2024 Southeastern High School Baseball Classic Slated for This Weekend at Trustmark Park
PEARL - The Mississippi Braves are excited to welcome four high school teams to Trustmark Park for the 2024 Southeastern High School Baseball Classic, beginning on Friday afternoon. The four-game, two-day event starts at 4:00 pm Friday and includes the top-ranked team in Mississippi, Lewisburg Patriots from Olive Branch, who
PEARL - The Mississippi Braves are excited to welcome four high school teams to Trustmark Park for the 2024 Southeastern High School Baseball Classic, beginning on Friday afternoon. The four-game, two-day event starts at 4:00 pm Friday and includes the top-ranked team in Mississippi, Lewisburg Patriots from Olive Branch, who is also ranked No. 5 in the MaxPreps National Top 25 baseball rankings.
The day's initial matchup features the Oak Grove Warriors of Hattiesburg, taking on the Christian Brothers Purple Wave of Memphis, TN. At 6:30 pm, the evening concludes with Lewisburg taking on the Houston High School Mustangs of Memphis, TN. The teams that come up short in Friday's games will meet at noon on Saturday, with the winners battling for the site championship at 3:00 pm. The winner of Saturday's championship game will advance to play at AdventHealth Stadium in Rome, GA, on March 22.
The Patriots (9-1) return seven positional starters and six pitchers from a team that finished 29-8 in 2023 under head coach Rusty Cagle. Lewisburg captured the 6A State Championship at Trustmark Park. Top returners for Lewisburg include seniors Cooper Bennett (LF - Meridian CC recruit), Austin Hannigan (2B - Memphis recruit), Sam Richardson (RF - Texas recruit), Trae Cagle (Cacher - Northeast MS CC recruit), Easton Fesmire (CF - Northeast MS CC recruit), Cayden Baker (RHP - Baylor recruit), Matthew Osteen (RHP - former Future Gamer, Louisiana Lafayette recruit), and Gunner Gilmore (RHP/1B - Air Force recruit), along with juniors Talon Haley (LHP - Vanderbilt recruit) and Kody Gilmore (SS - Mississippi Delta CC recruit).
Oak Grove (9-2) and head coach Chris McCardle return six positional starters and six pitchers from a team that ended the season 15-12 after a first-round loss to Northwest Rankin in the 6A state playoffs. The Warriors are currently ranked No. 15 in the latest Mississippi Power 25 ranking. The Warriors are led by senior catcher, Southern Miss signee Coy Clements, and junior LHP/1B and Mississippi State commit Maddox Miller.
Houston (TN) (4-0) is coming off of a 31-11 season in 2023 under head coach Lane McCarter and returns six starters on defense while also welcoming back five pitchers with varsity experience. Houston, ranked No. 2 in the latest Tennesse Power 25 rankings, features Georgia Tech commit and Prep Baseball Tennessee's No. 1 player in the 2025 class, Ryan Mitchell. The Mustangs roster also features Tennessee signee, senior shortstop Robinson Martin and South Alabama signee Donovan Mitchell.
Former Major League reliever Jason Motte leads the Purple Wave of Christian Brothers (0-0). He played for nine seasons in the majors, including in St. Louis, where he helped the Cardinals clinch the World Series in 2011. After his playing career ended, he moved to Memphis and worked for the University of Memphis for two years before joining CBHS as a pitching coach. On the field, the Purple Wave is ranked No. 5 in the Tennessee Power 25 preseason poll and is led by senior pitcher and South Carolina signee Riley Goodman.
Tickets for the event can be purchased HERE.
The Mississippi Braves begin the 2024 season on the road on Friday, April 5, at Pensacola. The M-Braves will open their 20th and final year at Trustmark Park on Tuesday, April 9, at 6:05 pm against the Biloxi Shuckers.