Eagles face loaded field

By Rocky Higginbotham / Sports Editor

Fans in Kansas City, Mo., who are able to take in this weekend’s NJCAA South Central District Baseball Tournament will not only see three talented teams — but a trio of programs steeped in tradition.

Region 23 champion Meridian Community College is one of those teams, in Kansas City this weekend to battle host Maple Woods and Seminole (Okla.) State in a three-team, double-elimination event, which will decide who represents the district in the Juco World Series in Grand Junction, Colo., on May 23-30.

MCC and its high-powered offense is 37-17 — the same record sported by perennial power Seminole. Maple Woods, meanwhile, is 38-17.

“At this point in the season, everybody you play is going to be good,” MCC coach Chris Rose said. “That’s certainly the case with both of these teams.

“There’s a reason they’re here. Both of these teams are good and they’ve played good schedules.”

MCC, which hit the road in the wee hours of Thursday morning, will play a pair of games in the district tournament today.

The Eagles will take the field at 10 a.m. against the host Monarchs. Seminole faces Maple Woods at 1 p.m., and Meridian goes up against Seminole at 4 p.m. The tournament wraps up Saturday.

“Seminole is a just a power year-in-and year out,” Rose said. “They’ve probably been to the World Series more than anybody else except San Jac (five-time national champ San Jacinto).

“Maple Woods is very strong and has come on after a slow start. They’ve started to figure out things offensively and started scoring a bunch of runs.

“It’s really just going to come down to whoever is hot or whoever makes the fewest mistakes. It might come down to something on the basepaths or something as simple as getting a bunt down or not getting a bunt down.”

MCC, fresh off its 10th region championship, is looking for its eighth juco World Series trip and first since 2004. In fact, 15 of the high-powered Eagles’ 17 losses have come by one run.

Sophomore infielder Tyler Vick leads the potent offense with a school-record 24 home runs (he also holds the career mark with 39). Vick is hitting .415 with 70 RBIs and an .881 slugging percentage — and he also has 14 doubles.

Jordan King leads the team with a .418 batting average and also sports 14 doubles, eight home runs, 40 RBIs and 10 stolen bases; while Brent Tanner bats .396 with 15 home runs, 58 RBIs, 17 doubles and is second on the team with a .514 on-base percentage.

Among the other big sticks in MCC’s lineup: Corey Dickerson (.381, 54 RBIs, 21 doubles, 15 home runs, 14 steals); William Beckwith (.388, 32 RBIs, 13 steals, .519 on-base percentage); Wesley Thigpen (.381, 11 home runs, 15 doubles, 50 RBIs); Jonothan Pace (.367, 35 RBIs) and Kenny Sanders — who was 4-for-5 in the region-clinching win against Delgado and has his average up to .329.

Eric Callender (2-1, 2.26 earned-run average), Garrett Harris (5-3, 47 strikeouts in 55 1-3 innings) and former Newton County star Jared Cavenaugh lead the MCC pitching staff. Cavenaugh is 8-2 with a 4.06 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 55 1-3 innings.

Freshman Mandella Mingo is 5-1 with a 3.83 ERA, Blake Hennington of Enterprise is 4-1 with a 2.29 ERA and the staff also includes ex-Lake star Jason Judge, Leake Academy product Allen Johnson and Alan Williams.

Seminole just won the Region 2 title for the 20th time, and the Trojans are seeking their 15th South Central title and 15th trip to the juco World Series.

Terrance Jackson is the star for Seminole both on the mound and at the plate. Jackson is hitting .418 with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs, and he is also 7-2 on the hill with a 4.11 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 50 1-3 innings.

Jordan Underwood (4-0) and Dustin Andrews (4-1) are other key arms for the Trojans — whose program has sent a long list of players to the Major Leagues, including current big-leaguer Adam LaRoche.

David Chester (.362, 10 HR, 48 RBIs) and Ky Burgess (.378, 31 RBIs) provide offense along with Jackson.

Maple Woods, meanwhile, has built quite the reputation in the last decade or so. The Monarchs — whose alumni include current St. Louis Cardinals star and MVP Albert Pujols — have eight Region 16 titles to their credit, all in the last 12 years.

Kyle Jackson (9-2, 63 strikeouts in 60 innings) and Chris Thomas (7-2, 1.67 ERA, 59 strikeouts in 54 innings) head up the Maple Woods pitching staff, while Steven Ross carries a big stick for the Monarchs with a .418 batting average, nine home runs and 56 RBIs.