Approximately 70 high school baseball players from throughout central Mississippi are participating in the third annual Fall Baseball Camp being held at East Central Community College in Decatur.

Activities began Oct. 20 and conclude Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Gay/Clark Baseball Complex, according to Diamond Warrior assistant Michael Avalon who serves as camp coordinator. Make-up dates, if needed, are scheduled Thursday, Nov. 19 and Saturday, Nov. 21.

“The purpose of the camp is to give participants the opportunity to enhance their skills through instruction and competition,” said Avalon, a fourth-year assistant to head coach Neal Holliman. “We’ve really been pleased with the response to this year’s camp and are also very pleased with the talent level of our area athletes.”

In addition to receiving instruction in all phases of the game, Avalon said participants are divided into teams for competition.

“Players are divided equally based on their positions,” said Avalon. “Each team plays two instructional games and participates in a one-hour skills session each week according to the designated schedule. Each team will play as many as eight instructional games.” 

Five teams were formed for this year’s camp and include the following area high school athletes:

Team 1 Gold: Peyton Clark (catcher/third base), Austin Smith (shortstop/third base), CJ Grantham (outfield/pitcher) and KJ Moore (second base), all of Neshoba Central; Zach Turner (catcher/pitcher), Dillon Alford (outfield/pitcher) and Andrew Brown (infield/outfield), all of Morton; Jonathan Gibbs (first base/pitcher) and Garrett Clark (pitcher/outfield), both of Union; Tyler Owen (outfield/infield), Dylan Gentry (second base/outfield) and Austin Sims (first base/outfield/pitcher), all of Kosciusko; and Beau McMullan (shortstop/outfield) and Zach Waddell (second base/outfield), both of Northeast Lauderdale.

Team 2 Black: Matthew Dempsey (catcher/pitcher), Brock Ward (shortstop/pitcher) and Ryan Shotts (infielder/pitcher), all of Louisville; Josh Thomas (catcher/infield/pitcher), Choctaw Central; Thad Skinner (outfield/pitcher), Dustin Skinner (second base/outfield) and Joel Sistrunk (outfield/pitcher), all of Neshoba Central; Matthew Evans (shortstop/pitcher), Brady Power (third base/first base/pitcher) and Luke Reynolds (infield), all of Forest; Kyle Rhodes (first base), Southeast Lauderdale; and Jacob Hayes (outfield), Parker Bullock (outfield) and Kyle Breland (infield), all of Newton County.

Team 3 Red: Dustin Floyd (catcher/shortstop), Caleb McKee (first base/outfield/pitcher), Brandon Jones (first base/outfield) and Robert Greer (outfield/pitcher), all of Neshoba Central; Austin Vowell (catcher/third base), D. Wells (outfield), William Nicholson (second base) and Kyle Hughes (first base/pitcher), all of Edinburg; Tyler Coker (shortstop/pitcher), Newton County Academy; and Clay Upton (first base/pitcher), Dan Nelson (outfield/pitcher), Nolan Thorne (third base/pitcher) and Kyle Pugh (second base/outfield), all of Newton County.

Team 4 Dark Gray: Matthew Goudie (catcher/third base/pitcher), Joshua Goudie (first base/pitcher) and Trent Sibling (second base/outfield), all of Philadelphia; Evan Humphries (first base/pitcher), Ryan Humphries (second base/outfield), Quarvis Jernigan (outfield/pitcher) and Chris Hickman (second base/outfield), all of Louisville; Luke Viverette (outfield/pitcher), Zach Mowdy (first base/pitcher) and John Carr Bates (shortstop),  all of Union; Brennon Gibson (outfield), Northwest Rankin; Matthew Alawine (third base/shortstop/pitcher), West Lauderdale; and Dillon Pettigrew (catcher/third base/pitcher), East Rankin.

 Team 5 White: TJ Nicolson (catcher), Colby Maner (third base/pitcher), Dustin Porter (shortstop/outfield/pitcher) and Jamie Ball (first base/outfield/pitcher), all of Morton; Hunter Phillips (catcher), Reagan Warren (second base/outfield), Zach May (outfield/infield) and Blake Bailey (third base/pitcher), all of Newton County; Corey Sorenson (first base/pitcher), Ryan Lawrence (second base/pitcher) and Patrick Stewart (first base/pitcher), all of Kosciusko; and Blake Luke (second base/pitcher), Lake.

For more information contact Diamond Warrior coaches Neal Holliman (ext. 374), Michael Avalon (ext. 226) or Hunter Vick (ext. 226), 877-462-3222. Their e-mail addresses are nholliman@eccc.edu, mavalon@eccc.edu or hvick@eccc.edu.