NWCC Baseball

Two former NWCC players get their chance at pro baseball

Two former Northwest Mississippi Community College baseball players are getting their shot at making it to the big leagues.

Chad Cregar was taken in the 15th round with the 458th pick of the Major League Baseball amateur draft by the Florida Marlins. Chase Ware has signed a free agent minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds and has been designated to Sarasota, Fla.

Both players were members of Northwest's 2007 team that finished fourth at the NJCAA Division II World Series.

First basemen/ outfielder Cregar, of Oxford, batted .325 this season while playing his senior season at Western Kentucky University. Cregar finished with 19 home runs, 63 RBI's, and 13 doubles.

Pitcher Ware, of Horn Lake, posted a record of 5-3 on the mound this season as a senior at Arkansas State University. Ware had an ERA of 4.22 with 83 strikeouts in 85 innings.

Rangers Walker and James collect post-season awards

A pair of Northwest Mississippi Community College sophomore baseball players have earned post-season honors for their play during the 2009 season. They are Seth Walker and Matt James.

Outfielder Walker, of Covington, Tenn., was selected All-Region XXIII and MACJC All-State. Walker hit .392 this spring with a team-leading 15 home runs. He also led Northwest with 46 RBI, 56 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases.

Shortstop James, of Nesbit, was Northwest's leading hitter this spring with a .435 batting average. James also racked up four home runs, 35 RBI, and 36 runs scored.

Northwest finished the season with a record of 27-22-1.

South Pontotoc High School baseball standout Heath Kitchens (seated) signs to play at Northwest Mississippi Community College next season. Congratulating Kitchens is his mother Vicky, Northwest Head Baseball Coach Mark Carson, and his father James.

Marshall Academy pitcher Chris Gardner (seated middle) signs to play baseball at Northwest Mississippi Community College next season. Congratulating Gardner are his parents, Marty and Lisa (both seated), Northwest Head Coach Mark Carson, Chris' sister, Shelby Gardner, Northwest Assistant Coach Bill Selby, and Marshall Academy Head Coach Johnny Ray.

South Panola High School standout catcher Joseph Blair (seated middle) signs to play baseball at Northwest Mississippi Community College next season. Congratulating Blair is South Panola Head Coach Patrick Robey (seated left) and Northwest Head Coach Mark Carson (seated right). Standing from left is South Panola Assistant Coach Duke McCrory, Randy and Denita Blair, Joseph's parents, and Northwest Assistant Coach Bill Selby.

Water Valley High School standout pitcher Tarus Hervey (seated right) signs to play baseball at Northwest Mississippi Community College next season. Congratulating Hervey is Northwest Head Coach Mark Carson (seated left), Water Valley Head Coach Doug Robbins (standing left) , and Northwest Assistant Coach Bill Selby.

Oxford High School pitcher Charley Sullivan (seated right) signs to play baseball at Northwest Mississippi Community College next season. Congratulating Sullivan is his father, Darreck Sullivan (seated left), Northwest Head Coach Mark Carson, Oxford Assistant Coach Chris Baughman, and Northwest Assistant Coach Bill Selby.

Northwest ends season by dropping state playoff series to Hinds

The Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers were denied a trip to the state tournament by dropping a pair of games to the Hinds Eagles April 30 and May 1 in Raymond.

Hinds swept Northwest by scores of 9-4 and 10-9 in the best-of-three series to end the Rangers' season at 27-22-1.

"Anytime you make the post-season, you have a successful year," said Northwest Head Coach Mark Carson. "We are disappointed with the way it ended, but we had a good season. We can build on this for next year."

In the first contest, Northwest fell behind 7-1 after seven innings. The Rangers scored their lone run in the first frame when sophomore outfielder Seth Walker of Covington, Tenn., led off the game with his 15th homer of the season.

Northwest pushed across a couple of runs in the eighth inning on back-to-back RBI-singles by sophomores Rick Russell of Olive Branch and Matt James of Nesbit. Freshman Davis Horton of Oxford collected an RBI-double in the ninth frame to score Alan Mathis of Memphis.

Ranger starting pitcher Jeffrey Vance of Water Valley threw the first five innings and took the loss to drop his record to 8-3.

Northwest pounded out 17 hits in the second game, but came up short on the scoreboard. Ranger freshman second baseman Seth Milliorn of Olive Branch had four of those hits, while James and Mathis had three each.

Northwest tried to rally behind a solo homer from Joel Rich of Southaven in the fifth. The blast was Rich's fourth of the spring.

The Rangers trimmed its deficit to 10-8 with two more runs in the seventh inning on RBI-singles by Mathis and Kyle Aldridge of Olive Branch. Mathis blasted a solo homer, his eighth of the year, in the top of the ninth to get Northwest closer at 10-9.

The Rangers left the tying run at third base with one out in the ninth when Hinds retired the last two batters of the contest.

Walker took the loss for Northwest to move his record to 1-1.

Rangers close regular season with split at Holmes

The Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers closed out their regular season by splitting a doubleheader with the Holmes Bulldogs April 25 in Goodman.

Northwest dropped the opening contest 7-4, but salvaged the nightcap 10-7 in eight innings to move its overall record to 27-20-1.

The Rangers’ split with Holmes coupled with Northeast’s split with Itawamba kept Northwest in third place in the MACJC north division standings with a 16-8 mark.

"Playing in the state tournament will be like opening a new season," said Northwest Head Coach Mark Carson. "The league is so balanced this year that anyone can win this tournament. I am excited about our chances."

The Rangers used a three-run homer in the first inning from third baseman Alan Mathis of Memphis and a solo blast from catcher Rick Russell of Olive Branch in the sixth inning to build a 5-3 advantage against Holmes headed into the bottom of the seventh of the second contest.

The Bulldogs tied the score at 5-5 in their final at-bat and had a chance for the sweep, but Northwest freshman pitcher Mark Husband of Tunica got out of a bases-loaded jam to leave the score locked and force an extra inning.

The Ranger bats came alive in the eighth by pounding out six hits. Northwest second baseman Seth Milliorn of Olive Branch and first baseman Joel Rich both collected RBI-doubles, while outfielder Kory Petri of Oxford hit a three-run homer.

Husband surrendered two runs in the bottom half of the eighth before retiring the side and moving his record to 1-1.

In the opening contest, Holmes broke a 2-2 tie with five runs in the fourth inning to earn the victory.

Northwest had 11 hits in the game, while the Bulldogs collected just six.

The Rangers scored on RBI-singles by Rich and Matt James of Nesbit. James also collected an RBI-double in the fifth frame. Mathis hit a solo home run in the sixth inning.

Northwest starting pitcher Matt Shaw of Oxford tossed the first four innings and took the loss to fall to 3-4.

Sophomores fuel NWCC in north division split with Itawamba

Thirteen Northwest Mississippi Community College sophomores were honored in a pre-game ceremony before the Rangers’ last regular season home games April 21 against Itawamba in Senatobia.

Some of those sophomores went out with a bang by leading Northwest to a 6-2 victory in the first contest. Itawamba claimed the nightcap 9-1 to move the Rangers’ overall record to 25-17-1.

Northwest’s split with Itawamba, coupled with the Northeast Tigers’ sweep of Coahoma dropped the Rangers into third place in the MACJC north division standings headed into the final weekend of the regular season.

Northwest, which trails Northeast by one game in the division, needs to at least split with Holmes April 25 and hope that Itawamba sweeps Northeast in Fulton. If that happens, the Rangers and Tigers will be tied for second place and force a one game playoff.

In the opening contest against Itawamba, Northwest used a two-run home run from sophomore outfielder Seth Walker of Covington, Tenn., and a solo homer from sophomore third baseman Alan Mathis of Memphis to build a 5-1 lead after four innings.

Walker, who has been red-hot lately, homered for the seventh time in the Rangers’ last eight games to push his season-total to 13.

Northwest was also fueled by a sacrifice fly by sophomore Rick Russell of Olive Branch that scored sophomore Matt James of Nesbit. James and sophomore Kory Petri of Oxford each collected RBI-doubles.

Ranger sophomore pitcher Jeffrey Vance of Water Valley kept Indian batters off balance and tossed his fourth complete game of the season. Vance, who improved his record to 8-2, allowed just five hits and struck out five.

Itawamba led 2-0 in the nightcap, but Northwest trimmed its deficit to 2-1 in the second frame when Ryan Embrey of Coldwater scored on a sacrifice fly by Davis Horton of Oxford.

The Indians struck for seven runs in the third inning to put the game away.

Ranger starting pitcher Matt Shaw of Oxford threw the first two innings and shouldered the loss to fall to 3-3.

Walker's four home runs power Rangers in sweep of Coahoma

Sophomore outfielder Seth Walker collected four home runs in eight at-bats to spark the Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers to a doubleheader sweep of the Coahoma Tigers April 18 in Senatobia.

The Rangers won the opener 11-1 and claimed the nightcap 11-10.

The victories kept Northwest tied with the Northeast Tigers for second place in the MACJC north division standings. Both the Rangers and the Tigers own 14-6 division records with four games left on the schedule.

Northwest, which moved its overall record to 24-17-1, got an awesome performance from Walker (pictured left). The Covington, Tenn., native homered twice in both games of the doubleheader to push his season total to 12. All four of Walker’s homers came in his first two at-bats of each contest.

The Rangers collected five home runs in the opening game. Freshman Joel Rich of Southaven hit his third round-tripper of the spring with a two-run blast in the first inning, while sophomore Matt James of Nesbit picked up his fourth of the season with a solo shot in the third frame.

Sophomore Alan Mathis of Memphis hit a two-run blast in the fourth inning for his fourth home run of the season.

Walker, James, and Rich all totaled two hits each for Northwest which had nine hits in all.

Ranger sophomore pitcher Wes Grilliette of Oxford tossed the first three innings and earned the victory to improve hos record to 6-2. Grilliette allowed just two hits, while striking out two.

Grilliette survived a a scary incident in the third inning by taking a line drive off the side of his head. He was taken to a hospital where several tests were run, but fortunately all results came back negative.

That wasn’t the only scary incident for Northwest on this day.

The Rangers found themselves tied with Coahoma at 10-10 headed into the bottom of the seventh inning.

Northwest plated the winning run in its last at-bat when Walker scored from third on a sacrifice fly to the second baseman by James.

Coahoma grabbed a 5-0 advantage in the first frame, but the Rangers responded with a pair of solo homers by Walker and a two-run blast by Davis Horton of Oxford to take an 8-5 lead after four innings.

Northwest led 10-8 headed into the seventh inning after an RBI-single by Rick Russell of Olive Branch.

The Tigers tied the contest at 10-10 in the top of the seventh.

Ranger pitcher Jeffrey Vance of Water Valley threw the last two innings in relief to get the win and up his record to 7-2.

Rangers and Tigers split a pair, remain tied for second place in division

Sophomores Alan Mathis and Seth Walker both homered to spark the Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers to a 6-5 victory against the Northeast Tigers in the first game of a doubleheader April 15 in Booneville.

Northeast claimed the nightcap 2-1 to move Northwest’s record to 21-16-1 overall and 12-6 in the MACJC north division. The Rangers and Tigers remain tied for second place in the north.

Mathis, of Memphis, hit his third home run of the spring with a three-run blast in the third inning to help Northwest build a 5-0 lead.

Mathis also collected an RBI in the first frame by drawing a bases-loaded walk that scored Kory Petri of Oxford. Ranger Seth Milliorn of Olive Branch added an RBI-groundout in the second inning to score Ronnie Ferrell of Water Valley.

The Tigers cut their deficit to 5-3 in the bottom half of the third, but Northwest’s Walker hit a solo homer in the top of the fourth to push the Ranger lead to 6-3. Walker, of Covington, Tenn., leads Northwest with seven homers this season.

Northeast touched Ranger starting pitcher Jeffrey Vance (pictured left) of Water Valley for two more runs to cut the margin to 6-5. Wes Grilliette of Oxford replaced Vance in the fifth inning and slammed the door on the Tigers’ offense.

Grilliette retired seven of the eight batters he faced to earn his first save of the spring. Vance picked up the win to improve his record to 6-2.

Northwest had trouble getting its offense going in the second contest and collected just four hits.

The Rangers trailed 1-0 in the sixth frame before Petri hit his fifth homer of the season with a solo blast to tie the game.

Northeast scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-out single.

Northwest starting pitcher Matt Shaw of Oxford was shouldered with the loss to drop his record to 3-2. Shaw struck out six and surrendered just four hits.

Pitching gems by Bolton and Davis lead NWCC to sweep of Buffaloes

The Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers rallied behind a couple of outstanding pitching performances to sweep a doubleheader from the Arkansas Baptist College Buffaloes April 14 in Senatobia.

Northwest won by scores of 3-2 and 7-0 to improve its overall record to 20-15-1.

Ranger sophomore pitcher Heath Bolton of Batesville tossed a complete-game, four-hitter in the opening contest and struck out seven to up his record to 1-2.

In the nightcap, Northwest freshman pitcher Jon-Michael Davis of Bartlett, Tenn., moved his record to 3-2 by throwing the complete seven innings. Davis struck out five and allowed just three hits en route to earning the shutout victory.

The Rangers scored all three of their runs in the second inning of the first game. Sophomore Seth Walker of Covington, Tenn., drove in a couple of runs with his eighth double of the season. Walker also scored a run on a balk by Arkansas Baptist.

The Buffaloes trimmed their deficit to 3-2 with a pair of runs in the third frame, but that’s as close as they would get.

Northwest got all the offense it needed in the third inning of the second contest by pushing four runs across the plate.

Ranger sophomore Kory Petri of Oxford collected a two-run double, while sophomore Alan Mathis of Memphis added an RBI-single.

Northwest added three more runs to the scoreboard in the sixth inning on back-to-back RBI-singles from freshmen Seth Milliorn of Olive Branch and Tyler Benson of Batesville to score Walker and Kevin Crum of Nesbit. Milliorn later scored in the frame on a wild pitch.

Rangers split a road doubleheader with Gulf Coast

Kory Petri’s RBI-groundout in the seventh inning lifted the Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers to 4-3 victory against the Gulf Coast Bulldogs in the second game of a doubleheader April 10 in Perkinston.

Northwest lost the first contest 12-2 to move its record to 18-15-1 overall.

The Rangers and Bulldogs were tied 3-3 in the top of the seventh inning in the opening contest. Northwest outfielder Seth Walker of Covington, Tenn., led off the frame by reaching base on an error, then moved to third on a passed ball.

Petri, of Oxford, then grounded out to first to score Walker.

The Rangers trailed Gulf Coast 3-0 after three innings, but Northwest tied the game by pushing three runs across the plate in the fourth frame.

Ranger freshman Davis Horton of Oxford started the rally with a two-run homer–his third of the season. Freshman Seth Milliorn of Olive Branch knotted the score at 3-3 with his first home run of the spring.

Northwest freshman pitcher Matt Shaw (pictured left) of Oxford tossed his second complete game game of the season and struck out five to earn the win and improve his record to 3-1. Shaw allowed just four hits.

The Rangers collected 10 hits in the first contest, but left seven runners on base. Walker and Matt James of Nesbit collected two hits each for Northwest.

Ranger freshman pitcher Marshal Hamrick of Senatobia threw the first three innings and took the loss to drop his record to 2-3.

Mathis' three-run homer helps NWCC sweep Mississippi Delta

Sophomore third baseman Alan Mathis (pictured) of Memphis hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to help the Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers claim a come-from-behind victory against the Mississippi Delta Trojans in the first game of a doubleheader April 4 in Senatobia.

Northwest routed Mississippi Delta 13-3 in the nightcap to push its overall record to 16-12 and remain in second place in the MACJC north division at 10-4.

The Rangers trailed Mississippi Delta 3-0, but Northwest rallied with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to earn the win.

Ranger sophomore Kory Petri of Oxford led off the sixth frame by belting his third home run of the spring.

Rick Russell of Olive Branch and Joel Rich of Southaven followed with singles to set up Mathis’ game-winning home run.

Northwest freshman pitcher Marshal Hamrick of Senatobia tossed the complete game the pick up the victory and improve his record to 2-2. Hamrick struck out nine, while allowing just one earned run.

The Rangers pounded out 13 hits in the second contest with Rich leading the way with three singles. Mathis, Matt James of Nesbit, Ronnie Ferrell of Water Valley, and Seth Walker of Covington, Tenn., chipped in with two hits each.

Both of Walker’s hits were home runs. Walker cranked a solo homer in the fifth inning, then added a three-run blast in the sixth to push his team-leading total to six.

Northwest got all the offense it needed in the second inning by scoring eight runs. Rich collected a two-run single, while James and Mathis both added RBI-singles. Mathis and Seth Milliorn of Olive Branch both drew RBI-walks in the frame.

Ranger freshman pitcher Matt Shaw of Oxford notched the victory by striking out nine and allowing only four hits. Shaw upped his record to 2-1.

Rangers hold onto second place in division by splitting with Holmes

Sophomore Kory Petri (pictured right) collected three hits, including his second home run of the season to propel the Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers to a 13-3 rout of the Holmes Bulldogs in the first game of a doubleheader April 1 in Senatobia.

Holmes rallied from a 7-4 deficit to claim the nightcap 16-8.

Northwest, 14-12 overall, maintained its hold on second place in the MACJC north division with an 8-4 mark. The Rangers are a game ahead of both Holmes and Northeast who are tied for third place with 7-5 division records.

Petri, of Oxford, picked up two doubles in the first game. He also had three RBIs and scored three runs.

Northwest struck for four runs in the first inning thanks to an RBI-double by Petri and three consecutive RBI-singles from Rick Russell of Olive Branch, Joel Rich of Southaven, and Alan Mathis of Memphis.

Ranger shortstop Matt James of Nesbit picked up his team-leading 25th RBI of the season with a run-scoring triple in the second to push the lead to 5-0.

Northwest added three more runs in the fourth frame on Petri’s solo home run and a two-run homer by Rich.

The Rangers ended the contest early by scoring five additional runs in the fifth to run-rule the Bulldogs.

Russell collected a two-run single in the frame, while Petri added his second RBI-double of the game.

Northwest sophomore pitcher Jeffrey Vance of Water Valley improved his record to 4-2 by throwing all five innings and giving up just one earned run. Vance struck out three and walked one.

The Rangers led 7-4 after five innings in the nightcap, but things went sour after that.

Northwest used a three-run homer by Seth Walker of Covington, Tenn., and a two-run double by Mathis to grab the advantage, but Holmes struck for 12 runs in the top of the sixth to kill the Rangers’ hopes for a sweep.

The Bulldogs scored nine of their 12 runs with two outs in the inning.

Northwest freshman pitcher Matt Shaw of Oxford, who was one of five Rangers to take the mound in the contest, was shouldered with the loss to drop his record
to 1-1.

NWCC drops a pair of north division contests to Itawamba

The Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers had some opportunities, but couldn’t cash in when they needed to en route to dropping both games of a doubleheader to the Itawamba Indians March 28 in Fulton.

Northwest lost by scores of 4-3 and 11-9 to drop to 13-11 overall. The Rangers fell three games behind MACJC north division-leading Itawamba. Northwest is in second place in the north standings with a 7-3 mark.

In the first contest, the Rangers fell behind 3-0 in first inning. Northwest fought back to tie the game at 3-3 on RBI-singles by Matt James (pictured left) of Nesbit and Joel Rich of Southaven. Justin Stevens of Southaven scored on a wild pitch to tie the score after five innings.

Itawamba scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth frame on a solo homer.

Ranger starting pitcher Wes Grilliette of Oxford tossed his third complete game of the season and took the loss to fall to 5-2. Grilliette gave up seven hits and four earned runs, while striking out three.

Northwest took a 4-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap thanks to a home run by Seth Walker of Covington, Tenn., a two-run double from Rick Russell of Olive Branch, and an RBI-double by Alan Mathis of Memphis.

Mathis also added a two-run double in the second frame, while James collected a two-run single to help the Rangers build an 8-2 lead.

Itawamba tied the game at 8-8 after three innings and added two more runs in the fifth inning to claim the victory.

Walker, James, Mathis, and Russell all had two hits each for Northwest.

Ranger pitcher Jeffrey Vance of Water Valley relieved starter Marshal Hamrick of Senatobia in the third frame and took the loss to move his record to 3-2. Vance registered seven strikeouts in four innings of work.

Rangers split a pair of games with Southwest Tennessee

Five players collected at least two hits each to help the Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers pound the Southwest Tennessee Saluqis 15-1 in the first game of a doubleheader March 25 at Ranger Field in Senatobia.

Southwest Tennessee claimed the second contest 9-7 to move Northwest’s record to 13-9.

In the opener, the Rangers racked up 15 hits in all. Sophomore outfielder Seth Walker (pictured left) of Covington, Tenn., had three of those hits including his second home run of the spring with a two-run shot in the second inning.

Northwest sophomore shortstop Justin Stevens of Southaven belted a grand slam in the second frame for his first home run of the season to help the Rangers build a 9-0 lead after the first two innings.

Northwest pushed six more runs across the plate in the third inning to put the game away. Freshman Seth Milliorn of Olive Branch provided a two-run single, while Alan Mathis of Memphis, Davis Horton of Oxford, and Kyle Aldridge of Olive Branch all added RBI-singles.

Ranger freshman pitcher Matt Shaw of Oxford tossed the first four innings and got his first decision of the season in moving his record to 1-0. Shaw allowed just one earned run and three hits, while striking out three.

Northwest held a 6-3 advantage after the first four innings in the nightcap, but couldn’t stop a late rally by Southwest Tennessee.

The Rangers used two-run homers from sophomore Ryan Embrey of Senatobia and freshman Chris Gullick of Water Valley, and an RBI-single from Milliorn to grab the three-run lead.

The Saluqis scored two runs in both the fifth and six frames to take a 7-6 lead.

Northwest tied the game at 7-7 in the bottom half of the sixth when Walker scored on Milliorn’s second double of the contest. Milliorn collected four of the Rangers’ 10 hits, while freshman Tyler Benson of Batesville had two.

Southwest Tennessee won the game by hitting a pair of solo homers in the top of the seventh off Northwest relief pitcher Mark Husband of Tunica. Husband shouldered the loss to drop his record to 0-1.

Solid pitching performances help NWCC sweep Coahoma

The Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers used two strong pitching performances to sweep a doubleheader from the Coahoma Tigers March 24 in Clarksdale.

Northwest won the first contest 14-2, then claimed the nightcap 8-2 to improve to 12-8 overall and remain in second place in the MACJC north division with a record of 7-1.

Ranger sophomore pitcher Jeffrey Vance (pictured left) of Water Valley threw his second complete game of the season to help Northwest win the first contest. Vance allowed just four hits and struck out seven in six innings to move his record to 3-1.

Northwest built a 9-2 lead after five innings thanks to a two-run double by Alan Mathis of Memphis and RBI-singles by Justin Stevens of Southaven and Matt James of Nesbit.

The Rangers put the game away by adding five more runs in the sixth frame. Northwest collected 11 hits in the contest and were helped out by eight Coahoma errors.

Freshman pitcher Jon-Michael Davis of Memphis enjoyed his best outing of the spring in the second game by striking out six en route to earning the complete game victory. Davis, who improved to 2-1, allowed seven hits and one earned run.

James and freshman Ronnie Ferrell of Water Valley collected six of the Rangers’ 11 hits by picking up three each.

James, who racked up five RBIs in the contest, had a three-run double in the sixth inning and added two RBI-singles.

Ferrell hit a double to go along with a solo homer, his second of the season, in the fifth frame. Ferrell’s home run broke a 1-1 tie and sparked Northwest’s offense.

Northwest also used RBI-singles from Seth Milliorn of Olive Branch and Kevin Crum of Nesbit as part of a five-run sixth inning.

Rangers split division doubleheader with Northeast

Shortstop Matt James hit a three-run homer as part of a five-run fifth inning to lift the Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers to an 8-4 victory against the Northeast Tigers in the first game of a doubleheader March 21 in Senatobia.

Northwest lost the second contest 7-4 to move its record to 10-8 overall and into second place in the MACJC north division with a 5-1 mark.

James (pictured left), a sophomore from Nesbit, lined his second home run of the spring over the wall in left field to break a 4-4 tie.

The Rangers trailed 4-2 going into the bottom of the fifth frame, but tied the game on back-to-back RBI singles by Rick Russell of Olive Branch and Joel Rich of Southaven.

Northwest added an insurance run in the sixth inning when Kory Petri of Oxford scored on a single by Seth Walker of Covington, Tenn.

Petri got the Rangers on the board in the first inning with a two-run homer, his first of the season.

Northwest sophomore pitcher Wes Grilliette of Oxford tossed his second complete game of the spring and improved hs record to 5-1. Grilliette scattered seven hits, while striking out four and walking one.

Grilliette’s five victories rank him in the top four in the nation.

The Rangers fell behind 3-1 in the nightcap, but rallied with with three runs in the bottom of the second inning to claim a 4-3 advantage.

Walker sparked Northwest with a two-run double, while Rich added an RBI-double to score Walker.

The Tigers countered by pushing three runs across the plate in the fourth frame.

The Rangers had opportunities to make a comeback, but Northwest stranded five runners over the last three innings and left the bases loaded in the sixth.

James collected two of Northwest’s six hits.

Ranger freshman pitcher Marshal Hamrick of Senatobia was shouldered with the loss to drop his record to 1-2. Hamrick gave up seven hits, walked two, and hit two batters in three innings of work which led to six Northeast runs.

Rangers open MACJC north division play with sweep at Mississippi Delta

Sophomore Matt James hit a one-out, two-run double to help the Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers edge the Mississippi Delta Trojans 5-4 in the opening game of a doubleheader March 10 in Moorhead.

Northwest, 6-6 overall, also claimed the nightcap 3-2 to open MACJC north division play on a positive note with a 2-0 mark.

James, a shortstop from Nesbit, hit the second of his two doubles in the opening game down the third base line to score Rick Russell of Olive Branch and Alan Mathis of Memphis.

The Rangers trailed Mississippi Delta 4-2 heading into the last inning, but Northwest's Kory Petri of Oxford got the rally started with a one-out double. Petri scored on a single by Mathis to close the Ranger deficit to 4-3.

Petri also had an RBI-single in the first inning that scored Seth Walker of Covington, Tenn. Walker scored another run in the fifth frame on Mathis' sacrifice fly.

Northwest starting pitcher Wes Grilliette of Oxford tossed the complete game to improve his record to 3-1. Grilliette scattered five hits over seven innings, while striking out six, and walking just one batter.

In the second game, Ranger freshman pitcher Marshal Hamrick of Senatobia kept the Trojans off balance and earned the win to move his record to 1-1. Hamrick registered seven strikeouts in six innings of work and allowed just three hits and one earned run.

Northwest sophomore pitcher Jeffrey Vance of Water Valley tossed the seventh inning and picked up his first save of the spring.

The Rangers jumped to a 3-0 lead thanks to an RBI-single by Mathis in the first inning that scored Walker. Northwest added two more runs in the fifth on RBI-singles by James and Russell.

NWCC drops two games at Wes Cliburn Tournament

The Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers lost both of their games at the Wes Cliburn Tournament March 6 at Vicksburg.

Northwest fell to Baton Rouge Community College 10-8, then lost to LSU-Eunice 11-5. The Rangers are 4-6 overall.

In the opening game against Baton Rouge, Northwest held a 6-2 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to a two-run homer from freshman outfielder Ronnie Ferrell of Water Valley. The Rangers also used RBI-singles by Ryan Embrey of Coldwater and Davis Horton of Oxford.

Baton Rouge cut the margin to 6-5 in the bottom of the fourth, then pulled ahead with five runs in the fifth.

Northwest tried to rally in the seventh frame on an RBI-double by Matt James of Horn Lake and a sacrifice fly by Kyle Aldridge of Olive Branch, but that was as close as the Rangers could get.

Northwest freshman pitcher Chris Gullick of Water Valley took the loss to fall 0-1.

In the second contest, LSU-Eunice claimed a 4-0 lead after five innings and built an 8-3 advantage after six frames.

The Rangers got an RBI-groundout by Joel Rich of Southaven in the fifth inning. Northwest's Rick Russell (pictured right) of Olive Branch cranked his second home run of the spring with a two-run shot in the sixth.

Northwest pushed across two more runs in the seventh on RBI-singles by Aldridge and Justin Stevens of Southaven.

James led the Rangers wit two hits in the game, both of them doubles.

Northwest freshman pitcher Jon-Michael Davis of Memphis was shouldered with the loss to move his record to 0-1.

Rangers fail in quest for second consecutive doubleheader sweep

The Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers had chances to sweep their second consecutive doubleheader from a Tennessee school, but came up just short.

Northwest split a twinbill with the Dyersburg State Eagles March 4 at Ranger Field in Senatobia. The Rangers won the first contest 3-1, but dropped the finale 16-13 to move their record to 4-4 overall.

Coming off a doubleheader sweep of Southwest Tennessee, Northwest is trying maintain some consistency heading into next week's division opener.

In the second game against Dyersburg State, the Rangers fought back from an 8-3 deficit in the third inning. Northwest trailed 10-7 going into the bottom of the sixth frame when freshman outfielder Ronnie Ferrell of Water Valley hit a two-run double to score Seth Walker of Covington, Tenn., and Tyler Benson of Pope. Dyersburg State also helped the Ranger cause by committing two errors in the inning and throwing two wild pitches that resulted in a 12-10 lead for Northwest.

The Eagles countered with six runs in the top of the seventh inning to claim the victory. Ranger pitcher Jeffrey Vance of Water Valley retired the first two batters of the frame, but Dyersburg State capitalized on two walks, four hits, and a Northwest error.

Vance relieved starter Heath Bolton of Batesville in the third and was shouldered with the loss to even his record at 1-1. Eleven of the Eagles' 16 runs were unearned due to four Ranger errors.

Northwest collected 13 hits in the contest with Walker, Ferrell, Rick Russell of Olive Branch, and Matt James of Nesbit picking up two each.

The Ranger pitching duo of Wes Grilliette of Oxford and Marshal Hamrick (pictured left) of Senatobia handcuffed the Eagles in the opening game.

Starter Grilliette threw the first four innings and scattered three hits, while striking out two to up his record to 2-1. Hamrick tossed the last three innings and struck out five to earn his first save.

Northwest got all the offense it needed in the second frame when outfielder Kevin Crum of Nesbit slapped a two-run single that scored James and Kyle Aldridge of Olive Branch. James added an RBI-single in the sixth that scored Russell.

Diamond Rangers sweep a pair of games from Southwest Tennessee

The Northwest Mississippi Community College Ranger baseball team evened their record at 3-3 by sweeping a doubleheader from the Southwest Tennessee Saluqis Feb. 24 at First Tennessee Fields in Cordova.

Northwest won the first contest 11-3, then claimed the nightcap 8-7.

In the opener, Ranger sophomore pitcher Wes Grilliette of Oxford threw six innings and earned the victory to move his record to 1-1. Grilliette gave up five hits and two unearned runs, while striking out two.

Freshman Hunter Bobo of Olive Branch relieved Grilliette in the seventh and allowed just one hit.

Northwest collected a couple of runs in the first inning as sophomore third baseman Alan Mathis of Memphis collected a two-run double. The Rangers pushed their lead to 6-0 after two innings thanks to an RBI-single by sophomore Kory Petri of Oxford and a sacrifice fly from Kevin Crum of Nesbit.

Northwest put the game out of reach in the fourth frame by moving five runs across the plate.

Sophomore Seth Walker of Covington, Tenn., picked up an RBi-single, while Rick Russell and Kyle Aldridge, both of Olive Branch, and Matt James of Nesbit all collected RBI-walks.

Walker led the Rangers with three hits, while Petri and Justin Stevens of Southaven had two each.

Northwest jumped to a 4-1 lead in the nightcap thanks to a two-run single by Mathis and an RBI-single by Davis Horton of Oxford.

Southwest Tennessee capitalized on some Ranger mistakes and scored five runs in the third frame to claim a 7-4 advantage headed into the seventh inning.

The Rangers rallied with four runs in the top of the seventh to take an 8-7 lead.

Aldridge scored on an RBI-groundout by Hunter Parham of Southaven. Northwest added three more runs on three Saluqi errors.

Ranger freshman pitcher Cameron O'dom of Arlington, Tenn., tossed the last four innings in relief of starter Jon-Michael Davis of Memphis to earn the win an move his record to 1-0.

O'dom struck out five and allowed only two hits and one unearned run.

A trio of DeSoto Central High School baseball standouts has signed to play at Northwest Mississippi Community College next season. They are (seated from left) Drew Klepzig, Michael Vinson, and Tyler Hadaway. Congratulating them are DeSoto Central Head Coach Shane Faulkner and Northwest Assistant Coach Bill Selby.

Lewisburg High School baseball star Chad Wardlaw (seated) signs to play baseball at Northwest Mississippi Community College next season. Congratulating Wardlaw are (standing from left): Northwest assistant baseball coach Bill Selby, Chad's mother Naomi Wardlaw, Chad's father Bill Wardlaw, Lewisburg baseball coach Rusty Cagle, and Northwest head baseball coach Mark Carson.

Bolivar Central High School standout Drew Griffin (seated, second from left) signs to play baseball at Northwest Mississippi Community College next season. Congratulating Griffin is (front row from left) his mother Amy, his father Greg, brother Jeremy, Northwest assistant baseball coach Bill Selby, and Bolivar Central baseball coach Mark Fulghum.