Ceremony will take place during Homecoming festivities on Oct. 24
Oct. 7, 2024 – Northwest Mississippi Community College will enshrine five additional members to the 2024 Northwest Sports Hall of Fame class on Thursday, Oct. 24, as part of the college’s Homecoming ceremonies.
The group includes former Northwest softball standout and current head coach at DeSoto Central Harley Smith Bumpous.
A 2016 Lake Cormorant grad, Harley Smith spent two seasons with coach Mike Rowan and the Northwest softball team from 2017-18. Smith wasted no time making an immediate impact, starting all 41 games during her freshman season in the circle or at first base. As a freshman, she helped the Rangers to a 22-20 record and the program’s first playoff appearance since 2015.
Smith finished the 2017 season with a 12-10 record in the circle and a 4.43 earned run average. Her 104 strikeouts ranked sixth-most in a single season at the time and she held opposing batters to just 14 walks. Overall, Smith compiled 143.2 innings of work, finishing with 11 complete games and two shutouts, earning First Team All-MACJC honors.
As a sophomore, Smith collected 10 wins in the circle with a 2.60 earned run average and 62 strikeouts. Although the Rangers narrowly missed the playoffs, she was selected as the MACJC Pitcher of the Week and NJCAA Division II Pitcher of the Week twice, while also earning NFCA All-Region Second Team accolades and another First Team All-MACJC selection.
For her career, Smith currently ranks third in pitching appearances (57), fourth in innings pitched (270.0), fifth in wins (22), sixth in complete games (23), sixth in shutouts (4) and seventh in strikeouts (166). At the plate, she also batted .325 with six home runs. Additionally, her 33 pitching appearances as a freshman still rank as the fourth-most in a single season, while her 143.2 innings pitched rank fourth and her 126.1 innings pitched as a sophomore rank eighth in a single season.
Following Northwest, Smith hung up the cleats and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Medical Radiography from Baptist Health Sciences University in Memphis in 2021, graduating at the top of her class with a 4.0 GPA. Despite her busy schedule, she remained closely involved with the sport of softball, helping coach competitive softball for three years.
Smith’s coaching stint would help pave the way for her future position as the head softball coach at DeSoto Central. Shortly after graduation, she began teaching and serving as an assistant coach at DCHS, before being promoted to the head coaching position ahead of the 2023-24 school year. Last season, the Lady Jaguars finished with a 21-12 overall record and a runner-up finish in the Class 7A North Half championship.
Today, Smith also teaches science and gives pitching and hitting lessons. Since June 2023, she has been married to her husband, Matt Bumpous, a teacher and assistant baseball coach at DeSoto Central.
This year’s inductees also include senior inductee and former football standout Jerry Beach (1965), women’s basketball star Maxine Tucker (1980-82), former football offensive coordinator George Smith (1991-95), and baseball legend Eduardo Peña (1998-99).
Additionally, Northwest will recognize its Alumnus of the Year Julie Correro (1976-78) during the ceremony, as well as the Golden Circle Recognition for the Class of 1974. The event will take place at the David M. Haraway Center on the Senatobia campus at 4 p.m., preceded by a reception at 3 p.m.
