sophomore transfer from Southern Miss and could also see some time pitching for the Eagles.

"These guys are both solid players and will play huge roles in the middle of our infield," said Rose. "(King) will bat around the top of the lineup and could see some innings on the mound for us as well."

The outfield positions for MCC are yet to be decided, but Rose will use different formulas in the lineup early on in the season.

"We will try several different things early and those are three positions that guys are still battling for right now. We knew coming into this season that there were going to be big shoes to fill in the outfield."

Freshman Alan Williams could see time in center field for MCC, while Drew Crosby, Corey Dickerson and Kenny Sanders will all see time in the outfield for the Eagles.

The one part of the 2009 team that has the most depth is the pitching staff for the Eagles. MCC will enter the season with 17 pitchers on its staff and Rose knows that will mean good things down the road.

"We are very deep in our pitching staff and that is such a key when you get into the postseason," he said. "We have a few guys returning from last season, but we will have a lot of options. We just don't have those two or three guys that have solidified starting roles yet, but everyone is battling for those spots."

Sophomores Garrett Harris and Matt Cox will return and will be key starters possibly for the Eagles. Harris signed back in November with South Alabama and Cox will continue his pitching career next season with Southeastern Louisiana University.

Former Lake standout Jason Judge will return for his sophomore season and will be looked at for big innings along with Eric Callender. Callender is a transfer from Southeastern Louisiana and has already signed with Ole Miss. Other notable pitchers for the Eagles include Jordan Faulkner, Blake Hennington of Enterprise, Chase Jordan and Dalton Kulas.

"It should be an exciting season and we are looking forward to the first game and hopefully we will be sitting in Grand Junction in May playing for a national championship," Rose said. "We just need to stay healthy and keep our focus all of our goals."

MCC will open the 2009 season Wednesday on the road against Jones County Junior College in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. MCC will play its first game at Scaggs Field as a part of the annual Rush Tournament on Feb. 13.

MCC Eagles schedule
Feb. 4 at Jones County
Feb. 6 vs. Alabama Southern*
Feb. 7 vs. Northwest Florida*
Feb. 8 vs. Shelton State*
Feb. 10 at Alabama Southern
Feb. 13 Southeastern Illinois
Feb. 13 Wabash
Feb. 14 Southeastern Illinois
Feb. 15 Southeastern Illinois
Feb. 15 Wabash
Feb. 17 Alabama Southern
Feb. 20 Kaskaskia
Feb. 22 Kaskaskia
Feb. 27 vs. Angelina at Bossier
Feb. 27 at Bossier-Parish
Feb. 28 vs. NE Okla. at Bossier
Feb. 28 vs. Weatherford at Bossier
Mar. 6 Northwest Florida
Mar. 7 Northwest Florida
Mar. 11 Kishwaukee
Mar. 17 Northwest Shoals
Mar. 21 at Baton Rouge
Mar. 22 at Baton Rouge
Mar. 26 at L.B. Wallace
Mar. 28 at Delgado
Mar. 29 at Delgado
Mar. 31 at Shelton State
Apr. 7 Shelton State
Apr. 11 Baton Rouge
Apr. 12 Baton Rouge
Apr. 14 at Northwest Shoals
Apr. 15 at Wallace-Hanceville
Apr. 18 Delgado
Apr. 19 Delgado

*at Fort Walton, Fla.