Hebron Christian baseball beats Immanuel Christian

STEENS — Baseball players and coaches at Hebron Christian have big goals for this season.

The Eagles want to win a district championship.

“Our expectations are really high this year,” Hebron Christian coach Cass Tapley said. “We have raised the bar this year. We are in it to win every game we play. Anything less than a district championship will be a disappointment.”

It’s all in the Brand for Starkville boys

STARKVILLE — Successful basketball teams excel when players perform their roles.

Sometimes the same can be said about families.

In the case of the Starkville High School boys basketball team’s Mike and Steve Brand, each knows one the other quite well, and the brothers complement each other quite well on and off the court.

Aberdeen stands two wins from title

ABERDEEN — Aberdeen High School has not lost back-to-back basketball games during the 2011-12 season.

That statistic will be put to the test Saturday when the Bulldogs (26-6) face Kemper County (26-8) in a semifinal game Saturday at the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 3A state tournament.

HE’S TOP DAWG: Veteran Aberdeen coach Hazzle can’t walk away

ABERDEEN — Aberdeen boys basketball coach Roy Hazzle stands on the baseline of Roy Hazzle Gymnasium barking out pointers to four different players on one offensive set.

The 59-year-old Aberdeen native is working just as hard as he did on his first day of employment, Halloween of 1977. The hard work continues to pay off as the Bulldogs are headed back to the Mississippi Coliseum to make a sixth-ever appearance in the Mississippi High School Activities Association’s state championship tournament.

Starkville Academy baseball shuts out Oak Hill Academy

STARKVILLE — Armed with a mind-set to “finish” this season, the Starkville Academy baseball team had to like what it saw Wednesday from pitcher Ryan McKell.

The senior threw a five-hit shutout to lead Starkville Academy to a 10-0 victory against Oak Hill Academy in a five-inning contest at Volunteer Field.

Bell’s power surge sparks MSU softball

STARKVILLE — Brittany Bell loves to play softball.

An injury that forced her to miss almost all of the 2011 season severely strained that love. But Bell kept believing, hoping, praying, and rehabilitating. Now, she is ready to make up for lost time.

Checking in with a team-best .550 batting average, the Brandon, Fla., native is going home this weekend. This time, she won’t accept encouragement from friends back home to keep hoping. Instead, she wants to help the Mississippi State University softball team make an impact at the annual NFCA Leadoff Classic, which begins Friday at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla.

Defensive plays save Starkville Academy baseball team

On a night where few defensive plays were routine, Starkville Academy made two great defensive stops when it needed them most.

Center fielder Drew Pellum made a diving catch to end one threat, while pitcher Hunter Bolin made a game-ending snag to help the Starkville Academy baseball team beat Heritage Academy 4-3 in the season opener for both teams Monday night at Trip Carson Field.

Hardy, Patriots lose to Generals in tournament finale

When the Heritage Academy boys basketball team needed a lift Saturday night, junior David Hardy was ready to answer the call.

After big man Bobby McGrath landed in early foul trouble, Hardy saw extended playing time and delivered in a 67-59 loss to Washington School in the third-place game of the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, Division II tournament in Columbus.

Oak Hill Academy likes chances to contend for title

Oak Hill Academy girls basketball coach Stan Hughey believes Class AA academy basketball is the deepest it has ever been.

Fortunately, Hughey also feels his club can compete with any of those teams.

Oak Hill Academy will begin its second season at 4 p.m. today when it takes on Prairie View (La.) Academy in the quarterfinals of the North AA tournament at North Delta School in Batesville.

East Oktibbeha girls ready for next step

East Oktibbeha County High School girls basketball coach Pam Roberts feels like her team is peaking at the right time.

Fresh off a Class 1A-Region 5 championship and an opening-round playoff win against Piney Woods, East Oktibbeha will resume its postseason quest at 4 p.m. today against Pelahatchie at Stringer High in the South State quarterfinals.

West Point’s Hall makes impact on defense at EMCC

When East Mississippi Community College sophomore Curtis Hall saw an opening, he decided to make the most of his opportunity.

Inserted into the starting lineup in the fourth game of the season, Hall has flourished, as have the Lions. The former West Point High School standout’s defensive presence is a big reason why the Lions are on a 14-game winning streak, which is the third longest streak in junior college basketball.

Provine boys eliminate West Point

WEST POINT — On Valentine’s Day, there was hardly any love in the West Point High School gymnasium.

Between the lines, the visiting Provine High School boys basketball team defeated West Point 67-48 in a Mississippi High School Activities Association first-round Class 5A North State tournament game.

While there was an intense, physical nature to the game, an equally compelling storyline was the passion in the stands, which forced play to be halted three times, including once after a fight in the visitors section.

Balance means wins for West Point: Trio earns Player of Week honors

WEST POINT — Most high school basketball coaches have a general idea who will be their leading scorer on most nights.

West Point High boys basketball coach Brad Cox is not in that group.

Rebels miss offensive production from Williams

STARKVILLE — While there were some bright spots on offense for the University of Mississippi Thursday night, the Rebels could not overcome off shooting nights from Nick Williams and Terrance Henry.

The duo was a combined 2-for-15 from the field and Ole Miss could never build enough offense to overtake Mississippi State.

Stuedeman set for first game as coach at MSU

STARKVILLE — Enthusiasm. Passion. Intensity.

Those words and many similar ones could be used to describe Mississippi State University’s first-year softball coach Vann Stuedeman.

Stuedeman, who makes her Division I head coaching debut tonight at South Alabama, comes to Starkville after 11 seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Alabama.

Alabama is considered one of the nation’s premier softball programs. The goal is to push MSU to that level.

Stuedeman plans to use plenty of lineups in first season

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State University softball coach Vann Stuedeman has been reluctant in the preseason to name a starting lineup.

Don’t look for that to change in her first season as head coach at MSU.

New Mississippi State coach plans to build softball program and new facilities

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ANSWERING THE CALL: Crowder enjoying first season as ‘Voice of the Lady Bulldogs’

French Camp native Jason Crowder is in his first season as play-by-play voice of the Mississippi State University women’s basketball team on the Bulldog Sports Network.

A graduate of French Camp Academy and MSU, Crowder is the sports programming director at WFCA-FM, a 100,000-watt station on the campus of French Camp Academy in Choctaw County.

Jackets ready for state title match

Starkville High looks for a piece of history today when the Yellow Jackets face off with Pascagoula for the Class 5A high school soccer state championship.

Match time is 3:30 p.m. at Clinton High School.

Nilsson has MSU men’s tennis back on national scene

STARKVILLE — While serving as an assistant coach at Pepperdine University, Per Nilsson always followed results in the Southeastern Conference and tracked his alma mater, MSU.

While Pepperdine was in the midst of winning 17 straight West Conference titles and the 2006 national championship, Nilsson was saddened that his alma mater had fallen on hard times.