2,076 MLB PLAYERS | 14,476 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Juco  | Story  | 2/14/2023

JUCO: Deep South Region Preview

Troy Sutherland     
JUCO: Top 500 Prospects

Regional Previews: Southeast | Florida | Great Plains | Coastal

Deep South Region Top 10 Teams

1. Pearl River 
2. LSU-Eunice 
3. Meridian 
4. Delgado 
5. Northwest MS 
6. Jones
7. Gulf Coast
8. Northeast
9. East Mississippi
10. East Central



Top 15 Team Breakdowns

1. Pearl River 
The defending National Champions are primed to go out there and repeat their success with these key returners headlined by Tennessee commit 3B/SS Alex Perry who is coming off an All-American campaign in 2022 and Mississippi State commit RHP Will Passeau. The Wildcat arms will consist of the aforementioned, Will Passeau, who will run it in to the low 90’s to pair with a plus curveball in the 78-80 mph range and a developing slider and changeup. LHP Byrion Robinson who worked out the bullpen in 2022 but could draw more appearances as a starter in 2023, The mix for Robinson is led by a lively mid-90's heater that has been every bit of 95 mph in recent showing as well as a sharp low 80’s slider. Lastly, the big physical presence of Meridian transfer Cortez Dennis, who stands 6’7 and struck out 42 batters in just over 35 innings pitched in the season previous, runs it well into the mid-90s. As far as offensive impact they should have no trouble matching the runs total of the championship 2022 squad even with some big losses to the heart of the order. They will be led by toolsy 6’3 OF Ian Montz who posted a .310 batting average to go along with 13 pumps and 21 swipes. Infielder Gabe Broadus which as a freshman put up a cool .382 batting average to pair with 39 stolen bases, the coaches believe he is instrumental in the team's success in 2023. Finally, 3B/SS Alex Perry and his impact bat, .385, 17 homeruns, 62 RBI, 69 runs scored, and 22 stolen bases. One of the premier talents in the nation will be vital to continued success for the Wildcats in 2023. 

2. LSU-Eunice 
Veteran skipper Jeff Willis and his staff have compiled yet another exceptionally talented squad as they look to get back atop the landscape of junior college baseball. The stable of arms will be led by returner UL-Lafayette commit Patrick Vienne who led the nation in wins in 2022, Vienne sits 91-94 topping out at 96 with high quality feel to spin. As well as Freshman RHP Blake Lobell runs in well into the mid 90’s to pair with a plus breaker. Lobell is still highly projectable with a real chance to get into the upper 90’s in short order and Josh Gregoire another big arm that lives in the 91-94 with the best breaking ball of all their top end arms. At the plate, the staff expects big years from infielders Dawson Willis and Brad Griffin. Willis is loaded has the full bag of tools to impact a game, 6.5 runner with 90+ arm across the infield in addition to high level barrel skills at the dish. Griffin, a member of the Australian National team will slot in at second base this season and the staff has been impressed with how he handles the stick with affinity for opposite field gap power. The run producing middle of the order will be led by Iowa bounce back Weston Fulk and Southern Miss. Bounce back Colin Husser. One guy to keep an eye on in the 2023 campaign is Jacob Moore who is coming off a shoulder surgery in which he thought was going to be the end of the road for his playing career but in recent outings has been every bit of 94-96 mph. Certainly no shortage of firepower on either side for the boys down in Eunice. 

3. Meridian 
Dillon Sudduth is entering his tenth season at the helm for the Eagles with a talented squad led by their pitching staff and headlined by RHP Gunnar Dennis. Who is coming off Tommy John surgery, however he has been in the 91-93 mph range in recent outings. He plays an advanced change up and a depthy curveball off the fastball. Cole Boswell, a Southern Miss transfer, has impressed in recent days; slotting in as another starting pitching option. He lives in the upper 80s and low 90s with a full mix. LHP Dalton McIntyre could see some innings on the mound in addition to batting leadoff and playing CF. The offensive output will be anchored by 1B Jalen Cowan who figures to slot into the middle of the order and can hit double digit homeruns in 2023. Let us not forget Blaise Priester, an LSU transfer, that is ultra-physical and is going to present a significant power threat at the dish. There are two freshmen you will want to watch out for this 2023 season. Rhett Ketchum, a physical corner outfielder, put together a bunch of tough at bats in the fall and handled left on left better than expected. Brady Thomas is a 6’ 5 C/1B/OF is just scratching the surface of being a big-time power bat. When asked about their season Coach Sudduth expressed his excitement for this young group and looks forward to competing to earn themselves a bid to Enid. 

4. Delgado 
Veteran Skipper Joe Scheuermann is headed into his 32nd season as the head coach of the Delgado Dolphins. The squad is off to a terrific start with wins over perennial power houses San Jac and Chipola as well as victories against Chatt Valley and Pensacola State. Their lone loss was suffered in the opening game at the Panama City Beach Classic against Meridian. On the mound, Tyler Velino has been lights out for them so far with a sub 1 WHIP and a clean 0.00 ERA. Logan O’Neill has already seen expansive work in this early season and has shown himself to be a valuable piece for them on the mound as a freshman. Chris Oliver has struck out well over a batter per inning thus far and has decided in both decisions in 2023 going 2-0. Sophomore Josh Alexander burst onto the scene in Panama City posting an event high 9 hits in his 15 at-bats throughout the event, 4 of which went for extra bases. Look for Alexander to continue raking his way through the 2023 campaign. Jhonnatan Ferrebus is off to a smoldering start as well for the Dolphins with a note worthy performance at the Panama City Beach Classic. Delgado will be vying for the top spot in Louisiana all year long and those matchups vs Eunice will be appointment viewing. 

5. Northwest MS 
Long time skipper Mark Carson and his staff have put together quite a collection of young pitchers to shoulder the load for the Rangers in 2023. The staff will be headlined by Memphis commit Brayden Sanders who is a high energy tone setter on the mound living in the upper 80’s and low 90’s, his slider will be utilized to hunt strikeouts all season long for the club. Command has been a question mark for Sanders in the past but Pitching coach Domenick Carlini has been pleased with the overall improvement in that department. Joining the likes of Sanders will be the LSU transfer, right hander Brooks Rice, his tall lean projectable frame produces fastball velocities that were up to 93 on opening day. His breaking ball has shown much improvement and should be a weapon in the upcoming campaign. Look for left hander James Smith to play a significant role on the mound as well. The story coming out of Senatobia is the breakout of freshman right hander Mason Shropshire. The Fastball for Shropshire lives in the 88-91 mph range with a quality breaker to play off of it. The curveball is a 73-75 mph with sharp 12-6 downer action. For run production they will lean into the bats of C/1B Eli Selby, 3B/OF Peyton Martin, and utility man Hayes Davis who is off to a blazing start in 2023. Keep an eye on toolsy freshman outfielder John Blockmon who possesses a truly elite power tool although there is some swing and miss to go along with it. The Northwest Mississippi Rangers are the team to beat in the North. 

6. Jones 
Head Coach Wes Thigpen is entering his second season as the Skipper for Jones after coming over from Mississippi Gulf Coast. He has a lot to be excited about in year two where he returned a sizable chunk of the innings on the mound with right hander Drew Druckenmiller and left hander Beau Bryans. Druckenmiller stands 6-foot-3 with a fastball every bit of 88-92 and a real depthy 12-6 breaking ball, in his first outing of 2023 he struck out 9 while surrendering 2 earned over 4 and a third. Bryans has an electric left arm that can run it up to 95 to go with a pair of off-speed pitches, a low 80’s slider and a developing changeup. Command has been a bit inconsistent but once that gets polished up, we could see one of the truly dominant pitchers in all of Deep South Juco. Expect Dalton Tanner and Luke Lycette to see their fair share of high leverage innings as well. Leading the offensive charge, 3B Gaitlin Sanders is a throwback style ball player with the ability to have a bit of gap power. Additionally, middle infielder Jakob Wax and outfielder Josh Cary should be vital pieces in the success of the ball club in 2023. Expect them to remain in the serious mix of contenders all year long. 

7. Gulf Coast  
Coming off a 20-25 season in 2022 Head Coach Bob Keller pulled off quite the overhaul of the Bulldog’s roster with an eye popping 24 new players. In 2023 they have a more complete squad and should be a team to really contend from wire to wire. Uncommitted right hander Dylan Fontan will head the staff. Fontan in recent days has ranged from 89-91 with a polished 4 pitch mix. Left handers Hayden O’Dell, Brody Swindell, and Adrian Bird will also take on a solid portion of the innings. The staff is excited to maintain some continuity in the backend of the bullpen with submarine right hander JC Stogner. The Duo of Thomas Hollingsworth and Ty Mancha will dawn the tools of ignorance for the bulldogs, both of whom are quality defenders. Mark Stevens, who is coming off a terrific year, will slot in at or near the top of the order. Potential professional prospects Sean Smith and Charlie Keller are expected to provide much of the run production in the heart of the lineup along with left handed thumper DJ Walker. Charlie Keller is already off to a strong start this year with 4 homeruns in their opening weekend. What the Gulf Coast staff has done after their 2022 has caught the admiration of many around the landscape of Mississippi Juco. 

8. Northeast 
Rich Harrelson dubbed the “Bazooka from Iuka” has compiled quite the roster of talent to go along with 9 returning impact sophomores. The squad is headlined by the Rawlings Catcher of the Year, Jackson Owen who left the yard 11 times in 2022. As well as Southern Illinois commit first baseman Jackson McCoy, who already has 3 bombs to his credit should finish well over double digits in the 2023 season. Their leadoff hitting centerfielder, Khi Holiday brings true multifaceted impact with his plus running ability on the bases and greyhound like coverage of the outfield. Northwest Florida transfer Kelly Crumpton will play a two-way role and is already off to a tremendous start at the plate in 2023 batting a cool .464 thus far. Big physical uncommitted right hander Jackson Conn has been a riser over the fall and winter months. He brings a low 90s fastball with signs of really promising breaking stuff. Conn will be relied on to shoulder much of the load on the mound in his starts. The staff believes their biggest strength is in their impact returners, pitching, and overall team speed. Expect the Tigers to be intense competition in the North all year long.  

9. East Mississippi
Veteran head coach Brett Kimbrel is off to a strong start in 2023 taking three of four from Snead this past week. Thanks in part to the performance of Evan Radford who racked up 8 hits in the set, a pair of which were homeruns. Kimbrel has been impressed with Radford’s work and progression throughout the fall and was incredibly happy to see it translate immediately just 4 games into the young season. The outfields spots are a strong suit for the club they will be taken control of by center fielder Ethan Medlin, Gates Gerhart, Ayden Alsobrooks, and Aiden Fancher. Middle infielder Coby Holmes was praised heavily for his high baseball IQ to go along with his physical tools as a 6.7 runner at the top of the Lions lineup. Power-hitting First basemen Carson Gault is another name to watch over the season. The strength of the East Mississippi staff is at the backend with shutdown closer Ben Riley Flowers. Flowers lives 88-92 with no shortage of swing and miss stuff in his arsenal. The majority of starts for the squad will be drawn be freshman so keep an eye on that as we embark on this 2023 campaign.  

10. East Central  
Coming off a 30-17 2022 Head Coach Neal Holiman is excited with early comradery of his Warrior squad. He made it clear that the strength of this team is one of pitching and defensive prowess. On the mound, University of New Orleans commit Grant Edwards will lead the way, Edwards has run it up to 93 in recent outings and should be a tough customer every time he takes the hill. Command has been a bit of concern in the past, but they are hoping he can put that behind him in 2023. Freshman left hander Luke Cooley has impressed since stepping foot on campus and should play a significant in the team's success. Cooley lives 87-90 with a plus curveball. Spearheading the offensive production for the Warriors is middle infielder Eli Collins who will be penciled into the top of the lineup on a daily basis.  Collins is a strong lean athlete that could leave the yard more than a handful of times this season. Leighton Jenkins and Brady Mcgee will join Collins at the top of the order and should provide a much-needed spark. Both of whom are sub 7 runners and should swipe a few bags. Should those  3 have productive years the East Central Warriors could make some real noise. 

11. Hinds  
Head Coach Dan Rives is entering his third season as Skipper of the Eagles coming off a season in which they finished 30-18 and 19-9 in conference play. The recipe for repeated success? Bring back the key pieces that brought you success in the first place. On the mound, they will trot out Lincoln Sheffield, Mayson Shealy, and Connor Nation all three of which are returners that could make significant strides with collegiate experience already under their belt. Matthew Azordegan will be in a high leverage/closer role for them in 2023 as well. Offensively, their spark plug is the left-handed hitting Connor Chisolm who hit .300 as a freshman and has the capability for a bunch of swipes. First baseman Clay Benson is their top returning bat, he slots in well to the heart of the order coming off a season in which he posted a .320 batting average with half a dozen home runs. Dylan Coleman is off to a hot start to the season with a pair of homeruns and a .471 average. Someone to keep tabs on throughout the spring. This was potentially the toughest team to place on the full list. 11th best in the Deep South is closer to the floor than the ceiling for this squad.  

12. Itawamba 
Long time Manager Rick Collier is well respected for his ability to maximize talent although they finished just below the .500 mark in 2022. Offensively, they will be boosted by returning star Will Verdung who posted a .416 batting average with double digit homeruns in 2022 for ICC. Infielder Drew Copabianco is another key returner for the squad coming of as season where he batted .346. Infielders Matthew Martinolich and Eli Hancock will also try to build upon their individual success in the previous season. On the mound, they return Brady Davis who almost exclusively worked out of a relief role in 2022 but could see an expanded role as a sophomore in 2023. Bo Rock drew the first start for the squad in 2023 in a barn burning 13-10 win in favor of ICC. Collier will get the most of his squad in 2023 as the club is labeled my preseason “dark horse”. 

13. Southwest 
Second year Head coach Jack Edmonson has assembled a roster of young talent that has competed well right off the bat to the tune of an early 4-1 record. One key returner on the mound is Sophomore right-hander Caiden Necaise. In recent outings he has lived in the 88-92 range to pair with a hard slider that can play every bit of 82-85. Promising frosh arms Brycen Smith, Matthew Bienveau, and Luke Liretter have impressed in the off season and will draw notable roles on the mound for the Bears in 2023. Offensively, Braiden Jones will lead the charge and will be penciled in as the everyday third baseman. Jones stands 6-foot-4 with exceptional power and loud exit velocity numbers on a regular basis. Toolsy switch hitting outfielder Marcus Jackson has shown gap power with an ability to be a big time threat on the basepaths as a low 6’s runner. Outfielder Tyler Otts drew praise from his head coach with his ability to barrel up baseballs all over the yard, Edmonson expects Otts to hit for a high average to go along with double digit stolen bases in 2023. There is sense of a culture shift at Southwest Mississippi and they could threaten real success in 2023 and beyond. 

14. Bossier Parish 
Head Bobby Gilliam is off to a 5-1 running start in his 6th season as the head man for the Cavalier Baseball program. The team consists of 11 Canadian players headlined by middle infielder Brando Leroux who is already off to a fantastic start to the 2023 season batting .400 with 3 homeruns. University of South Florida transfer Santino Rao is off to a nice start as well, a well graded out left-handed power bat as a high school player just a couple of years ago. Dominican Republic import Emil Estrella impressed in a late fall look in Memphis. There’s size, strength, and loads of bat speed present, however the player is still fairly raw as a whole. On the mound they will lean on the talented left hander Jebb Drewery, who is 2-0 in as many appearances with a 1.59 ERA and 14.29 K/9 on the young season. Gilliam has cast the net far and wide to field the best team possible, this could be a team that turns a few heads in 2023. 

15. Baton Rouge  
Skipper Thomas Simoneaux is entering his 3rd season at the helm for the Bears coming off a 2022 season where the club finished 27-31. 13 games into the 2023 season they have not quite clicked yet. True frosh Thomas Marsala has impressed thus far batting .371 with just shy of half dozen extra base hits a pair of which for homeruns. Redshirt Sophomore Trey Webb is leaving yard once in every 9.75 at-bats although has had quite a few strikeouts to go along with the exceptional power. On the mound, right hander John Shahrdar started off 2023 on the right foot posting 10 and a third shutout while striking out 9. Additionally, Slade Zeppuhar and Ethan Prescott will draw a portion of the starts this season despite not starting off as hot as Shahrdar. This young team may take some time to get up to speed but should be much improved by April and May. 

Top 80 Deep South Region Prospects

1. Alex Perry IF Pearl River  
2. Will Passeau RHP Pearl RIver  
3. Jackson Owen C Northeast MS 


This is PG 'DiamondKast' Level content.
You must be either an DiamondKast, Crosschecker Rankings & Scouting Reports, or Scout subscriber to read the rest.
Sign in
DiamondKast
PG Special Events
Travel, Lodging, Entertainment
PG Partners
Recommended
About Perfect Game :: Contact us :: Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Testimonials :: Job Opportunities
Copyright 1994-2024 by Perfect Game. All rights reserved. No portion of this information may be reprinted or reproduced without the written consent of Perfect Game.