STARKVILLE — Team Mississippi held its final practice Wednesday afternoon at Mississippi State”s Dudy Noble Field before departing for the Junior Sunbelt Classic in McAlester, Okla..
It”s a road trip which has proved to be beneficial during previous summers.
During the baseball tournament”s 15-year history, Team Mississippi hasn”t finished worse than sixth, including a fifth-place finish in 2010.
Coach Stacy Hester, who helped start the team in 1997, is aiming for a top-3 finish. Team Mississippi will face squads from Tennessee, Texas, Georgia and Canada, among others.
“It”s tough baseball out there,” said Hester, the former head baseball coach at New Hope High School. “There”s no seven, eight or nine-hole hitter out there because everyone is a stud.”
Former Hamilton High standout Chase Reeves, an Ole Miss signee, played on the team last season. So did former New Hope player Phillip Tice (2009), who signed with Dyersburg State.
This year”s roster doesn”t feature a player from the the Golden Triangle – Jacob Shempert, a pitcher/infielder from Houston High School is the closest player to the area. But local high school baseball coaches Jeff Cook (Columbus High) and John Wilson (Caledonia) join Hester on the staff. Hester is also joined by former New Hope assistant coach Tim Dowdy and Jay Powell, a former Mississippi State pitcher and current coach at Jackson Academy.
The Team Mississippi roster features three players from Jackson Academy, including right-hander Matt Smith.
Hester said the selection process is based on input from college and pro scouts, as well as scouting compiled at college camps. The goal is to work with players who have attracted interest from colleges after completing solid junior seasons.
“Some guys are no-brainers,” Hester said. “Some states have coaches” associations meet and select or have tryouts, but we hand pick them. We pick guys from good programs because we know they”ll compete and be coached well.”
Hester said the tournament offers Team Mississippi recruiting exposure as well as their chance to represent the state.
“We”ve been fortunate enough to finish second twice since 1997,” Hester said. “We”ve also had some fourth and fifth place finishes… You”re playing against teams from Texas and Georgia that have two to three times the population to choose from.
“It helps the high school programs, too. Every year, whether it was New Hope or Petal, Sumrall, Tupelo, they get recognition in these national polls because of the ball we play.”
Players who starred last year for Team Mississippi and earned college scholarships or were selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft include Brandon Woodruff, a Mississippi State signee and fifth-round pick by the Texas Rangers; Madison Central pitcher Josh Laxer, who has signed with Ole Miss; and Sumrall”s Connor Barron, who signed with Southern Mississippi.
“There”s other states that have kids drafted in the first and second round,” Hester said. “It”s just a great competitive tournament and lets kids know where they are in their career.
They go out to Oklahoma and there”s so may scouts, they improve their stock. Scouts are always cross-checking, and anytime you get exposure in a different part of the country it helps these kids have a better chance of a draft and getting a D-1 scholarship.”
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