20th Century Mississippi JUCO Baseball Architects

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Saturday night (May 4, 2024) I had the pleasure of being introduced along with NWCC and Mississippi JUCO coaching legends Jim Miles and Donny Castle during game two of the best-of-three series between Hinds and Northwest at Jim Miles Field in Senatobia. I enjoyed seeing them and visiting with them after so many years. We had some great battles through the years.

20th century Mississippi JUCO baseball architects: Jim Miles (84), Donny Castle (74), Rick Clarke (69) at Jim Miles Field, Northwest MS Community College in Senatobia.

These coaches, along with many others, helped propel Mississippi JUCO baseball from the mid seventies to the early 21st century and paved the way for the next generation of coaches who have taken MS JUCO baseball to a whole different level.

Special thanks to NW Head Coach Mark Carson who put that all together in the midst of a tough playoff series. He is a class act and does things like they are supposed to be done. I thanked him in person for his kindness and respect and for including me in their celebration. I also thanked him again by email later that night.

I wanted to share his response just to show you what a what kind of person he is:

Coach:

Can’t tell you how much that means to me…I have always considered you right in that group of coaches that laid the foundation for junior college baseball in this state that has provided such a tremendous living and opportunity for guys like me. I look up to you guys like you are a dad to me and I will always respect and honor the tremendous job all of you did in promoting this league to be what it is today….Best of luck to you guys in the regionals…very deserving to be there!

Mark

Thanks again to Coach Carson.

The Region 23 Tournament is next week in Poplarville and features the number 1, 2, and 3 ranked D2 teams in the national poll. Only one will make it to the World Series. All six programs have been before: LSUE-10, Meridian-7, Hinds-6, Pearl River-3, Jones- 2 and East Central- 1.

Meridian (7 times) and Hinds (1) played in the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado before divisions I, II, and III began in 1993.

LSUE (7 times), Jones (1) and Pearl River (1) have won national championships.

Meridian (1993, Grand Junction), Hinds (2014, Enid) and Jones (2011, Enid) have each been runners-up.

Fun!