WESSON – Seth Lofton has a good thing going at Wesson. He has a veteran assistant coach in Hugh Knight, a supportive wife, Kaylin, who knows the game, and exceptional community support for a successful baseball program.

Lofton’s latest edition achieved the Class 2A South State semifinals before losing to Taylorsville, the eventual state champion. His Cobras won the Region 6-2A crown and finished with a 22-8 record.

Those accomplishments have earned Lofton Daily Leader Coach of the Year honors on the 2013 All-Area Baseball Team.

“I have a pretty good assistant coach in Hugh Knight and our community supports us,” said Lofton. “A lot of folks show up for our home games. That makes for a good atmosphere.”

This is Lofton’s third year at the helm. He served two years as an assistant to Knight.

Lofton, 31, realizes he will be in a rebuilding mode with the loss of eight starters. The Cobras have been to the state playoffs the last six years.

Relaxing in the team’s 4-year-old field house, Lofton listed his seven senior starters: catcher Quentin Munn, first baseman Cullen Greer, outfielder/pitcher Alex Smith, outfielders Koy McFarland and Brandon Nettles, pitcher/infielder Kaleb Skinner and first baseman/DH Taylor Roberts.

Bailey Warren, a junior pitcher/infielder, has transferred to Brookhaven Academy. The lone returnee is second baseman Jase Alexander.

“I have some young kids but they aren’t battle-tested,” said Lofton. “We have to learn to be consistent and make the plays.”

Wesson has a seventh-eighth grade baseball team and Lofton said that is a boost to the varsity program. “Those younger guys get acclimated to me and learn what I expect out of them.”

Wesson has been promoted to Class 3A by the Mississippi High School Activities Association for the next two years. New Region 7-3A foes are Franklin County, Crystal Springs, Hazlehurst, Jefferson County and Wilkinson County.

Lofton is a 2000 Loyd Star graduate who earned All-Lincoln County honors in football and baseball. He played baseball at Copiah-Lincoln Community College and the University of West Alabama, as a pitcher, first baseman and leftfielder.

He graduated with a degree in math and secondary education. He teaches transitional algebra at Wesson.

Lofton is married to the former Kaylin Burke of Enterprise-Lincoln and they have a 3-year-old daughter Kenzie Kay. His wife coaches softball at Brookhaven Academy.