Co-Lin athletics round up: Softball starts conference play with sweep of Gulf Coast
Published 10:00 am Saturday, March 18, 2023
Here’s a look at the latest from the athletic programs at Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
Softball
The defending MACCC softball state champs from Co-Lin got their title defense off to a strong start with two wins at Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. to kick off conference play on Wednesday.
Coach Meleah Howard’s team won the opener 9-1 in Perkinston and then wrapped the day up with a 10-2 victory in the nightcap.
Co-Lin moved to 15-5 on the season with the win and is scheduled to play on the road Saturday at no. 4 Northwest Mississippi C.C. in Senatobia.
CLCC was tabbed the no. 7 team nationally in the latest NJCAA poll.
Freshman pitcher Cara Biswell (Brandon High) picked up the win in game one for Co-Lin on Wednesday. Biswell struck out four and gave up just five hits.
Offensively, Co-Lin got a four RBI day from freshman Zykeria Cole (Simpson Academy). Cole blasted a home run while batting from the no. 2 spot in the order. The Wolves also got a home run in the win from sophomore Belle West (Hillcrest Christian). Third baseman Josie Meggs also hit a double for CLCC in game one.
In game two, Gulf Coast (19-13) had a similarly difficult time generating runs against the four pitchers used by Co-Lin in the win.
West started and moved her record to 6-3 on the year with the win. She gave up two hits and one earned run. Lila Blackburn (Red Bay, Ala.), Elena Thompson (Magnolia Heights) and Laney Waguespack (Hahnville High, La.) all threw an inning each in relief.
West hit a double in game two and CLCC also got a home run from freshman Abbey Grace Richardson (Brookhaven Academy).
Richardson had two RBIs in the win as did Cole and freshman Bailee Goodson (Brookhaven Academy).
Co-Lin is back at home on Tuesday, March 21 when they’ll host Jones College for two games beginning at 4 p.m.
Baseball
A walk-off single by Tyler Wolfe (Covington, La.) scored the game winning RBI for Co-Lin in a 5-4 win over Mississippi Gulf Coast on Wednesday in Wesson. The victory earned the Wolves a split in their conference opener after Gulf Coast took the opener 8-2.
Wolfe’s heroic hit came after freshman Brentley Berry (Simpson Academy) hit a two-out single that kept the inning alive. Berry would then score from first base when Wolfe was able to poke one through the infield.
Coby Gollot (St. Martin High) picked up the win in relief after throwing the final 2.2 innings of the game. Loyd Star product Wyatt Hodges also tossed 2.2 innings of relief ball and gave up no runs and two hits.
Shortstop Hayden Babineaux (Church Point, La.) powered the Wolves offensively with three RBIs via a homerun in the win.
Gulf Coast (9-13) jumped ahead 7-0 in the opener as they cruised to the win.
Co-Lin (7-17) will host Northwest Mississippi CC on Saturday for two games beginning at 2 p.m.
Men’s Basketball
The 2023 MACCC state championship winning men’s basketball team from Co-Lin naturally piled up the individual awards recently handed out by the conference.
Second year head coach David Sanders was named Coach of the Year after leading the Wolves to the first state championship captured by the school since 1999.
Previously a state championship winning coach at the high school level during his run at Callaway High in Jackson, Ssanders led CLCC to an 18-6 overall record during a season in which the Wolves won 11 straight games.
A big part of that success was the play of freshman forward Dylan Canoville.
Cannoville was named MACCC Player of the Year, MACCC Freshman of the Year and was named MACCC First Team All-State.
A native of Plantation, Florida, Canoville averaged 16.5 points per game and 12.2 rebounds per outing for the Wolves. The powerfully built 6-foot-6, 225-pound high flyer shot 51.8 percent from the floor.
Four times during the regular season Canoville was honored as the MACCC Player of the Week.
Sophomore forward AJ Warnsley was also named MACCC First Team All-State. A product of Terry High, Warnsley averaged 14.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per outing for the Wolves. The 6-foot-7 Warnsley put up a 46.1 field goal percentage from the floor.
Named to the MACCC Second Team All-State team were sophomore guard Jemario Hersey and sophomore guard Cowandric Samuel.
A Brookhaven High alum, Hersey averaged 15.4 points per game and pulled down 4.7 rebounds per night.
A graduate of Callaway High who played for Sanders while in high school, Sameul averaged 12.2 points, 5.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game for the Wolves this season.