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The great Jeff Long was the quick-footed, sure handed shortstop, leadoff hitter, clutch performer, team captain, and leader during the 1988 and 1989 seasons at Hinds. He was gritty, savvy, and ballsy.
The Clinton High School grad received the Outstanding Performance Award for Defense during the 1988 season when the Eagles won the South Division championship and made an appearance in the MACJC State Playoffs.
He had a career year during the history-making 1989 season when Hinds won the South Division Championship for the 4th season in a row, the MACJC State Championship for the second time in three years, Hinds’ first Region 23 Championship, and Mississippi’s first NJCAA Eastern District Championship, and became the first Mississippi Community College to participate in the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.
During his Hinds career Jeff batted .341, scored 110 runs, reached base 185 times and led Hinds to 69 wins in those two seasons. He scored a team record 72 runs and reached base an unbelievable 120 times (also a team record) during the 1989 season.
Long finished third overall in batting average in the 1989 JUCO World Series, hitting .571.
He was inducted into the Hinds Community College Sports Hall of Fame, Class of 2020.
After Hinds, Jeff played at Delta State University for two seasons for former Hinds head baseball coach Bill Marchant, had a .336 career batting average and was an All Regional Selection in 1991. He also received the distinguished Lawrence Stewart Outstanding Service Award that season.
Long became a folk hero in Mississippi Semi-Pro baseball. He played on 7 state championship teams and participated in 8 World Series, was selected to the All-State team 9 times and received various honors such as State Tournament Most Valuable Player, Best Defensive Player and Batting Champion. Jeff was selected to the Mississippi Semi-Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.
After baseball, he became a highly successful high school boys and girls soccer coach with stops at Warren Central, Clinton, and Franklin County and has complied a career record of 580 wins, 132 losses, and 33 ties, including 28 District Championships, 5 North/South State titles, 4 State Championships and 1 State Runner-up and has been named Coach of the year multiple times.
If I was putting a team together a championship team, Jeff would be the first one I called. He likes playing on the big stage.
As you can see, all he does is win.
Rick Clarke's Diary of a Mad Baseball Coach 