Baseball Best-of-Three Series Begin This Thursday: Top MACCC Baseball Headlines
Photo Credit: East Mississippi Sports Information
JACKSON, Miss. – The baseball postseason begins this Thursday for the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference, with several teams vying for NJCAA Region 23 playoff berths with a best-of-three opening round series starting Thursday through Saturday, May 4-6. The four winners will join 2023 MACCC Baseball champions East Central and Region 23 host LSU Eunice in Eunice, La. for the Region 23 tournament, May 15-19.
Here are some of the top headlines from around the MACCC.
East Central Wins MACCC Baseball Championship
The East Central Community College Warrior baseball team clinched the MACCC (Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference) championship on Friday, April 28th, after splitting a pair of home games against the East Mississippi Community College Lions on Sophomore Day, to wrap up conference play.
The Warriors needed just one victory to secure sole possession of the title and accomplished the feat in the opening game with a resounding 10-3 win. Despite losing the nightcap, the Warriors finished the season with a conference record of 23-5, one game ahead of the Meridian Community College Eagles, who finished 22-6.
This championship is the Warriors' first since 2016 when they won the title in the then-titled MACJC State Tournament. The playoff structure changed the following season to eliminate the tournament and name the champion based on regular season results.
Bobcats split with No. 18 Itawamba, turn attention to postseason
ELLISVILLE – Jones and No. 18 Itawamba split the final doubleheader of the baseball regular season on Friday evening at The Bank.
Itawamba rallied from a 7-2 deficit with seven runs in the seventh to win the opener 11-7 before Jones got a strong six inning start from Brice Deaton to win the nightcap 6-4.
Jones will be the No. 6 seed in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament and will travel to No. 5 Northeast for a best-of-3 opening round series Thursday through Saturday, May 4-6.
No. 15 Indians to host Hinds for NJCAA Region 23 best-of-three series
Fulton, Miss. – No. 15 Itawamba Community College baseball will host Hinds Community College Thursday in the opening round of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 23 postseason.
The Indians (33-11) earned home field advantage for the best-of-three postseason series with a 20-8 regular season conference record.
Game one of the series is scheduled for 6 p.m., Thursday, and game two, at 4 p.m. Friday. If necessary, game three will be Saturday at 2 p.m.
The Indians and Eagles went head-to-head April 22 at Roy Cresap Field in Fulton where the Indians picked up the doubleheader sweep, winning game one, 6-5, and game two, 2-0.
EMCC Lions set to meet Meridian in best-of-three baseball playoff series
DECATUR – Friday's 7-4 nightcap road win over MACCC champion East Central earned East Mississippi Community College the ninth and final conference postseason spot in this week's region-qualifying baseball playoff series. The EMCC Lions also dropped a 10-3 decision in the opener played at ECCC's Clark/Gay Baseball Complex to finish the regular season with a break-even overall record.
Having finished the MACCC regular season with a 12-16 conference record, head coach Brett Kimbrel's 24-24 EMCC Lions will travel to Meridian to begin a best-of-three playoff series against the MACCC runner-up and nationally fifth-ranked MCC Eagles on Thursday (May 4) at Scaggs Field. Game times on Thursday and Friday in Meridian are set for 6 p.m., with an if-necessary third game slated for 2 p.m. on Saturday (May 6).
About the MACCC
The Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) is one of the premier community college conferences in the country and ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of alumni on professional sports teams.
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer and tennis.
Women's competition is offered in the sports of basketball, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.
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