(#57) (Updated: May 20, 2025)
These are the Mississippi Community/Junior College baseball teams who have participated in the various NJCAA World Series since play began in 1958. * 9 Mississippi JUCOs have played in a NJCAA World Series; Meridian (7), Hinds (6), Pearl River (4), Northwest Mississippi (3), Co-Lin (2), Jones (2), , East Central (2*), Gulf Coast (1), Itawamba (1).
*2024 marks the first time that a Mississippi team was invited to the D2 World Series as an “at-large” selection. East Central was chosen with a 51-7 record after being eliminated in the Region 23 Tournament by Jones. The Warriors were ranked #1 in the final D2 poll at the end of the regular season. They will enter the national tournament as the #3 seed.
LSUE defeated Jones for the 2024 championship. It was the 11th and final time for LSUE to win the Region 23 championship. They will compete as a Division 1 team in 2025.
NJCAA JUCO World Series, Grand Junction, Colorado (9 times)
1989 – Hinds (first Mississippi Community/Junior College to play in the NJCAA World Series). Rick Clarke (Head Coach), George McQuitter (Associate Head Coach)
Note: A Mississippi JUCO has played in a World Series 28 times since Hinds first did it in 1989. (29 total, including Hinds in 1989.)
1991 – Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Cooper Farris (Head Coach)
1993 – Meridian Community College, Corky Palmer (Head Coach)
(Note: NJCAA Divisions were created for the 1993 Season. Division I, Division II, & Division III)
1994 – Meridian Community College, Corky Palmer (Head Coach) *finished 3rd
1996 – Meridian Community College, Corky Palmer (Head Coach) *finished 2nd
1998 – Meridian Community College, Scott Berry (Head Coach)
2000 – Meridian Community College, Scott Berry (Head Coach)
2003 – Meridian Community College, Mike Federico (Head Coach)
2004 – Meridian Community College, Mike Federico (Head Coach)
NJCAA Division II World Series, USA Stadium, Millington, Tennessee (1993 – 2009) (10 times).
1994 – Hinds Community College, Rick Clarke (Head Coach) (first Mississippi team to play in Division II World Series.
1995 – Hinds Community College, Rick Clarke (Head Coach)
1996 – Northwest Mississippi Community College, Jim Miles (Head Coach) *finished 2nd
1997 – Northwest Mississippi Community College, Jim Miles (Head Coach)
1999 – Hinds Community College, Rick Clarke (Head Coach) *finished 4th
2000 – Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Keith Case (Head Coach)
2002 – Pearl River Community College, Jay Artigues (Head Coach)
2003 – Itawamba Community College, Rick Collier (Head Coach)
2005 – Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Keith Case (Head Coach)
2007 – Northwest Mississippi Community College, Mark Carson (Head Coach) *finished 4th
NJCAA Division II World Series, David Allen Memorial Ballpark, Enid, Oklahoma (2010-present) (7 times, 2 national championships)
2011 – Jones Junior College, Christian Ostrander (Head Coach) *finished 2nd
2014 – Hinds Community College, Sam Temple (Head Coach) *finished 2nd
2016 – Jones Junior College, Chris Kirtland (Head Coach) *first Mississippi team to win a baseball national championship.
2017 – Hinds Community College, Sam Temple (Head Coach)
2019 – Pearl River Community College, Michael Avalon (Head Coach)
2022 – Pearl River Community College, Michael Avalon (Head Coach) *won the national championship.
2023 – East Central Community College, Neal Holliman (Head Coach)
2024 – East Central Community College, Neal Holliman (Head Coach) At-Large Selection; 3 seed. 2nd World Series for Coach Holliman as Head Coach)
2025 – Pearl River Community College, Michael Avalon (Head Coach) 3rd World Series for Coach Avalon as Head Coach) and East Central Community College, Neal Holliman (Head Coach) At-Large Selection; ___ seed. 3rd World Series for Coach Holliman as Head Coach)
World Series Appearances by Team
LSUE – 12 (4 in Millington and 8 in Enid as a Region 23 independent team, not a member of the MACJC); 8 national championships. (2024 was the last season in Division II for LSUE)
Meridian – 7 (all in Grand Junction as an independent team; not a member of the MACJC in most of these seasons); 1 runner-up finish, 1 3rd place finish.
Hinds – 6 (1 in Grand Junction, 3 in Millington, and 2 in Enid; 1- 4th place finish (1999), 1 runner-up finish (2017).
Pearl River – 4 (1 in Millington, 3 in Enid, 1 national championship, 2022.
Northwest Mississippi – 3 (all in Millington,; 1 runner-up finish, 1997.
East Central – 3* (Enid) 1 appearance as Region 23 champion; *2 appearances as an “At-Large” selection (2024, 2025); tied for 3rd (2024).
Copiah-Lincoln – 2 (both in Millington).
Jones – 2 (both in Enid) 1 runner-up, 1 national championship.
Gulf Coast – 1 (Grand Junction)
Itawamba – 1 (Millington)
World Series Appearances by Head Coach
Rick Clarke, Hinds, 4 (1 in Grand Junction, 3 in Millington); 1989, 1994, 1995,1999 (1st Mississippi team to win a district (Eastern District) championship and play in the World Series (Grand Junction, Colorado). 1st Mississippi team to play in the Division 2 World Series in Millington, Tennessee. 1st team to win a division, state, Region 23, district championship and play in the World Series (Grand Junction) in the same season; other- Itawamba, 2003 (Millington).
Corky Palmer, Meridian, 3 (all in Grand Junction); 1993, 1994 (runner-up), 1996 (3rd place). Coach Palmer was the head baseball coach at MCC from 1987-1996. He won 409 games, 3 Region 23 championships and played in three World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado. He died on August 10, 2022.
Michael Avalon, Pearl River, 3 (in Enid); 2019, 2022, 2025 (won national championship in 2022)
Neal Holliman, East Central, 2 (in Enid); 2023, 2024. Note: 2024 & 2025 as “At-Large” Selection (2024 was the first season at-large selections were made)
Scott Berry, Meridian, 2 (both in Grand Junction); 1998, 2000
Mike Federico, Meridian, 2 (both in Grand Junction); 2003, 2004. Mike also played in 2 Division II World Series as a player at Hinds in 1994 and 1995.
Jim Miles, Northwest Mississippi, 2 (both in Millington); 1996 (runner-up), 1997. Coach Miles was the head coach at NWCC from 1976-1997. He won 556 games, 7 north division championships, 6 state champions, 2 Region 23 championships and two appearances in the Division II World Series. Jim Miles Field at NW was named in his honor in 2013.
Sam Temple, Hinds Community College, 2 (both in Enid); 2014 (runner-up), 2017.
Keith Case, Copiah-Lincoln, 2 (both in Millington); 2000, 2005
Cooper Farris, Gulf Coast, 1 (Grand Junction); 1991. Cooper’s dad, Ken “Curly” Farris was the Dean of Mississippi JUCO baseball and won 13 state champions at Gulf Coast between 1963 and 1989 and the baseball facility at MGCCC is named in his honor. Cooper took over for his dad in the 1990 season.
Mark Carson, Northwest Mississippi, 1 (in Millington); 2007. Mark played at NWCC for Jim Miles, served as an assistant coach to Donny Castle from 1998-2005 and was named head coach in 2006.
Jay Artiques, Pearl River, 1 (in Millington); 2002
Christian Ostrander, Jones, 1 (in Enid); 2011 (runner-up)
Chris Kirtland, Jones, 1 (in Enid); 2016 (won Mississippi’s first national championship in baseball)
Rick Collier, Itawamba, 1 (in Millington); 2003 (2nd team to win a division, state, Region 23, district championship and play in the World Series (Millington) in the same season; other- Hinds, 1989 (Grand Junction).
Rick Clarke's Diary of a Mad Baseball Coach 