David Gurganus, a crafty lefty from Wingfield, pitched a complete game three-hitter as the Hinds Eagles stunned Northwest Mississippi Community College, 10-2, in the opening round of the 1999 Region 23 Tournament in Senatobia.
Northwest was ranked number 1 in the country at the time (NJCAA, Division II) and featured a great team that had hit 102 home runs on the season.
Gurganus went the distance in a 10-2 win. He walked one and struck out five. He would return to the mound out of the bullpen on Sunday to help us win the championship and avoid the dreaded “if-game” that the Rangers were so desperately counting on and probably really believed was going to happen. Old school, ballsy stuff; circa 20th century ballplayer. We had quite of few of those guys show up for this magical three weeks of post-season play.
We played this game after being stranded on a broken down bus (again) for 3 hours on I-55 North, arrived 15 minutes before game time with no lunch, no batting practice, no pre-game infield… and no excuses.
After stunning number 1 Northwest on Friday, we stunned them again in the championship game on Sunday.
We won the Region 23, Division II Championship, won the Central District Playoffs in St. Louis, Missouri, and finished 4th in the Division II World Series at USA Stadium in Millington, Tennessee.
Lessons learned: Both excuses and real reasons can keep you from reaching your goals. After a disappointing first half of the regular season and after winning just enough south division games to sneak into the postseason, our goal was to “screw” up somebody else’s season. (I might not have said it exactly like that. 🙂 ) It was a very “moving” and inspiring motivational rant.
And we did just that: Number 1 Northwest, sent to loser’s bracket; Co-Lin, sent to loser’s bracket, season ended; Number 1 Northwest… again, season ended; defending Central District champion St. Louis-Forest Park (Missouri), season ended; Northwest Shoals (Alabama), sent to loser’s bracker, season ended and another number 1 ranked team, Kirkwood (Missouri), season ended. Our magical run ended in a hard fought 5-4 loss to Kellogg (Michigan).
I’ve had many of the players tell me over and over that it was the best baseball experience they ever had. It was pretty remarkable. One game at time, pitch-by-pitch, you always have shot. But you have to believe it and buy into it.
A powerful, positive, fearless mindset is a dangerous thing in a baseball game… as in life and the truth is, you can play it (and live it) like that all the time. I would send my kids to the Powerful, Positive, Fearless Mindset Camp.
It was Hinds’ 4th World Series appearance since becoming the first Mississippi JUCO to play in the World Series in 1989. Sam Temple would lead the Eagles to a runner-up finish in the 2014 D2 World Series in Enid, Oklahoma and then made a return trip (Hinds’ 6th overall) in 2017. The Eagles got close again in 2015 and 2022 and several others times along the way.
Post-season baseball. There is nothing like it!
Front row: (left to right) Sid Askew (Bus Driver), Kim Pitre (Trainer), John Abt, Josh Thompson, Jason Evans, Josh Clarke, Drew Troxler, Dustin Villnerve, Shandell Lockridge. Second row: Bryan Johnson (Trainer), Tim Axton, Kevin Cronin, Josh Oubre, Scott Fortenberry, Curtis Jones. Terrance Barnes, Bo Black (Trainer). Rick Clarke (Coach). Third row: Clay Overby, Chandler Gray, Quincy LeBlanc, Gene Landry, Duffie McKenzie, Kevin Stewart, David Gurganus, Mason Chastain.
This is how it all started in 1999. A Hinds baseball bus on the side of the interstate…. again.
Rick Clarke's Diary of a Mad Baseball Coach 