Prep baseball teams in the “Southern Six” have won 26 state championships on the diamond in six different classifications since the Mississippi High School Activities Association began a state-wide playoff system in that sport in 1950.
But never before have four teams from the three Mississippi Gulf Coast counties played for a state title in the same year until now.
Next week when the state championship round begins in six different brackets at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Gulfport (Class 6A), East Central (Class5A), St. Stanislaus (Class 3A) and Resurrection (Class 1A) all will be in action and vying for a state crown.
Only three times in history has more than one squad in the “Southern Six” won state titles in the same year, and that all happened in the past 15 years with the last time as recently as last year when both East Central and RCS won.
The other occasions for double title winners were in 2010, when Long Beach won the Class 5A crown and St. Stanislaus captured the title in Class 4A. Also, 15 years ago, in 2008, Ocean Springs won it all in Class 5A and East Central did the same in Class 4A.
Gulfport is looking for its second state title overall, and first since 1985. The Admirals will face Lewisburg in the state finals. East Central, the defending Class 5A state champion, is looking for its fourth state championship overall and third in the past 15 years as well as first-ever back-to-back state titles. The Hornets will face Saltillo in the state finals. St. Stanislaus is aiming for its third state title in the past 13 seasons, and third overall in program history. The Rock-A-Chaws will face defending Class 3A state champion Amory in the state finals. Resurrection, the defending Class 1A state champion, is looking for its second overall state championship. The Eagles will face West Union in the state finals.
Here is the complete schedule for next week’s state championship games:
MHSAA Baseball State Championships
At Trustmark Park, Pearl
TUESDAY
CLASS 1A
Game 1
1 p.m. — West Union vs. Resurrection
CLASS 3A
Game 1
4 p.m. — Amory vs. St. Stanislaus
CLASS 6A
Game 1
7 p.m. — Lewisburg vs. Gulfport
WEDNESDAY
CLASS 2A
Game 1
1 p.m. — East Union vs. Pisgah
CLASS 4A
Game 1
4 p.m. — West Lauderdale vs. Purvis
CLASS 5A
Game 1
7 p.m. — Saltillo vs. East Central
THURSDAY
CLASS 1A
Game 2
1 p.m. — Resurrection vs. West Union
CLASS 3A
Game 2
4 p.m. — St. Stanislaus vs. Amory
CLASS 6A
Game 2
7 p.m. — Gulfport vs. Lewisburg
FRIDAY
CLASS 2A
Game 2
1 p.m. — Pisgah vs. East Union
CLASS 4A
Game 2
4 p.m. — Purvis vs. West Lauderdale
CLASS 5A
Game 2
7 p.m. — East Central vs. Saltillo
SATURDAY and possibly SUNDAY
Will be for any of the series will go to a Game 3.
