16-0 MGCCC wants to Pack The Park At Perk

PERKINSTON – As long as No. 6 Mississippi Gulf Coast remains undefeated, the Lady Bulldogs will wear the second part of their record like a badge.

"We feel like we have a huge target," said Gulf Coast coach Kenneth Long.

The Lady Bulldogs (16-0) will try to remain unblemished Tuesday for their first home games of the season. Archrival Pearl River will visit Ross-Smith Field, and the Gulf Coast coaching staff wants students and fans to Pack The Park At Perk. First pitch is at 3 p.m.

Fans will see a team that has been good at the plate on in the circle.

Lexie Mathis leads Division II with eight homers, followed by teammate Hannah Melendrez with seven. Mathis is tied for second in the country with 26 RBI, one off the leader.

The Lady Bulldogs have swatted 22 home runs, more than two-thirds of the 2016 total of 32.

Ole Miss signee Kaitlin Lee is tied for third with eight wins and her 0.73 ERA is fourth among pitchers with 20-plus innings.

Pearl River (10-5) is led by Branda Northrop, who is batting .472. Skyler Cook is 3-1 with a 2.51 ERA. 

"They swing the bat really well," Long said. "They're always going to play us hard because it's a rivalry game. They're always well coached."

Gulf Coast has played only road and neutral site games on its way to the best start in school history. It capped the epic road trips with a marathon trip to and from Marianna, Fla., on Sunday where the Lady Bulldogs swept a doubleheader from defending Division I national champion Chipola.

They needed extra innings in both contests to emerge victorious, and now return to Perkinston for what they hope will be a happy homecoming.

"I think our players are looking forward to it," Long said. "We're 16-0, but to play in front of our fans and our students is going to be big."

For more information on MGCCC's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCAthletics on Twitter and BulldogLIVE on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.