There is still plenty of postseason baseball and softball to be played.
In the softball realm, Purvis has returned to the Class 4A South State Championship series and will rematch Poplarville. Petal returns to South State for the first time since 2022 and will take on Northwest Rankin in Class 7A.
In total there are six area baseball teams playing for a spot in the state championship. Oak Grove advances to play Brandon in the South State in Class 7A. Sumrall and Purvis will rematch in the Class 4A South State championship series, while Sacred Heart will face Taylorsville in the Class 1A series. In the MAIS, Presbyterian Christian will face Madison-Ridgeland Academy in Class 6A, and Lamar Christian will take on Prairie View Academy in Class 3A.
BASEBALL HIGHLIGHTS:
Purvis (26-6) vs Sumrall (25-7)
If this were a movie series, then this is the anticipated final installment in a heated trilogy. There is no shortage of storylines, but to recap, Purvis and Sumrall have traded state championships. The Tornadoes' twin brothers, Jacob and Jojo Parker, have put up incredible numbers with two alone combining for 28 home runs on a lineup that’s hitting .342. For Sumrall, pitchers Leo Odom (1.56 ERA, 74 SO, 30 BB) and Drew Davis (0.45 ERA, 84 SO, 11 BB) have put up video game numbers. Naturally, these two squads split during the regular season, so it's sufficient to say this should come down to the wire.
Sacred Heart (25-6) vs Taylorsville (19-10)
The Crusaders are on the verge of their first-ever state championship series, but they will have to go through the defending champs. The Tartars got off to a slow start, but ride a 9-game win streak heading into the series. Taylorsville’s top two arms are Ford Matthews (2.78 ERA, 70 SO, 28 BB) and Noah Westbrook (4.57 ERA, 55 SO, 22 BB), but feature a team earned run average of 5.06. The lineup has posted a .306 batting average and has notably stolen 109 bases.
Arguably, Sacred Heart is just as red hot as the Crusaders, who are winners of 17 straight games. Sacred Heart enters the matchup hitting .356 and holding a 3.12 ERA on the mound. Kyron Murphy has batted .436 and holds a 3.77 ERA.
Oak Grove (25-5) vs Brandon (21-12)
The Warriors are seeking their first state title since 2014. The tough 1-2 punch of Maddox Miller (1.41 ERA, 100 SO, 32 BB) and Gage Thompson (2.83 ERA, 65 SO, 25 BB) has been nothing short of dominant. Brandon also features a dominant arm on the mound with Jackson Clark (1.54 ERA, 95 SO, 15 BB) as he headlines a staff that holds a 2.64 ERA. Oak Grove enters the matchup riding an 8-game win streak, with their last loss coming against Brandon roughly a month ago.
Presbyterian Christian (20-13) vs MRA (20-12)
The Bobcats are hoping to return to the state championship series, but they’ll have to get past MRA, who won their three-game series. Bankston Walters (1.97 ERA, 98 SO, 15 BB) and Tyner Flynt (1.92 ERA, 72 SO, 24 BB) have been solid starting pitchers. Walters has batted .370 and driven in 32 RBI. As a team, MRA holds a 2.68 ERA, but has only 207 strikeouts to 147 walks. The offense bats just .275 but features five hitters batting over .300, with Garrett Gardner leading the Patriots with a .361 average.
Lamar Christian (23-9) vs Prairie View Academy (28-4)
The Lions also have to take on a defending state champion. The Spartans defeated Lamar Christian 8-7 in Game 1 of the series to extend their 16-game win streak. The Lions' pitching fell through in the eighth inning as they walked the bases loaded and the game-winning run. The two teams will clash again on Thursday night, with Lamar Christian being the host team for Game 2.
SOFTBALL HIGHLIGHTS:
Petal (26-9) vs Northwest Rankin (28-4)
It’s another case of an area team taking on a defending state champion. The Lady Panthers have their work cut out for them since Northwest Rankin swept them in the regular season and outscored them 14-2. The Lady Cougars’ Grace Wallis and Brooke Smith are both hitting over .500 and have combined for 16 doubles, nine triples and 10 home runs. In the circle, Wallis has struck out 140 batters and walked just 26. Petal’s Jaley Weathersby has been equally as dominant as she has posted a 1.61 ERA, 139 strikeouts and 31 walks.
Purvis (26-5) vs Poplarville (19-10)
This is a rematch of last year’s South State series that went to three games, but ended in Purvis reaching its first-ever state championship. The Lady Tornadoes are hoping to not only get back, but also win their first state title. Entering the matchup, Purvis has won 19 straight games, scoring 7.3 runs per game and holding opponents to 2.3. Notably, four different Purvis players are hitting over .400. It's safe to say, Purvis is the clear favorite in the series.
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