Eagles land four on all-Region team
By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
May 25, 2004
Meridian Community College landed four players on the 2004 all-Region XXIII baseball team. The Eagles were the only team in the region to place multiple players on the 11-man team.
MCC third baseman Van Pope, pitcher Chris Rayborn, shortstop Michael Murray and second baseman Kyle Ginn were selected to the the team. Ginn also earned defensive player of the year honors.
East Mississippi Community College catcher Justin Faulkner earned a spot on the all-Region team, and East Central Community College designated hitter Jacob Townsend was also selected to the squad.
Other selections included Delgado Community College pitcher Chase Dardar, Gulf Coast Community College outfielder Sal Aleman, Southwest Community College outfielder William Evans, Mississippi Delta Community College outfielder Tucker Bullard and Northeast Community College first baseman Adam Sowell.
Ginn appeared in 53 games for MCC this season, compiling a .954 fielding percentage. The Eagles second baseman made 57 putouts and 109 assists, while committing just eight errors.
At the plate, Ginn hit .362 with nine home runs and 49 RBIs. He notched 15 doubles and one triple in 149 at bats.
Pope appeared in 54 games for MCC this year, finishing the season with a team-high .404 batting average. The Eagles third baseman tallied 15 home runs, 15 doubles and two triples in 183 at bats.
Murray hit .401 in 52 games for MCC this season, and he notched four home runs, 17 doubles and four triples, batting primarily in the lead-off spot for the Eagles.
Rayborn posted a 9-0 record for MCC, appearing in 13 games. The Eagles right-hander struck out a team-leading 79 batters and pitched 71.1 innings.
Faulkner hit .402 for EMCC this year, notching eight home runs and 14 doubles. The Lions catcher drove in 36 runs and had a .948 fielding percentage.
Townsend hit .294 for ECCC this season, and he recorded 13 home runs, six doubles and 35 RBIs.
MCC left fielder Josh Morgan joined Pope, Ginn and Rayborn on the all-State Central Division team.
Morgan finished the season with a .351 batting average, and he notched 14 home runs, 10 doubles and 53 RBIs for the Eagles.
MCC placed designated hitter Aaron George, center fielder Toddrick Johnson and pitcher Chris Moffett on the all-State Central second team.
Townsend represented ECCC on the all-State Central squad first team, and first baseman Cory Coward, pitcher/outfielder Jim Talley and outfielders Marcus Davis and Dexter Sellers were named to the second team from the Warriors.
Faulkner was named to the all-State Central first team from EMCC, and outfielder Chris Stamps, shortstop David Nanney and pitchers Will Matlock and Robert Tucker were named to the second team from the Lions.
Hinds Community College pitchers Josh Jordan and Kyle Bridges were named to the all-State Central first team, and outfielders Raphael Ward and Chase Dorsey represented the Eagles on the second team.
Holmes Community College third baseman Scott Norwood was selected to the all-State Central first team, and first baseman Root Russell and pitchers Dale Brewer and David Stevens were selected to the second team.
