.14 STONE COUNTY ENTERPRISE
Season ends for
Tomcat baseball
By dody O'Hara
The Stone High base-
ball team bowed out of
the state tournament
after a pair of second-
round losses to
Pascagoula.
The Panthers defeated
the Tomcats 6-2 last
Thursday before pasting
Stone 13-1 on Friday.
Coach Kevin Conard's
charges finished the sea-
son 15-zl overall and 5-3
in district play.
Conard will have a
solid cast of returners
when the Tomcats take
the diamond next sea-
son as only three seniors
graduate from this
year's squad.
D.J. Davis, Philip
Chandler and Jasper
James, while big con-
tributors this season,
have several players
waiting to fill their roles.
i SPORTS I
m.stomcomentemtu.om May 2, 2012 .
MGCCC baseball to host MACJC playoff series
By Bill Snyder, MGCCC
PERKINSTON--A few
weeks ago, Mississippi
Gulf Coast Community
College was fighting for
its playofflife and grind-
ing toward a second
straight trip to the post-
season.
Now, thanks to a 6-1
record to close the sea-
son, a loss by Hinds,
and a good call on a coin
flip, the Bulldogs (25-17,
13-11) are the MACJC
South Division's No. 2
seed and hosting North
Division No. 3 seed
Northeast 06-28, 13-1o)
in the first round of the
MACJC Playoffs at Ken
Curlf' Farris Field.
The best-of-three
series begins with game
one Friday at 6 p.m. fol-
lowed by game two
Saturday at 2 p.m. If a
game three is necessary,
it will be played imme-
diately following game
two
"It's good to be at
home, said Gary Rath,
who,s in his third season
as Gulf Coast head base-
ball coach. "We will be
well prepared fo r this
series."
The Bulldogs jumped
to the No. 2 seed when
Hinds lost a make up
game Apr. 30 to Jones.
That forced a tie break-
ing coin flip between
Gulf Coast and Hinds
for the No. 2 seed,
which was won by the
Bulldogs.
It's the second straight
trip to the post-season
for Gulf Coast after
sweeping Itawamba in
this same opening
round in 2oxL
"The guys really
steppt up down the
stretch to get us into
this position," Rath
added. "Now we have to
come out focused
because anything can
happen in the playoffs."
• The winner of this
series advances to the
MACJC Tournament
May lO-12 at a site to be
determined. Other
MACJC playoff series
feature South No. 4 seed
East Central at North
No. 1 Itawamba, South
No. 3 Hinds at North
No. 2 Northwest, and
North No. 4 Miss. Delta
at South No. 1 Jones.
Tomcats to defend South State title
By Jody O'Hara
The Stone High tennis
team defeated Gautier
5-2 last Thursday to
earn a berth in its sec-
ond straight South State
championship match.
The Tomcats will travel
to take on Long Beach at
5 p.m. Thursday at the
Abbey Road Athletic
Club in Pass Christian.
The Tomcats beat Long
Beach 6-1 in the teams'
only meeting this sea-
son.
That match occurred
during the Pass
Christian Tournament.
"They have solid boys
and strong mixed dou-
bles and that's what
they've relied on to get
their points this season,"
said coach Freddie
Wegner.
Wegner's charges are
no stranger to the high
stakes of a South State
title match, having
made their way to the
state championship last
season before falling to
perennial power Oxford.
Should the Tomcats
emerge victorious on
Thursday, theyql travel
to Jackson for the state
tournament which
begins next Monday.
Individuals will play
for rifles on Monday and
Tuesday with team com-
petition set for
Wednesday.
Those interested in
cheering on the Tomcats
will find the action tak-
ing place at 22171 Abbey
Rd, Pass Christian,
39571.
The same,
great care
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Staff Sgt Danny
Strong,, readiness NCO .....
for the 857th, said it was
a perfect opportunity to
get in unscheduled:
training in the use of
bulldozers, front-end
loaders and road
graders.
"Allowing us to work
on projects such as this
insures ottr Guardsmen
stay proficient at their
National Guard mission
GUARD
in case of an emer- don't have andoallows to
gency," he said. , ., : mon-
Stone COunt:r o':f etary resources we have
Supervisors President at our disposal."
Scott Stricldand sd ;:Scd went on to
county welcomed the : !iffaise6sewho serve
asistance provided, the country while
"No. ; it gives the remaining civilians liv-
Guard a more visible ing and working like the
presence in our commu- vast majority of their
nity and that'[s always a
good thing," he said.
"No. 2; it saves the
county money we really
Stone County Ent00rlP00,U
countrymen.
'Those guys in uni-
form, showing their con-
cern, not only for our
country and the free-
doms we enjoy as citi-
zens of that country, but
their concern for the
community in which
they live, should make
each and every one of us
proud of the legacy our
forefathers left us and of
the nation we continue
to build, support and
defend," he said.
Sgt. John Parker is a
Wiggins native and per-
fectly exemplifies what
Strickland was attempt-
ing to verbalize.
"There's a sense of
pride knowing I'm able
to give back to the com-
munity I grew up in," he
said.
The majority of those
in the two local units
have had advanced indi'
vidual training in, and
are licensed for, the use
of heavy equipment.
Many Guardsmen find
their MOS carries over
to employment in the
civilian world.
The Guard prides itself
on the fact that whether
the call comes from, the
state governor or from
the President of the
United States, its sol-
diers are always ready to
and always there.
Those wishing to learn
more about opportuni-
ties to serve in the
National Guard are
asked to call Sgt. st
Class Tim Lewis at 228-
623-7080.
