Myles Gentry returns for a third season as the Bobcats' pitching coach.
Jones' staff has boasted the third-best ERA in the MACCC in back-to-back seasons, improving from a 5.08 to a 4.67 ERA in his second year. The strikeout total also jumped from 356 to 406 strikeouts behind Drew Druckenmiller's team-best 86.
Three Bobcat pitchers moved on to four-year schools last year including Druckenmiller to Southern Miss, Kace Matthews to New Orleans and Tate Duncan to Delta State.
Gentry has pitched in the SEC, the Cape Cod League and on the biggest stage in Omaha at the College World Series. Those experiences have created a wealth of knowledge for him to influence student-athletes in a very positive way.
The Gulfport native spent the past two seasons as the pitching coach at Mississippi 6A high school powerhouse DeSoto Central. The Jaguar pitching staff posted a 3.07 ERA with 265 strikeouts last season and pitched DCHS into the MHSAA 6A State Quarterfinals.
Gentry reunited with head coach Wes Thigpen after the two were former assistants together at Jones during the 2018-19 seasons. The pitching staff touted the league's top ERA both seasons, including a 3.62 ERA in 2018, fifth in the NJCAA, and 3.66 ERA in 2019, 10th in the NJCAA.
Gentry originally signed with JCJC out of Gulfport High School before taking an opportunity to play at Mississippi State.
Gentry helped pitch the Bulldogs to the 2013 CWS Finals against UCLA as a freshman, going 4-1 with a 3.69 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 23 relief appearances on the season. He appeared in 48 career games for MSU from 2013-15 before graduating with a degree in kinesiology.
At Gulfport, Gentry earned MAC All-State and ESPNHS All-State honors, in addition to being named to the Biloxi Sun-Herald All-Coast Team and selected to participate in the Crossroads Diamond Club All-Star Game at Trustmark Mark in Pearl. He played summer ball for Marucci out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and played with Team Mississippi going into his senior season at Gulfport.
