When the short, dreary days of winter shift into the longer, sunnier days of spring, the sound of birds chirping are soon followed by the swing of a baseball bat or the sound of a softball hitting a catcher’s mitt. Baseball and softball season is cherished in Marion County, and, typically, there are one or two teams with legitimate championship aspirations. What’s different about the 2024 season after its first month is that out of the seven active ball clubs, four seem primed for deep postseason runs at the very least.
There’s never been a shortage of talent to roll through either Columbia or Foxworth, but the sheer depth and total number of future next-level stars are what should keep Marion Countians on the edge of their seats long into May.
It’s easy to point to the West Marion Lady Trojans as a team with high expectations considering they claimed the 2023 Class 3A South State championship, but they have done nothing in 2024 to prove that last season was a flash in the pan.
Losing superstars like Olivia Miller and Paris Thompson was always going to be a struggle for the Lady Trojans to overcome, but West Marion had so many underclassmen play pivotal roles last season that experience is not an issue in 2024. Izzy Pittman is still leading the charge in the circle, and she is expected to get even stronger as the season progresses. Freshman Rebekah White has allowed the Lady Trojans to have a pitching 1-2 punch, much like it was last season with Pittman and Miller.
It may be a tad too early to put a whole bunch of stake into batting averages, but after eight games played, West Marion has eight batters hitting over .300, and seven Lady Trojans hold a .440 average or better. In their first district game of the season Mar. 7 against Our Lady Academy, the Lady Trojans exploded for a 16-0 victory where everyone who stepped up to the plate reached base.
The Lady Trojans (4-3-1) may not be blowing anyone away with their current record, but two of their three losses came in one-run shootout losses, and the other came to Alma Bryant (Ala.) Feb. 15 – a team that reportedly has more students than Mississippi’s most populated high school and more than five times the students (1,682) of West Marion (295). The lone tie came in an 8-8 affair against Oak Grove, but, as I’m sure head coach Cory Odom would say, that level of competition will only help the Lady Trojans go forward.
It’s not unrealistic at all to think that they’ll at least come close to last year’s magic – if not surpass it.
Also residing at The Swamp, the West Marion Trojans are making their case as one of the top teams in Class 3A this year.
Having all five members of their senior class sign college scholarships was impressive enough, but the Trojans’ two-game series at Purvis is what solidified them as a bona fide contender in my eyes. Both contests went to extra innings, and both could have gone either way. The Trojans scratched a 4-3 win March 6 over the defending Class 4A state champs in eight innings, scoring a run in the top of the eighth thanks to smart plate appearances and savvy baserunning. Kolby Stringer, who is as good as anyone on the mound in the surrounding area, shut the door for the victory. When he took the mound, everyone on the third base side seemed to know it was already done. Across 23 ⅓ innings pitched, the sophomore righthander boasts a 0.60 ERA (earned run average) with 47 strikeouts against six walks. Video game numbers.
The Trojans (8-6) may have lost the next night 2-1 in 12 innings, but I’d argue that it was an even more impressive performance – at least on the mound. Stringer struck out eight batters across five one-run innings before Jacob Buffalo entered to deliver six dazzling innings of 10 strikeout baseball. Pitching is easily West Marion’s strength, having plenty of different arms to shuffle through in a three-game series scenario. Stringer and Trace McDonald have established themselves as the Tuesday and Friday starters, and players such as Buffalo, Nik Carney and Jude Stringer, to name a few, help make up a loaded pitching rotation for the Trojans – one that could help them play their way towards Pearl.
This week will be telling for the Trojans, ranked third in 3A by CapitalSportsMS, as they take on St. Stanislaus, ranked fourth in 3A by CapitalSportsMS to open district play. It’s always a show when these two meet, and if the Trojans win on Friday and traverse through district play, look out.
The Columbia Academy Cougars have no seniors. Prior to a win March 7 at Oak Grove in the Adidas Tournament, they had lost four straight games. But despite these negatives, the Cougars have no shortage of talent and no shortage of expectations.
Many will point to brothers Trent and Logan Buckley – and rightfully so as they rank atop or near the top of their respective class as prospects – but the Cougars (9-4) are much more than a two-horse team. Players such as Roman Lawrence, Zeke Todd and Owen Simmons see significant time on the mound, and Lawrence has been a threat in the batter’s box alongside freshman catcher Zac McCain, who has two home runs already.
Trent Buckley has led both ways for the Cougars, batting .353 with a pair of dingers along with a 2.33 ERA and 30 strikeouts against seven walks on the mound. Logan Buckley hasn’t quite dominated opposing hitters yet as he usually does, but there isn’t a doubt in my mind that his A-game will return when the Cougars need him.
It’s a fool’s errand to mistake the Cougars’ youth with inexperience, as players such as the Buckleys and Lawrence have been dominating on the diamond since they were in the seventh grade. If CA gets hot, which all indications point that way after the Cougars won three games at the Battle at the Beach, it will be a tough out come May.
Perhaps no team in the county has a tougher road ahead of them than the Columbia Wildcats, but that also means that they’ll be plenty battle tested come playoff time – which I firmly believe they will be big players in.
It goes without saying that playing in the same district as powerhouses like Sumrall and Purvis is no easy task, but the Wildcats can more than hold their own. Lefty Lane Robertson continues to prove himself as a No. 1 arm for Columbia, and Collin Haney has emerged as a strong No. 2 on the mound as well.
On the offensive side, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better pure hitter than Mac McDaniel. He showed plenty of promise in his injury-shortened freshman campaign in 2023, and he continues to rake now that he’s healthy this season. He holds a ridiculous .567 batting average from the leadoff spot, recording 17 hits and driving in 10 runs. With offensive threats such as Naji Cain, Haney, Robertson, Walker Hobgood and MT Breland in tow, the Wildcats are no slouches – and can find themselves making noise this postseason if they continue to improve.
Now, I won’t rule out teams such as the Columbia Lady Wildcats or even the East Marion Lady Eagles from making postseason runs. They’ve each shown promise – especially on the offensive side – and would not shock me in the slightest if they managed a postseason win, but the aforementioned four teams are a safer bet in my eyes.
As district play is among us, we’re about to see some excellent baseball and softball played here in Marion County. I won’t pull a Joe Namath and guarantee a title will return to this area, but don’t be surprised if one of them is holding up gold by season’s end. Let’s all just sit back and enjoy the ride.
