ELLISVILLE – There will be plenty of newcomers on the 2023 Jones College baseball team.
 
But second-year head coach Wes Thigpen believes the Bobcats should field a solid squad this spring, especially with the pitching staff.
 
"This year's team will have a lot of new faces, especially on the offensive side of the ball," he said. "We do return a lot of innings on the mound which we are excited about. So far in the preseason the guys have been working hard every day to get ready for the season. The guys are competing well and improving each day."
 
Returning pitchers include Drew Druckenmiller, Dalton Tanner, Colby Tubre, Kace Matthews, Luke Lycette and Blake Summerlin.
 
Druckenmiller, a Southern Miss signee, is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound sophomore from Faith Academy in Mobile, Alabama. He was 6-2 last year with a 2.37 ERA and four saves. He had 50 strikeouts in 38 innings and was Second-Team All-MACCC.

Tanner, a sophomore left hander from Northeast Jones, was 2-3 last season with a pair of complete games.

Matthews, a sophomore from West Jones, went 1-0 last year with 20 strikeouts in 19.2 innings. He signed with the University of New Orleans.
 
Tubre is a left hander from D'Iberville, Lycette is a right hander from Northwest Rankin and Summerlin is a right hander from Northwest Rankin.
 
"We have some key arms coming back," Thigpen said. "Having guys that have been in the fire before, especially on the mound, always helps."
 
Returning position players expected to play big roles will be outfielder Josh Cary, shortstop Jakob Wax, outfielder Peyton Bell and infielder Tristan Pearson. Cary is from Petal, Wax is from Prairieville, Louisiana, Bell is from Faith Academy and Pearson is from Biloxi.
 
Cary hit .358 last season with 12 stolen bases and 13 multi-hit games. He was All-MACCC honorable mention.
 
"We are returning some key players from last year's team, including Josh, who had a great year for us," Thigpen said. "He is just a spark plug that plays the game with intensity at all times. Jakob is another returner at shortstop who has really come along offensively in the fall and early spring. 
 
"We are also excited about Peyton offensively. He is a guy that did not get many at-bats last year because of his role as a pitcher, but he should be a spark plug for our offense. Tristan is another guy that did not get a ton of at bats last year, but has really taken a leadership role on this team."
 
Top newcomers on the mound include Beau Bryans, Brice Deaton, Charlee Strickland and Tate Duncan. Eli Walker and Connor Brooks are coming off injuries.
 
Bryans is a freshman from Madison Central, Deaton is a freshman from Pontotoc, Strickland is a freshman from Northeast Jones and Duncan is a redshirt sophomore from Columbia, who transferred in from Hinds. Walker is a freshman from Gulfport and Brooks is a freshman from Northwest Rankin.
 
"We really like our freshmen and newcomers this year," Thigpen said. "These guys have bought in from day one and have embraced the grind of junior college baseball. Beau is a lefthanded pitcher we really like that should pitch on the backend of ball games and possibly play some outfield. 
 
"Two young arms that we really like that have a chance to be starters for us are Brice and Charlee. These are two guys that come in and pound the strike zone with multiple pitches and pitch with great tempo. Tate is a transfer from Hinds that has really figured some things out for us and should see significant time on the mound as well. We have a few guys coming off injury that we are excited about as well in Eli and Connor."
 
A couple of new players that will see plenty of playing time will be Gatlin Sanders and Evan Rogers. Sanders is a freshman from Madison Central and Rogers is a freshman from Northwest Rankin.
 
"Gatlin and Evan are two infielders that will see significant playing time and should be at the top of our order," Thigpen said. "They are two young guys that have a mature approach at the plate."
 
The Bobcats went 32-17 overall and 16-12 in MACCC play in Thigpen's first year as head coach in 2022. He credits the returning sophomores in helping make for a smooth transition into year two.
 
"Our second year has not been too much of an adjustment and that is a huge testament to our sophomore class," he said. "They have bought in since they stepped foot on campus and have done a great job of making sure the younger guys do the same."
 
The Bobcats will open the season at Shelton State in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Feb. 6. They will open the home portion of the schedule with a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Feb. 14 vs. Lawson State (Alabama) at Community Bank Park.
 
Other non-conference games are vs. No. 6 Kirkwood (Iowa), Wallace State-Hanceville (Alabama), Baton Rouge (Louisiana), Illinois Central, Coastal Alabama-East and Nunez (Louisiana).
 
"We definitely have a strong non-conference schedule and that is by design," Thigpen said. "I believe you need to get right in the fire and play some really tough non-conference competition to get you ready for MACCC play. You have to have the team ready to play in what I believe is the best conference in the country."
 
In the MACCC, defending national champion Pearl River is the preseason No. 1 team with Meridian at No. 9 and Hinds at No. 15. Jones and East Central received votes in the poll. Region 23 member LSU Eunice is No. 3 in the NJCAA poll.

The Bobcats are ranked 17th in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's NJCAA Division II Preseason Poll.
 
"I believe that the league is as balanced as it has been in a long time and it will be a fight to see who ends up at the top," Thigpen added. 
 
The Bobcats begin conference play March 11 at Holmes.
 
Thigpen will be assisted by Myles Gentry, Jonathan Parker and Chad Caillet with Chance Forbes and Kade Dees serving as student assistants.
 
Thigpen said his staff is one of the best in the country.
 
"I am incredibly fortunate to have a great coaching staff," he said. "Coach Gentry, our pitching coach, has done a great job getting the staff ready for the spring and really bringing out the competitive nature in our guys. Coach Parker and Coach Caillet have done an unbelievable job with our hitters. The transformation of the returners as well as bringing the young guys along has been fun to watch. 
 
"Having the ability to have someone like Chad Caillet on staff here has been great for our program. To have someone with his knowledge and 26 years of coaching experience at the highest levels has brought so much to our program already from every aspect. Our two student assistants – Chance Forbes and Kade Dees – are two guys that are willing to do whatever is asked of them to make our program better. I could not ask for a better and more complete staff."
 
Bobcat home games will be streamed at JCJC.TV.