The Mississippi high school season kicks off on February 26, the first day for regular season games. Most teams will begin practicing on January 29, getting their rosters set and finalizing their lineups.

Leading up to the start of the high school season, we will be posting high school team previews every day as part of our comprehensive season coverage:

Team: Smithville

Preseason Rank: 25
2017 Record: 26-6-1
MHSAA Classification: 1A
MHSAA District: -1A
Head Coach: Jamie Russell
Playoff Run: 1A State Finals
2017 Final Rank: 1^A State Runner Up
Returning Starters: 2
Returning Pitchers: 2

 

Top Players

Name	State	School	Class	Position	Commitment
Jared Johnson	MS	Smithville	2019	RHP	-
Dustin Moffett	MS	Smithville	2018	OF	-
Blayde Scott	MS	Smithville	2018	LHP	-

 

Stat Rat (X-Factor)
Blayde Scott (.385-BA, 10-RBI, 4-2B) (1.14-ERA, 64-K, 30-BB)
Will NcNeese (.346-BA, 15-RBI, 4-2B)
Dustin Moffett (.301-BA, 18-RBI, 5-2B)
Jared Johnson (.286-BA, 20-RBI, 8-2B, 2-HR) (5.60-ERA, 31-K, 10-BB)

Outlook
Expectations are high for Coach Jamie Russell and the Seminoles this year, although they only return two arms and two starters from last season's 26-win, state runner-up finish. RHP Blayde Scott and RHP/C Jared Johnson will be called upon to anchor a youthful staff, as they look to improve on their combined 95 strikeouts. Although the Seminoles lack experience, they will rely heavily on athleticism and speed to carry them through the 2018 campaign. Look for OF Dustin Moffett to have an increased role in this year’s lineup.

Related Content