MCC Baseball Splits With ECCC

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Eagles walked away with a doubleheader split (5-4, 4-7) against East Central Community College on Wednesday at Scaggs Field. The games were originally scheduled to be played in Decatur, but due to poor field conditions the games were moved to Meridian Community College. MCC moved its overall record to 10-8 after the split and East Central is now 5-8 for the 2012 season. MCC will open a three-game series this weekend against Northwest Florida beginning on Friday at 5 p.m. The final two games of the series will be played as part of a doubleheader on Saturday at noon. East Central will return to action Saturday at home against Mississippi Delta in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

MCC 5
ECCC 4

Brian Donohoe delivered the game winning hit for the Eagles in the bottom of the ninth inning to give MCC a dramatic one-run in game one of the twin bill. Donohoe finished the game with three hits to lead MCC and ended the game with an RBI double. Wade Wass ended the game with two hits for the Eagles and added his seventh home run of the season in the eighth inning. Former West Lauderdale star Dustin James smashed his first home run of the season with a solo shot which came in the second inning. Jonathan Youngblood also added a two-run single the comeback victory for the Eagles. MCC finished the game with 12 hits and East Central only managed four hits in the loss.

Josh Lee (1-0) picked up the pitching win in relief for the Eagles by working in the ninth inning. Tim Anderson and Ryan Shotts each finished the game with a base hit for the Warriors.

ECCC 7
MCC 4

The Warriors scored five late runs to salvage a split with the Eagles in the second game of the doubleheader. East Central scored three runs in the fourth inning and two in the fifth inning to earn the win in game two. Terrance Steele led the way for East Central with three hits and a pair of RBI’s. Rubert Alcantara drove in a pair of runs for ECCC and Ricky Valez added an RBI on a base hit.

MCC ended the game with eight hits and the Warriors finished the game with seven hits. Former Meridian High standout Luke Stanley led the way in the loss for the Eagles with two hits and Youngblood had two hits in the game for MCC.

MCC Basketball Sweeps Baton Rouge

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Lady Eagles extended its winning streak to seven with a 93-72 win over Baton Rouge on Saturday afternoon at Graham Gymnasium. The Lady Eagles have now won 11 of its last 12 games following the home victory over the Lady Bears. The game on Saturday was also the regular season home finale for MCC. Chasity Kearney led the Lady Eagles with 24 points and Norianna Haynes followed with 20 points. Deanna Bolton finished the game with 11 points and Gelese Lampton added 10 points in the win.

MCC (18-10, 8-1) will return to action on March 2 on the road at Baton Rouge. The game with the Lady Bears next weekend will be the final game of the regular season for the Lady Eagles and will begin at 2 p.m.

MCC (men) 77
BRCC 72

The Eagles were able to secure the sweep over BRCC with a five-point victory in the men’s contest. Trent Tucker led the way for MCC with 24 points and T.J. Jones added 14 points for the Eagles.

MCC (10-18, 5-4) will return to action March 2 on the road at Baton Rouge to conclude the regular season. The game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. tip-off next weekend.

MCC Baseball Moves Past Alabama Southern

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Eagles got a solid pitching performance from sophomore Wes Stokes to secure a 3-2 victory over Alabama Southern at Scaggs Field on Friday afternoon. Stokes pitched seven strong innings and ended the game with three strikeouts. The victory on the mound by Stokes was his first of the 2012 season and Andrew Chesteen pitched the final two innings to earn his first save of the season.

Kasey Hinton led the Eagles at the plate with a pair of hits and Wade Wass added an RBI single in the game for the Eagles. Gabe Woods and Johnny Tolson each drove in a run in the victory for Meridian. Tevin Pope and Cliff Covington each added a pair of hits in the loss for Alabama Southern. MCC improved to 9-7 overall for the 2012 season and Alabama Southern dropped its overall record to 4-9.

Meridian will return to action February 29 on the road at East Central Community College. The doubleheader with the Warriors is scheduled for 2 p.m. The Eagles will return to Scaggs Field next weekend to open a three-game series with Northwest Florida. The series will begin with a single game on March 2 at 5 p.m. and conclude March 3 with a doubleheader scheduled for 12 p.m.

MCC Softball Drops Two Games To Pensacola

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Lady Eagles could not find a way to rebound from its early season struggles as Pensacola State College swept a pair of games from MCC (2-7, 2-14) on Friday afternoon at Tommy McDonald Field. The Lady Eagles are now 1-10 for the season and have lost nine straight since winning its opening game of the season against Hinds Community College. MCC will look to reverse its fortunes with its next scheduled game on the road February 28 against Bishop State. The first pitch of the game is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Mobile, AL.

Pensacola 7
MCC 2

The Lady Eagles got a solid performance from sophomore Heather Reed in the first game of the day, but Pensacola would take the five-run decision. The former Meridian High standout had three hits in the opening game for MCC and scored a run. Shumond Hughes added a base hit and scored the only other run in the first game of the doubleheader for MCC. Brooke Dew and Devin Batson each added a single in the game one loss for the Lady Eagles.

Pensacola 14
MCC 2
The Lady Bucs secured the sweep over MCC by a run rule shortened victory. MCC only managed a pair of hits in the game and Pensacola took advantage of several miscues by MCC to run away with the win. Dew and Batson each had a base hit in the game two loss for the Lady Eagles.

MCC Baseball Sweeps Past Coahoma

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Eagles extended its winning streak to four by taking a doubleheader sweep over Coahoma (12-4, 12-3) on Tuesday night at Scaggs Field. The Eagles improved to 8-7 with the sweep of the Tigers and will return to action on Friday afternoon against Alabama Southern. The game is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. first pitch at Scaggs Field.

MCC 12

Coahoma 4

The Eagles took advantage of eight Coahoma errors in the opening game to take an eight-run victory. MCC ended the first game with seven hits and had two players with two hits. Wade Wass and Johnny Tolson each finished the game two hits apiece, while Tyler Dixon and Gabe Woods each had two-run doubles. Caleb Delee earned the pitching win for Meridian by working out of the bullpen and collecting two strikeouts.

Wesley Gregg led the Tigers with a two-run double and Malcom Marshall added a run scoring hit for Coahoma.

MCC 12

Coahoma 3

MCC banged out 10 hits and got a solid pitching performance from freshman Mitchell Babb to secure the sweep. Babb worked four innings and finished the game with nine strikeouts for Meridian. Woods led the charge in the second game for the Eagles by driving in five runs on three base hits. Tolson added a base hit and knocked in three runs in the victory.

Jermaine Jones led Coahoma with two base hits and a run scored and Sancez added a run scoring single in the loss for the Tigers.

MCC Basketball Sweeps Southern Shreveport

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Lady Eagles clinched its eighth straight Miss-Lou Conference championship on Saturday night by defeating Southern Shreveport 93-77. The game was played at Mississippi College and this marks the sixth regular season championship for MCC under the direction of head coach Hilary Allen. The Lady Eagles improved to 15-10 overall for the season and will return to action Monday night on the road at Hinds. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. tip-off.

Chasity Kearney led the way for MCC with 32 points and Norianna Haynes had a huge scoring night with 29 points in the victory.

MCC (men) 70
Southern Shreveport 66

The Eagles completed the sweep of the Jaguars by taking the four-point victory. MCC moved to within one game of first place in the Miss-Lou Conference standings. The Eagles have two more regular season games remaining in Miss-Lou Conference play to try and secure the regular season championship. Gio Smith led MCC in scoring with 15 points.

The Eagles will return to action Monday on the road at Hinds. The game is scheduled for an 8 p.m. tip-off.

MCC Golf Captures Faulkner State Invitational Title

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College golf team continued its record breaking season by capturing the Faulkner State Invitational Championship on Tuesday in Fairhope, AL at Rock Creek Country Club. This marks the first win of the spring season for MCC and the fourth win of 2011-2012. The Eagles captured the championship by three strokes over Mississippi Gulf Coast.

“I am very proud of the way we bounced back in the final round and it’s a great start to our spring season,” said MCC golf coach Clinton Hales. “We struggled during our first round due to poor conditions, but I was very pleased by the final round. We have some things to work on and prepare for the next tournament.”

Easton Key and T.J. Morgan earned spots on the All-Tournament team and finished the day tied for second place. Key has now been a member of the All-Tournament team on four different occasions in 2011-2012 and ended the final round by shooting a 73. Morgan shot the lowest final round score for the Eagles with a 71 and Jake Sterling bounced back to fire a 72 for Meridian. Dylan Brown scored a 74 in the final round and Gafford White ended the day with a 76.

MCC will return to the course March 15-17 as a participant in the Spring Fling College Classic in Scottsboro, AL.

MCC Splits With EMCC

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Lady Eagles contiuned its winning ways over East Mississippi Community College by taking a 75-57 victory on Monday night at the Currie Coliseum. The Lady Eagles improved to 13-10 overall for the season and swept the season series over the Lady Lions. MCC defeated EMCC 59-54 earlier in the season in Meridian. East Mississippi dropped its overall record to 6-14 with the loss to Meridian.

MCC will return to action on Wednesday night on the road at Baton Rouge Community College beginning at 6 p.m. The Lady Eagles are currently 4-1 in Miss-Lou Conference play this season and will look to remain at the top of the conference standings after Wednesday night. East Mississippi will return to MACJC North Division action on Thursday night at home against Mississippi Delta. The game is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off. The Lady Lions are currently 3-6 in MACJC North Division play this season.

ReRe Stinner led the Lady Eagles with 12 points and Gelese Lampton followed with 11 points. Chasity Kearney finished the game with 10 points and Norianna Haynes added eight points.

EMCC (men) 68 OT

MCC 64

The East Mississippi Lions survived a huge scare from the Eagles and were able to hold on for the overtime victory. MCC held a 31-28 lead at the end of the first half and both team exchanged the lead on several occasions in the second half. EMCC was able to hold on the overtime period to escape with the win over MCC. The Lions are currently ranked number 19 in the country according to the latest NJCAA poll and have won 15 straight games. The loss for Meridian snapped its current three-game winning streak.

T.J. Jones and Tajh Ford led the way for the Eagles with 14 points in the loss for MCC. Kevin Williams added 12 points in the setback for Meridian.

The Eagles return to action on Wednesday at Baton Rouge beginning at 8 p.m.

MCC Golf Leads After First Round of Faulkner State Invitational

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College golf team started the season off on a high note by firing a 301 to lead the Faulkner State Invitational.

"I was very glad that we have the lead after the first round," said MCC golf coach Clinton Hales. "We have another great chance at winning a tournament and getting our spring started well."

MCC is looking to build on its success of the fall season after winning three tournaments and being ranked number one according to the NJCAA.

Easton Key leads the overall field after shooting a 71 and leads fellow team member T.J. Morgan by two strokes. Morgan fired a first round 73 and Dylan Brown ended the day with a first round 78. Jake Sterling finished the day with a 79 and Gafford White scored an 82 to end his opening round.

The Eagles will finish the final round of the Faulkner State Invitational on Tuesday morning beginning at 8 a.m. The final round is a scheduled 18 holes at the Rock Creek Country Club in Fairhope, AL.

MCC Baseball Drops Third Straight

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Eagles finished the final day of the 2012 Rush Invitational by losing its third straight game of the weekend by a final score of 6-3 to Faulkner State. The Eagles dropped its overall record to 4-7 for the season and will return to action Wednesday on the road at Wallace-Selma. The doubleheader on Wednesday is scheduled for a 5 p.m. start.

MCC finished the game with five hits and Wade Wass led the way a solo home run. The home run for the Pensacola, FL native was his sixth home run of the 2012 season. Johnny Tolson added an RBI on a sacrifice fly and Kasey Hinton added a single in the loss for Meridian.
Andrew Chesteen took the pitching loss for MCC by working six innings and allowing three earned runs. Josh Hollingsworth took the win on the mound for the Sun Chiefs and collected nine strikeouts. Corey Bryan and Phillip McDuffie led Faulkner State at the plate with two hits apiece. The Sun Chiefs finished the game with nine hits.

Gulf Coast Slides Past MCC

From School Reports

Gulf Coast (FL) was able to battle back from a 6-1 deficit to shock MCC by a final score of 7-6 to secure a victory in the second day of the Rush Invitational Tournament at Scaggs Field on Saturday afternoon. The Commodores scored four runs in the seventh inning and two runs in the eighth inning to complete the comeback win over the Eagles.

MCC finished the game with 12 hits and four players with multiple hits in the game. Johnny Tolson, Wade Wass, Gabe Woods, and Sam Peterson finished the game with two hits apiece for the Eagles. Wes Stokes drew the start on the mound for MCC and worked six solid innings, but didn’t factor into the decision. Stokes allowed one earned run and ended the game with three strikeouts.

Dylan Brown led Gulf Coast with four hits and drove in three runs, while Dakota Spikes added a pair of hits in the victory. This marked the second win of the season for Gulf Coast over MCC. The Commodores defeated Meridian earlier in the season 11-5 in Panama City, FL at the First Pitch Classic.

MCC Basketball Sweeps Delgado

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Lady Eagles got back on the winning track Saturday with an 81-71 homecoming victory over Delgado. The Lady Eagles improved to 12-10 overall for the season and 4-1 in Miss-Lou Conference. Gelese Lampton led the Lady Eagles with 20 points and Norianna Haynes ended the game with 17 points. Chasity Kearney finished the game with 11 points for the green and white.

Haynes and Kearney were also honored during the game by scoring 1,000 points in their careers. MCC will return to action on Monday night at East Mississippi Community College. The game is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off.

MCC (men) 80
Delgado 74

The Eagles completed the sweep by taking a six-point win over the Dolphins. Trent Tucker led MCC with 22 points and T.J. Jones followed with 19 points. Gio Smith had 15 points and Prince Williams was the fourth player in double figures for Meridian with 13 points.

MCC improved to 8-14 overall for the season and 3-2 in Miss-Lou Conference. The Eagles will return to action on Monday at East Mississippi Community College. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.

MCC Softball Splits With Hinds

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College softball team opened its 2012 season on Friday by earning a doubleheader split with Hinds Community College (7-4, 1-12) The Lady Eagles will return to action on Saturday participating at the Lurleen B. Wallace Tournament in Andalusia, AL. MCC will play three games on Saturday and will begin the day at 12:30 p.m. against Chattahoochee Valley and will continue play against Wallace-Dothan at 3 p.m. The tournament will conclude for MCC with a 5:30 p.m. against Lurleen B. Wallace.

MCC 7
Hinds 4

The Lady Eagles were able to scratch for a couple of late runs and secure a three-run victory in the first game of the season. Brooke Dew led MCC at the plate with two hits and Shumond Hughes added a pair of doubles in the victory for the Lady Eagles. Kelsey Wilson earned the pitching win in the opening game for MCC.

Hinds 12
MCC 1

Hinds was able to take advantage of four early errors by MCC to salvage the split in the doubleheader. Mallory Lowe took the pitching loss on the mound for the Lady Eagles and allowed only one hit through six innings. Dew led MCC at the plate with two hits and Maranda Agee finished the game with two hits for MCC.

MCC Golf Set For New Season

From School Reports

The top ranked Meridian Community College golf team returns to action Monday to open their spring season at the Faulkner State Community College Spring Invitational. The tournament will be held at Rock Creek Golf Club in Fairhope, AL. The Eagles look to build off their successful fall season which included three tournament victories (Wallace State Fall Invitational, NJCAA District IV Preview, and the MGCCC Holiday Inn Invitational), and concluded with a number one ranking according to three different polls (Golfstat, NJCAA, and GolfWorld/Nike Golf).

The Eagles will be led by sophomore and Arkansas State University signee, Easton Key. "Easton had an outstanding fall for us. He led the team in scoring average and averaged under par for our 5 fall tournaments," head coach Clinton Hales said. "Easton's play this spring will be a big part of helping our team reach our goals and compete for the district and national championship.

Fellow sophomore and University of South Florida commit, Jake Stirling, will also be in the lineup this week for the Eagles. "Having two of our sophomores the opportunity to continue their playing career at two outstanding Division I schools really speaks to the strength of the program and our ability to compete on a national level. To be able to send two of our players to schools of those caliber is great exposure not only for our golf program, but also for Meridian Community College. "

Joining Key and Stirling in the lineup will a trio of freshmen: Dylan Brown, TJ Morgan, and Gafford White. The field includes district rivals Wallace State CC, Central Alabama CC, Brevard CC, Darton CC, as well as host school Faulkner State CC. Play begins with 18 holes on Monday and concludes with a final round on Tuesday.

MCC Baseball Falls In Rush Tournament

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Eagles didn’t enjoy the opening day of the 2012 Rush Invitational Tournament. Jefferson College defeated MCC 17-3 in a run-rule shortened on Friday night at Scaggs Field. The Eagles dropped to 4-5 for the 2012 season and will return to action Saturday afternoon against Gulf Coast (FL) at 2 p.m.

The Eagles only managed four hits in the game and Wade Wass led the way with his fifth home run of the season for MCC. Tyler Dixon added an RBI single in the game for the Eagles. The MCC pitching staff surrendered 12 walks in the game and the Eagles committed four errors on defense. Jackson Lowery (1-2) took the pitching loss on the mound for Meridian. Lowery worked four innings and collected nine strikeouts.

Tyler Hibbert led the Vikings with three hits and Brett Wiley drove in four runs in the game for Jefferson College. The Vikings also defeated Gulf Coast (FL) in the first game of the tournament by a final score of 11-4.

MCC Basketball Splits With Southern Shreveport

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Eagles won its second straight Miss-Lou Conference game by defeating Southern Shreveport by a final score of 68-66. The Eagles improved to 2-2 in conference play and 7-14 overall for the season. MCC got a huge performance from freshman T.J. Jones, who finished the game with 20 points. Gio Smith ended the game with 14 points and Dominic Griffin also scored in double figures with 10 points.

MCC will return to play this Saturday against Delgado Community College in another key Miss-Lou Conference showdown. The game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start at Graham Gymnasium and will be a part of homecoming weekend at Meridian Community College.

Southern Shreveport (women) 70
MCC 59

The Lady Jaguars fought back from an 11-point halftime deficit to shock MCC in the opening game of the night. The Lady Eagles led Southern Shreveport 44-33 at the end of the first half, but MCC only managed three points in the first nine minutes of the second half. The two teams exchanged the lead for much of the final minutes, but Southern Shreveport pulled away late in the game for the win.

Chasity Kearney led MCC with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Gelese Lampton finished the game with 12 points. Jasmine Bryant led the Lady Jaguars in scoring with 19 points. MCC dropped its overall record to 11-10 and 3-1 in Miss-Lou Conference for the season. The Lady Eagles are still in first place in the Miss-Lou Conference standings after Delgado defeated Baton Rouge 59-53. MCC now has a one game lead over Baton Rouge after both teams lost on Wednesday night.

The Lady Eagles will look to get back in the winning column on Saturday against Delgado Community College. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start at Graham Gymnasium.

MCC Edges Past Marion Military

From School Reports

Jonathan Youngblood connected on a single in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead MCC to a dramatic 5-4 victory at Scaggs Field on Tuesday afternoon. Meridian improved to 4-4 for the 2012 season with the win and the Eagles will return to action this weekend hosting the 2012 Rush Invitational Tournament at Scaggs Field. MCC will host Faulkner State, Jefferson College (MO), and Gulf Coast (FL) this weekend. The Eagles will play Jefferson College in its opening game of the tournament on Friday beginning at 2 p.m.

The Eagles finished the game with eight hits and Marion Military ended the afternoon with 10 hits. MCC took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the second inning to make the score 2-0. Dustin James drove in the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly and Kasey Hinton laid down a bunt to score a runner from third base to give the Eagles a two-run edge.

Marion Military answered with a run in the top of the third inning to cut the lead to 2-1. Tyler Jarvis drove in the first run of the game for the Tigers on a single to bring the visiting team to within one run. The Eagles received a huge blow in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend the lead to 3-1. Charles Morton connected on his first home run of the season to give MCC a two-run cushion. The Tigers answered with three runs in the top of the eighth inning to take its only lead of the game at 4-3. Evan Mason tied the game at 3-3 in the eighth inning for the Tigers on a two-run single and MCC allowed a run to score on an error to give Marion Military the lead.

Meridian was able to battle back in the final inning to walk away with the one-run victory. James led the inning off with a single and Hinton executed a sacrifice bunt to put the runner in scoring position. Youngblood gave MCC the win on an RBI single to center field to lead the green and white to a home victory.

Blake Barrow secured the pitching win out of the bullpen for Meridian and Kyle Tokunaga was the losing pitcher out of the bullpen for Marion Military. Johnny Tolson and Wade Wass each ended the game with two hits for MCC.

MCC Signs Top Player From Mississippi

From School Reports

One of Mississippi's top high school golfers signed Monday to continue his playing career at Meridian Community College. Chase Taylor, from Columbus, MS, becomes the first piece of MCC's 2012 signing class and will join the top ranked Eagles in the fall of 2012. As a junior, Taylor led New Hope High School to the class 5A State Championship. He was named All-District and All-State for his efforts on the links. During an impressive summer of 2011, Taylor qualified for the 64th United States Junior Amateur Championship held in Bremerton, Washington. He also finished 3rd at the Mississippi Junior Amateur Championship and made the cut at the Mississippi Men's Amateur Championship. He also qualified for the prestigious Optimist International Junior Golf Tournament in West Palm Beach, Florida on two separate occasions, as well as the Big I Boys Junior Championships, both international tournaments.

"What a great day for MCC golf," said Clinton Hales, MCC Head Coach. "We're extremely proud Chase has decided to join our program for the next two years. Having a player of Chase's caliber will only help us to continue to compete for our District and National Championships at the division 1 level of junior college golf. Not only is Chase a great young golfer with a world of potential, but he's also a great young man from a great family. He's also a Mississippi kid, so, we are extremely glad to have him come be a part of program.

MCC Splits Final Two Games At LBW Tournament

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Eagles concluded play in the 2012 T.J. Fleming Invitational at Lurleen B. Wallace on Sunday with some good news and bad new. The Eagles dropped its opening game on Sunday to Enterprise State College by a final score of 5-3 and rebounded in the second game to defeat Alabama Southern 3-2.

MCC moved its overall record for the season to 3-4 with the doubleheader split on Sunday. The Eagles finished the weekend by winning three of four games in the T.J. Fleming Invitational.

Meridian will return to action Tuesday afternoon at home against Marion Military. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start at Scaggs Field.

Enterprise 5
MCC 3

Enterprise used a four-run third inning to take the three-run victory over the Eagles in opening game of the day. Will Walker connected on a three-run home run in the third inning which would be enough for the win for Enterprise. Johnny Tolson led the offensive charge for MCC with three hits, including a double. Wade Wass, Sam Peterson, and Gabe Woods each added RBI singles in the loss for the Eagles.

Michael Manley (0-2) took the loss on the mound for the Eagles and only worked three innings.

MCC 3
Alabama Southern 2

Kasey Hinton scored from third base on a balk in the top of the seventh inning to give the Eagles a one-run victory in the second game. The Eagles managed only three hits in the game and Tyler Dixon led the offense with a two-run homer in the sixth inning.

Caleb Delee secured the pitching win for MCC by working out of the bullpen late in the game and collecting two strikeouts.

MCC Basketball Sweeps Baton Rouge

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Lady Eagles continued its ways on Saturday night by taking an 89-74 victory over Baton Rouge Community College at Mississippi College in Clinton, MS. MCC (11-9 3-0) has won six of its last seven games and will return to action Wednesday at home against Southern Shreveport. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start at Graham Gymnasium.

Norianna Haynes led the Lady Eagles with 20 points and Chasity Kearney finished the game with 14 points. Gelese Lampton ended the game with 12 points and Ashtin McNichols added 11 points in the victory.

MCC (men) 89
Baton Rouge 79

The Eagles completed the sweep of the Bears on Saturday night with a double digit victory. MCC(6-13, 1-2) had four players finish in double figures to give the Eagles its first Miss-Lou Conference win of the season. Kaylim Noel led MCC with 18 points and Trent Tucker finished the game with 15 points. Emmanuel Okoro and Kevin Williams each ended the game with 12 points apiece.

Meridian will return to Miss-Lou Conference action Wednesday at home against Southern Shreveport. The game is scheduled for an 8 p.m. start at Graham Gymnasium.

MCC Wins First Two Games of 2012 Season

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Eagles secured its first two victories of the 2012 season by defeating Wallace-Dothan (8-2) and Marion Military (13-7) in the second day of the T.J. Fleming Invitational at Lurleen B. Wallace on Saturday afternoon.

MCC (2-3) used a big day at the plate from freshman Blake Barrow. The Montgomery, AL native had seven hits and drove in eight runs in the doubleheader sweep. Barrow also became the fifth player in school history to hit three home runs in one game.

Wade Wass connected on two more home runs in the sweep and leads the Eagles in long balls with four.

The Eagles will return to action on Sunday in the final day of the T.J. Fleming Invitational with two more games. MCC will play Enterprise State College at 10 a.m. and finish the weekend with Alabama Southern at 12:30 p.m.

MCC 8
Wallace-Dothan 2

Wade Wass smashed a two-run home run and Jackson Lowery picked up his first pitching win of the season in the six-run win over Wallace-Dothan. Lowery pitched four innings and collected six strikeouts in his first career win at MCC. The Eagles scored three runs in the first inning to take a quick 3-0 over the Governors. Sam Peterson, Gabe Woods, and Brian Donohoe all had RBI singles in the first inning with two outs for MCC.

Wallace-Dothan scored two runs in the top of the fourth inning to cut the MCC lead to 3-2. Luke Davis drove in one run on a double and Clayton Fenwick added an RBI on a single for Wallace-Dothan.

The Eagles scored five more runs in the bottom of the sixth to secure the 8-2 win over the Governors. Wass had a two-run home run in the sixth inning and Johnny Tolson added a two-run double in the sixth for the Eagles. Josh Lee pitched three solid innings out of the bullpen for Eagles. The former Quitman High School standout collected five strikeouts in three scoreless innings in relief of Lowery.

MCC 13
Marion Military 7

Barrow belted three home runs and drove in seven runs to lead MCC to the six-run win over the Tigers. Mitchel Babb picked up the pitching win out of the bullpen for the Eagles and Caleb Delee recorded his first save of the season. The two teams traded runs for most of the contest, leading to six lead changes in the game.

Barrow homered in the third, sixth, and seventh innings for the Eagles. MCC pulled out the win thanks to a strong sixth inning. Barrow delivered a grand slam in the sixth inning and Wass added a two-run homer in the third inning for the Eagles.

Gabe Woods added an RBI double in the victory and Donohoe finished the game with a run scoring double.

MCC Soccer Adds Five Players From Meridian High

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College soccer program has added five players to its 2012 signing class from Meridian High School. Pejay Mosely, Christian Jackson, Spence Baucum, Merrick Watkins, and Miller Watkins all signed national letters of intent to play for the green and white on Thursday afternoon.

“We are very excited about these players signing to come play at their local community college,” said MCC head soccer coach Alex George. “All of these players are very good athletes and should bring something great to our program next season.”

Mosley, Jackson, and Baucum started all 22 games this past season for the Meridian High Wildcats. Mosley started at defender for MHS and scored six goals this past season. Jackson started at midfield and collected 10 goals and finished the season with 18 assists. Baucum ended his senior season at Meridian High School with 22 goals and seven assists.

All three players will look to make an immediate impact for the MCC men’s team this fall. The Lady Eagles added a pair of new players to its already impressive signing class by added Merrick Watkins and Miller Watkins. Merrick will look to start in the midfield for MCC next season and Miller will look to make a splash at defender in 2012 for the Lady Eagles.

"I expect both of these girls to be starters for the Lady Eagle's next year" said coach Mike Smith. "They bring passion, spirit, and flare to our team" said Smith.

MCC will begin the 2012 soccer season on August 21 on the road at Southwest Mississippi Community College.

MCC Baseball Completes 2012 Signing Class

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College baseball team announced Thursday that 11 players have committed to join the baseball program at MCC next season. The list includes players from five different states (Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Florida) and young men that will look to make an immediate impact in 2013.

“We are very excited about this year’s class,” said MCC head coach Chris Curry. “I feel like that our coaching staff did an outstanding job of identifying the prospects in the southeast. We really feel like that this class has some great hitters and some very strong infielder’s.”

D.J. Davis, Paul Angel, Brooks Balisterrl, Andrew Cook, Michael Druhan, Ben Gann, Kevin Hall, Grant Hill, Garrett LaRosa, Mac Seibert, and Dylan Sellars have all committed to play next season for Meridian Community College.

The recruiting class is highlighted by outfielder D.J. Davis who will come to MCC from Stone High School, and is ranked as one of the top 100 high school players in the country according to Perfect Game.

“He (D.J.) is a special talent who will be a high draft pick this spring,” added Curry. He just keeps getting better and better. He is a plus-runner who can hit for power.”

Angel, an outfielder from Spain Park High School in Birmingham, AL will look to make a splash next season for the Eagles.

“He (Paul) is about as close to a five tool player as you will find,” said Curry. “He can really run and defend in the outfield, has tremendous feel for hitting, and his power is developing.”

Balisterri, an infielder from Benton High School in Arkansas, will look to bring some great defensive ability at shortstop for the Eagles next season.

“He (Brooks) is a guy who was brought up playing the game the right way,” added Curry. “He has an athletic live body who we feel is a true shortstop.”

Cook will come to MCC from Har-Ber High School in Springdale, AR and will look to log innings on the mound, and play in the outfield for MCC.

“He (Andrew) possesses above average arm strength who really showed a desire to be an Eagle,” added Curry. “He has a quick arm and is really athletic.”

Druhan comes to MCC next year from Collierville High School in Tennessee and will join former high school teammates Tyler Dixon and Caleb Delee. Druhan will look to play first base and pitch for the Eagles in 2012.

“He (Michael) has a chance to be a legitimate two way guy for us,” said Curry. “Michael has a power arm and a power bat. He is another guy who we feel like has the frame and athletic ability to continue to improve.”

Gann will enter next season at Meridian from Vestavia Hills High School in Birmingham, AL. Gann will look to add some power to the middle of the lineup for the Eagles in 2013.

“He (Ben) is a throw-back hard-nosed ball player,” said Curry. “He can hit for power and average and comes from one of the top high school programs in Alabama.”

Hall is the second player in the 2012 signing class from Collierville High School in Tennessee. Hall will bring many different qualities to the MCC program next season.

“We are getting a special player in Kevin. We feel like he is one of the better hitters in the Southeast. He can catch and is athletic enough to play other positions as well.”

Hill is the lone player from Lauderdale County in the 2012 signing class and played at West Lauderdale High School.

“He (Grant) is a perfect fit for our program with how he plays the game and the work ethic he displays. He can play multiple positions, can handle the bat, and is a really aggressive and smart base runner.”
LaRosa, a native of Long Beach, will join the Eagles from Long Beach High School. LaRosa will look to make an immediate impact at catcher for the Eagles.

“He (Garrett) is the best catcher in the state this year,” said Curry. “He can really catch and throw. He has the personality and leadership qualities we look for in a catcher as well.”

Seibert will come to Meridian from Tate High School in Cantonment, FL where he has played infield.

“He (Mac) is a guy we have followed for a while now and feel fortunate to have him join our program,” said Curry. “He is a legitimate middle of the order type bat.”

Sellars is the final member of the 2012 signing class for Meridian Community College. Sellars comes to MCC from Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge, LA. Sellars will join the pitching staff next season and look to battle for a spot in the rotation.

“He (Dylan) is another big physical right-hander that kind of fits our mold,” added Curry. “His best days are ahead of him. His arm works really well and will be a true sinker, slider guy.”

MCC Splits Road Games With Delgado

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College Lady Eagles continued its solid play as of late by taking a 69-45 victory over Delgado last night in Miss-Lou Conference basketball action. Chasity Kearney led the way in scoring for the Lady Eagles with 13 points and Norianna Haynes added 11 points in the road win. Arnissa Galloway and Gelese Lampton each finished the game with 10 points. Meridian improved to 10-9 overall for the season and 2-0 in Miss-Lou Conference play. The Lady Eagles have now won five of its last six games.

The Lady Eagles will return to the floor this Saturday on the road against Baton Rouge Community College. The game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. start and will be played at Mississippi College in Clinton, MS.

Delgado (men) 77
MCC 74

The Dolphins scored a three-point basket at the end of regulation to escape with a home victory over the Eagles. Kevin Williams drained a three-pointer with seven seconds left in the game to tie the game at 74-74, but Richard Bienvenu hit the game winning basket with no time remaining to propel DCC to the win. Kaylim Noel led MCC in scoring with 17 points.

Meridian (5-14, 0-2) will return to action this Saturday on the road against Baton Rouge Community College. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start and will be played at Mississippi College in Clinton, MS.