Thursday sports page: Northwest to celebrate record-setting coach

March 20, 2025 – Several special events have been announced surrounding this Saturday’s baseball doubleheader between Northwest and Copiah-Lincoln at Jim Miles Field

BBQ, blues and baseball will be a focal point of Saturday’s “Day of Celebration”, highlighted by the return of Northwest baseball alums and a pregame ceremony honoring Mark Carson as the Rangers’ all-time winningest coach.

Saturday’s events begin with BBQ plates available for purchase beginning at 1 P.M. Northwest alumnus Terry “Harmonica” Bean will also perform prior to the opening game, scheduled for 2 P.M.

Also planned around 1:45 P.M. will be a pregame ceremony honoring Carson as the program’s all-time winningest coach. A former Northwest baseball student-athlete and assistant coach, Carson began his tenure as the Northwest skipper in 2006, clinching his 557th career win in Wednesday’s 7-6 victory at Mississippi Delta. Miles held the previous record of 556 victories, coaching at Northwest from 1976-97.

A ceremonial first pitch will also be thrown out by members of the Rangers’ 1996 NJCAA Division II World Series team, which finished as the national runners-up. The 1996 team also captured the NJCAA Region 23 Championship and runner-up finishes in the MACJC and former MACJC North Division.

Between games, special guests will also get a chance to tour the new baseball facility, located behind the home bleachers. The facility will have a formal ribbon cutting later this spring.

As for Saturday’s opponent, Copiah-Lincoln enters the matchup with a record of 20-11 overall and 4-2 in the MACCC. The Wolves are winners of three straight games and are coming off a rivalry sweep of Southwest Mississippi.

In the all-time series, Northwest holds a 36-13 advantage. The two teams first met during the 1990 season, with the Rangers earning a 10-4 road win.

SCOREBOARD

Wednesday, March 19

NBA G League basketball

• Memphis Hustle 112, Valley Suns 111

Thursday, March 20

Prep baseball

• Northpoint Christian 19, Bolton, Tenn. 1 (3 innings)
  • Northpoint: Jaylon Dickson-triple, Jayden Parker-3 RBI, Landon Lay-3 RBI, pitcher Ty Waller-no-hitter, 6 strikeouts 

at USA Stadium, Millington, Tenn. 

• Mumford, Tenn. 3, Magnolia Heights 2
• Magnolia Heights 4, Father McGivney Catholic, Ill. 1 

Prep softball 

• Oxford 7, Southaven 1
• Lewisburg 15, Horn Lake 0 (3 innings)
  • Lewisburg: Lexi Edmiston-2 triples, 5 RBI. 
• Hernando 3, Madison Central 0
  • Hernando: Macie Dever Boaz-double. Pitcher Olivia Skinner-2 hits, 5 strikeouts.
• Grenada 10, Lake Cormorant 1
  • Lake Cormorant: MaKenzie Nails – 2 hits, pitcher C Hamberlin – 7 innings pitched, 4 strikeouts.
• Center Hill 14, Olive Branch 2 (4 innings)
  • Center Hill: Reagan Ryan – triple, pitching – 1 hit, 6 strikeouts

Prep boys’ soccer

• Northpoint Christian 5, Cordova, Tenn. 1
  • Northpoint: Maverick Ray-3 goals

Prep tennis

• Center Hill 7, Southaven 0