Ranked teams ready to roll

By By Austin Bishop / EMG regional sports director
March 23, 2004
Three Lauderdale County baseball teams are ranked among the 12 best in Mississippi by a statewide newspaper and all three will be playing key division games tonight.
West Lauderdale, which dropped from No. 1 to No. 3 in the most recent Jackson Clarion-Ledger poll, plays host to Region 5-3A foe Forest tonight, with the varsity action beginning at 7. The Knights are 16-1 on the season with the lone loss coming against Louisville ranked No. 4 with a 12-1 record on Friday night.
Northeast Lauderdale, fresh off a win last week over Meridian High School, takes its 11-3 record and No. 11 statewide ranking on the road to face Region 5-4A foe Mendenhall today at 6 p.m..
After tonight's game, the Trojans have a week off before visiting league foe Quitman on March 30.
Meridian High School, ranked No. 12, hits the road to face region foe Northwest Rankin at 6 p.m. today.
The Wildcats, 10-5 overall, are 2-1 in league action having lost to Northwest Rankin (5-0) and beat Brandon (7-5) and Murrah (10-0).
The rest of the week is stout for MHS as well, with the 'Cats hosting West Lauderdale on Friday and visiting Columbus and Caledonia on Saturday.
After playing Meridian at Q.V. Sykes Park on Friday, West Lauderdale host Quitman on Saturday.
Other key area games set for today have Enterprise hosting Clarkdale, Lamar visiting Jackson Prep and Southeast Lauderdale hosting Morton.
In junior college action, 21-3 Meridian Community College travels to Goodman to open crucial MACJC Central Division play against Holmes Community College.
Holmes has only lost one game this season. The doubleheader between the Eagles and Bulldogs is set to begin at 3:30 p.m.