MGCCC faces archrival with tons on the line

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast's most important baseball doubleheader so far in 2019 just happens to be against its archrival.

No. 5 Pearl River visits Ken "Curly" Farris Field on Tuesday. First pitch is schedule for 3 p.m., and the games will be streamed at https://livestream.com/MGCCCBulldogs/events/8622710.

The Bulldogs are in sole possession of first in the MACJC with a brutal stretch of the schedule beginning.  They entertain No. 18 Northwest on Saturday, play No. 14 Hinds at Raymond next Wednesday and play No. 9 Meridian at Perk on April 13.

Records

• MGCCC: 17-5/9-1 MACJC, 1st place in conference
• PRCC: 20-5/5-3 MACJC, 6th place in conference

Last Time Out

• Gulf Coast swept East Mississippi on Saturday at Perk, winning 10-8 and 11-5. Dee Hawthorne (Fr., Harrison Central/Gulfport) and Miller Hancock (So., East Webster/Maben) drove in six runs each.
• Pearl River split at No. 9 Meridian on Saturday, winning a slugfest 20-18 and losing 5-4. The Wildcats hit five home runs on the day.

Previous Meeting

The Bulldogs opened the 2018 NJCAA Region 23 Tournament in Eunice, La., by beating Pearl River 16-6 in eight innings. Cullan O'Shea (So., Mary G. Montgomery/Mobile Ala.) had two doubles.

Quotable

"We're going to have to play really well. They can really swing it, 1 through 9. They can swing for power. They've got some pitchers who will be really good, so we have to play a complete game. It's going to be two tough games." – Bulldogs coach Rodney Batts

Notes

• Current hitting streaks: Hawthorne, 9 games; Alden Davis (So., Pascagoula/Pascagoula), 8 games; Brandon Parker (So., West Harrison/Saucier), 8 games; Ike Williams (So., St. Martin/St. Martin), 5 games.
• Hancock has a four-game hit streak where he's batting .533, slugging 1.200 with three home runs and 10 RBI.
• Kole Kittrell (So., Greene County/State Line) hasn't allowed a run since moving back to the bullpen (5 GP, 6.2 IP, 1 H, 11 K, 2 BB)
• Parker is tied for third in NJCAA Division II with eight home runs. (Dan Pruitt, Western Oklahoma State, 12)
• O'Shea is tied for 15th in the country with 32 RBI (Pruitt, 49)

Three Ahead

• Saturday, April 6, vs. Northwest, 2 p.m., Perkinston
• Wednesday, April 10, at Hinds, 3 p.m., Raymond
• Saturday, April 13, vs. Meridian, 2 p.m., Perkinston

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