Coach Randy Spring begins his 17th year at the helm of Brookhaven baseball this weekend as his Panthers host a Jamboree at Moyer Field.

Brookhaven plays Vicksburg at 9 a.m. Saturday, and will play a junior varsity game against Clinton at 2:45, followed by a varsity game at 4 p.m. Each game will last only one hour or four innings.

Spring’s team finished 8-15 last season and posted a 6-3 record in division action.

Seven senior starters return for the Panthers. They are infielder/pitcher/catcher Blaine Moak, infielder Garrett Smith, outfielder Brandon Henyard, infielder/pitcher/catcher Reese Reynaud, outfielder Darius Bryant, outfielder Darrian Wilson and outfielder Jon Mark Mathis.

Other returning starters are sophomore outfielder/infielder Clint Stephens and junior third baseman/pitcher Tate Walley.

“This will be a transition season,” said Spring. “We are very inexperienced and very young. There are seven seniors on the team, but also seven freshmen. We need our guys to play like they did at the end of last year and our younger guys to be prepared to step up early on and help us.”

Wilson brings in the highest batting average as a returning starter as he posted a .333 and had three home runs last season. Moak is next with a .328 batting average with 13 RBIs. Henyard had a .317 batting average and Mathis returns with a .304 batting average.

“We have a resilient group of guys,” said Spring. “Our seven seniors have shown up every day for four years through good and bad and have always worked hard. They have set a great example for a talented group of younger guys. Good things are going to happen for this group because of this work ethic.”

Spring’s assistant coaches are Chad Leggett and Ernie Triplett.

Brookhaven lost one standout senior to graduation – infielder/pitcher Scotty Bateman.

 Brookhaven Baseball Schedule 

FEBRUARY:

20-Brookhaven Jamboree (Vicksburg 9 a.m., Clinton 4 p.m.)

26-North Pike at Lawrence Co. 4:30 p.m.

27-at Lawrence County

MARCH:

1-Ole Brook Classic (North Pike)

3-Ole Brook Classic (McComb)

4-Ole Brook Classic (Lawrence Co.)

5-Ole Brook Classic (Wesson)

8-at Lawrence County Tournament (Florence at 2:30 p.m., Mendenhall at 4:45)

10-Ocean Spring at Sumrall, 4:30 p.m.

11-12-Lewisburg at TBA

18-Enterprise at Co-Lin

19-at West Lincoln

22-at Wingfield

24-Wingfield

29-Natchez

APRIL:

1-at Natchez

2-Enterprise 11:30 a.m., Sumrall 1:30 p.m.

5-at Provine

8-Provine

9-at McComb 10 a.m., at North Pike 1-3 p.m.

12-at Wingfield

15-Natchez

16-at Wesson

19-Provine