Bulldogs to meet the Warriors at 2 p.m. today in Decatur
GOODMAN --- The Holmes Community College Bulldogs will face the East Central Community College Warriors at 2 p.m. today in the Region 23 Tournament.
Holmes, the No. 10 seed, improved to 34-18 overall yesterday after defeating the Southwest Mississippi Community College Bears, 6-2, in the play-in game. East Central, who finished the season 38-12 and 20-8 in the MACCC, is the No. 2 seed in the tournament and the host of the Decatur bracket. Pearl River is the host of the Poplarville bracket. All games can be watched at eccclive.com/gold-channel.
The No. 6 seeded Co-Lin Wolves knocked off the No. 3 seeded Jones Bobcats, 13-6, last night to advance to the winner's bracket to play the winner of Holmes and East Central tomorrow. The loser of Holmes-East Central will play Jones tomorrow.
MATCHUP
Holmes and East Central have met three times so far this season. Holmes took a single game in Fulton on March 5, 5-3, while the Warriors swept the Bulldogs, 15-5 and 19-7, on April 4 in Goodman.
The Bulldogs feature 11 players hitting near the .300 threshold including: Thomas Kuhn, Grenada, .362; Xavier Myles, Brandon, .352; Amari Conley, Grenada, .335; Hunter Azemar, Lafayette, La., .333; Jacob Lott, Southaven, .321; Cade Clinton, Sumrall, .316; Nicolas Schwing, Madisonville, La., .298; Sam Roy, Oxford, .291; Brenden Skirtech, Madison, .283; Will McClure, Oxford, .279; and Landon Wallace, Kosciusko, .270. Brandt Dickerson, Maddox Moreland and Ethan Trimble bat .500 in limited appearances and Kaiden Rosetti bats .333.
Other statistical leaders include: runs scored, Conley (64), Azemar (51), Schwing (50), Myles (41) and Wallace (36); hits, Azemar and Kuhn (59), Myles (57), Conley and Schwing (54), Roy (44) and Clinton (43); doubles, Conley (14), Azemar (13), Kuhn (12) and Clinton (11); triples, Myles (3) and Conley, Schwing, Roy and McClure (2) each; homeruns, Azemar (14), Conley (10) and Myles (8); RBI, Azemar (56), Myles (52) and Conley and Schwing (44) each; and steals, Schwing (39) and Conley (27).
Pitching leaders include: John Paul Bucker (Starkville, 9-2 record), 72 innings, 3.25 ERA, 55 hits, 32 runs, 26 walks and 86 strikeouts; Ethan Trimble (Brandon, 4-0 record), 40 innings, 4.02 ERA, 42 hits, 24 runs, 11 walks and 26 strikeouts; Josh Fleming (Hammond, La., 4-4 record), 48 innings, 4.31 ERA, 45 hits, 29 runs, 25 walks and 43 strikeouts; Vince Glorioso (Brandon, 4-0 record), 19 2/3 innings, 4.58 ERA, 18 hits, 10 runs, seven walks, 21 strikeouts; Holton Hartzog (Dexter, 5-2 record), 42 innings, 4.93 ERA, 39 hits, 31 runs, 28 walks and 46 strikeouts. Other pitchers include: Carson Moon (Sumrall, 2-0 record), Seth Terrell (Walker, La., 2-1 record), Aidan Bellman (D'Iberville, 1-1 record) and Brenden Skirtech (Madison, 2-6 record).
Holmes scores 7.63 runs per game and is giving up 5.51 runs per game.
The Warriors feature five players hitting near the .300 threshold including: Barret Rodgers, Tuscaloosa, Ala., 372; Pablo Roque, Santo Domingo, D.R., .370; Briceton Johnson, Maben, .361; Jayden Adcox, Forest, 342; Ryan Nelson, Vicksburg, 303; Nic Arender, Stringer, 303; Eli Smith, Hurley, .302; and Brady McAbee, Tuscaloosa, Ala., .294.
Other statistical leaders include: runs scored, Adcox and Nelson (53), Rodgers and Roque (52), and Arender (50); hits, Rodgers (58), Roque and Nelson (54), Adcox (53) and Arender (47); doubles, Arender and Roque (13), Adcox (12) and Rodgers (10); triples, John Lewis (3) and Roque, Johnson, Adcox, Arender, Landon Moore and Langston Cotton (1) each; homeruns, Rodgers and Roque (7), Adcox and Nelson (6), and Johnson, Arender and Lewis (3) each.
Pitching leaders include: Eli Smith (Hurley, 0-0 record) 1.80 ERA, 5 innings, six hits, two runs, two walks, eight strikeouts; Nelson Haas (Brandon, 1-0 record) 2.16 ERA, 8 1/3 innings, seven hits, six runs, three walks and three strikeouts; Hayden Dodson (New Hope, 0-0 record) 2.21 ERA, 20 1/3 innings, 17 hits, nine runs, 10 walks and 15 strikeouts; Cade Morrow (Mathiston, 4-1 record) 2.61 ERA, 31 innings, 29 hits, 12 euns, 15 walks and 19 strikeouts; Bryson Goff (Saraland, Ala., 8-1), 2.64 ERA, 71 2/3 innings, 52 hits, 29 runs, 36 walks and 65 strikeouts; Andrew Nielson (Lucedale, 3-0), 3.08 ERA, 26 1/3 innings, 22 hits, 10 runs, six walks and 20 strikeouts; Chris Billingsley (Brent, Ala., 7-2 record), 3.47 ERA, 57 innings, 36 hits, 25 runs, 37 walks and 71 strikeouts; Jayden Adcox (Forest, 1-0 record), 3.60 ERA, five innings, four hits, two runs, 13 walks and five strikeouts; Riley Passman (Poplarville, 0-0 record), 3.75 ERA, 12 innings, eight hits, five runs, eight walks and 11 strikeouts; Marbin Lezcano (Chirique, Panama, 8-4 record), 3.77 ERA, 57 1/3 innings, 45 hits, 27 runs, 20 walks and 70 strikeouts and Kamryn Carlisle (Waynesboro, 3-2 record) 4.14 ERA, 37 innings, 27 runs, 21 runs, 13 walks and 46 strikeouts.
East Central scores 8.74 runs per game and is giving up 3.86 runs per game.