Sophomore Day has big playoff implications

PERKINSTON — The race for the final MACCC baseball postseason berths is extraordinarily tight, even by the usual standards of a competitive conference, and Mississippi Gulf Coast finds itself in the middle of it all.

The Bulldogs can clinch a spot all on their own with a pair of wins Friday on Sophomore Day against Mississippi Delta. The first pitch is set for 2 p.m. The games will be streamed at https://livestream.com/mgcccbulldogs/events/10358480.

Gulf Coast has split all 13 league doubleheaders, and a split Friday on the final day of the regular season, might be good enough to finish in the top nine that advance. The Bulldogs would need to have at least one of East Central, Northwest Mississippi or Itawamba lose a game on the final day. Those four teams are tied for seventh.

Jones is a game ahead in sixth, and Delta is a game behind in 11^th. Gulf Coast holds head-to-head tiebreakers against all five teams in sixth or seventh.

Gulf Coast will honor its sophomores between games of the doubleheader, including the presentation of the Randy Rouse Award. It honors Rouse, a Gulf Coast baseball player who died of leukemia in 1992. The award is voted on by the team and is given to the sophomore who best exemplifies sportsmanship, unselfishness, and loyalty.

Records

• MGCCC: 18-23/13-13 MACCC, T-7^th place in conference
• Delta: 17-21/12-14 MACCC, 11^th place in conference

Last Time Out

• MGCCC won Game 1 against Copiah-Lincoln 13-1 Tuesday before falling 6-2 in the nightcap.
• Delta lost 6-5 and 6-3 at East Mississippi on Tuesday. The Trojans have lost six straight.

Previous Meeting

On April 26, 2021, Gulf Coast split a doubleheader at Mississippi Delta, rebounding from a 16-15 loss in Game 1 to win 16-1 in the second.

Notes

• Sean Smith (Fr., Pascagoula/Pascagoula) has a 14-game hitting streak during which he's batting .429 (14-for-49) with 3 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR and 7 RBI. He's got a .500 OBP and .837 SLG. He's reached base in 21 straight games.
• Cade Crosby (Fr., Gulfport/Gulfport) has a 13-game hitting streak during which he's batting .388 (19-for-49) with 4 2B, 2 HR and 7 RBI.
• Luke Reed (So., Louisville, Ky./Holy Cross) leads the conference with six complete games and is tied for the MACCC lead with 7 wins. He's second in strikeouts (82)
• Matthew DeLano (So., Biloxi/Biloxi) is fourth in the conference in strikeouts (75) and third in strikeouts per game (11.77) and shutouts (2).

Playoff race opponents

• 6. Jones (14-12) vs. Holmes (8-18), Ellisville, 2 p.m.
• T7. Gulf Coast vs. Mississippi Delta (12-14), Perkinston, 2 p.m.
• T7. East Central (13-13) at Coahoma (2-22), noon
• T7. Northwest Mississippi (13-13) vs. Southwest Mississippi (7-19), Senatobia, 2 p.m.
• T7. Itawamba (13-13) at Meridian (17-7), Meridian, 2 p.m.
• 11. Mississippi Delta (12-14) at Gulf Coast (12-14), Perkinston, 2 p.m.

Postseason schedule

• Thursday, May 5: NJCAA Region 23 Qualifier, Game 1 (higher seed hosts all games)
• Friday, May 6: NJCAA Region 23 Qualifier, Game 2
• Thursday, May 5: NJCAA Region 23 Qualifier, Game 3 (if necessary)

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