Saturday promises to be a big day for the Pascagoula High School baseball team.
The possibilities are endless actually.
First of all, the Panthers will definitely celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1983 team winning the state championship at around 1:50 Saturday afternoon, just before PHS hosts D’Iberville in what could be a huge Region 7-6A contest.
Many former players are expected for the ceremonies, as well as coaches from that title-winning team.
Also, the day will begin with an alumni game featuring some players from that same 1983 team as well as other players from prior Panther programs from the past four decades. The alumni game will start at 10:30 a.m., and batting cages open at 9 a.m., while registration begins at 9:30. Anyone needing more information should contact PHS head coach Richie Tillman at rtillman@pgsd.ms.
The day will end with Pascagoula hosting the Warriors in a game that could possibly help the Panthers seal a Class 6 state playoff berth depending on other results within the region in action coming up this week.
Tiger tales
Meanwhile, just across Jefferson Street, longtime PHS arch-rival the Moss Point Tigers are facing a big week as well but from a much different perspective.
The Tigers harbor postseason possibilities as well, but will be watching from the sidelines this week with their playoff chances in the balance.
Moss Point currently holds the fourth and final spot in the Region 8-4A standings as the final week of league play commences.
However, the Tigers have completed their region schedule and will have to sit and wait to see the outcome involving the four other foes in the league battle it out on the diamond this week. Pass Christian and Stone each stand 5-1 and both have already secured playoff spots as the Pirates and Tomcats battle for the region championship and top seed this week.
The other Region 8-4A match-up this week sees Bay High and Greene County meeting in two games as well on Tuesday and Friday just as the PCHS-SHS series.
Bay High is firmly in the third spot at 3-3 in the region at this point and the Tigers have secured a playoff berth, while MPHS is at 2-6 and GCHS sits 1-5 and in fifth place.
Greene County could have wrapped up the fourth and final playoff spot in Region 8-4A with a win over Moss Point Thursday night, but the Tigers had different ideas.
On the brink of elimination, Moss Point rallied back and pulled out a 5-4 walk-off win over the visiting Wildcats to stay alive in the race for the Class 4A state playoffs. The visiting Wildcats trailed 4-3 entering the top of the seventh stanza but scored a run to force extra innings.
Moss Point sophomore Cameron Kelly’s RBI-single scored Ryan Smith in the bottom of the eighth to win the game for Moss Point and keep the Tigers’ once slim playoff hopes alive.
Smith collected three hits, including a triple for MPHS in the win, while Kaleb Ralston also tallied three hits including a double and he drove in a pair of runs for the Tigers. Dayshaun Kirkland also had a double for MPHS.
Kaylan Ford picked up the win for the Tigers with five frames of relief work after Ralston started and threw three frames.
The scenario is as follows for the third and fourth playoff spots in Region 8-4A. One win by Bay High against GCHS this week ensures Bay the third seed. A split in the series puts both BHS and Greene County in with Bay the third seed and Greene County the fourth seed thanks to a tie-breaker over MPHS. The only way Moss Point gets in the playoffs is for Bay High to sweep GCHS this week and that would keep MPHS in the fourth and final spot.
Powerful Pirates
The big match-up in Region 8-4A this week is the battle for the top spot as Pass Christian faces Stone.
Almost unbelievably, the Pirates are playing this week for their first-ever district title in program history apparently. The teams meet in Wiggins Tuesday night and then back on the Coast Friday night.
