Corey Dickerson: From Brookhaven to Meridian

Corey Dickerson, a 6 “3, 205 lb. center fielder for Meridian Community College Eagles has been playing baseball since he was four or five.

“Sports has always been my thing,” he said. “I’ve always liked the outdoors.” Growing up in Brookhaven, Dickerson said he usually played the positions of pitcher, catcher, or shortstop.

“Corey’s a natural hitter,” said Brookhaven Academy Cougars’ baseball coach Stephen Cooksey. “He swings from the left side and hits left-handed pitching really well. His hitting ability was remarkable. He’s fast for a big guy.” Cooksey said you could always count on Dickerson to singlehandedly bring in at least one or two runs per game.

MS Gran Prix Bike Race

The 8th Annual Human Performance Company MS Gran Prix was held in downtown Brookhaven during the weekend of April 17-19. In 2008, the race helped raise $30,000 for the Blair E. Batson hospital in Jackson, and this year, sights were set even higher.

The funds helped to build a new children’s emergency room, and this year’s total, which hasn’t yet been calculated, will go toward stocking the new department with necessary medical equipment.

Justin Badon: North Pike High School Standout

Like so many other high school baseball players, Justin Badon’s career began on the four-year-old T-Ball field. Badon, a junior Shortstop and Pitcher for the North Pike High School baseball team in Summit, MS, loved all sports, including football and basketball, but decided to stick with baseball in the end.

“I just like the camaraderie, the competition, being part of team, being a leader,” he said.

“He’s come on big this year,” said Justin’s mother, Leigh Badon. “As each year goes by, he gets better.”

Bryce Guess: Copiah Academy Standout

Bryce Guess, now a 6 ft., 195 lb center fielder for Copiah Academy, has been on the baseball field ever since the days of T-Ball. “I just grew up around sports,” he said, “grew up around the game.”

This spring, Guess helped the Colonel’s baseball team get off to a 19-1 start, and go 7-0 in district, as of mid-April. When Guess was a freshman, his team made it to the first round of the playoffs for the first time, and last year they finished 17-13 and advanced in the playoffs.

Strong hitting and pitching has made the difference for this year’s team, Guess said. “We’ve never had as good of pitching as we do now,” he said. The first five, Guess said, can “hit it anywhere they want to,” while the last four can consistently put the ball in play, bringing in runs.

B&O Machine and Welding 12U Fastpitch Softball

The Brookhaven Parks and Recreation Department will be offering fast-pitch softball for the first time this spring, with a 10U league and a 12U league.

Slow-pitch has been offered in the past, but interested has largely shifted towards fast-pitch among young girls, said Mickey Meyers, one of league’s 12U coaches. “That’s where college scholarships are,” he said.

RSVP: OXFORD’S PROGRAM FOR RETIRED & SENIOR CITIZENS HAS A GREAT ADVOCATE IN ARLEDIA BENNETT

Arledia Bennett has been the director of the Oxford Park Commission’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) for the past three years.

RSVP, a federally funded community service program, has been in Oxford for 35 years now. The group’s local sponsor is the OPC, but all match money comes through the City of Oxford.

“We couldn’t do this without either one of them,” Bennett said.

OXFORD’S OUTLAWS

The USSSA North Mississippi Outlaws (13U, AA) baseball team has been together since last spring.

The boys that make up the team have been playing in Oxford’s Dizzy Dean league for years, said coach Ty Hubbard. The team was created specifically for boys who wanted to play more games in tournament baseball.

Hubbard’s co-coaches are Richard Hopper and Paul Mills. The coaches make a point to emphasize baseball mechanics to their players. “We’re trying to instruct and educate,” he said.

U-16 OXFORD BOYS CHALLENGE SOCCER TEAM

The U16 Oxford Boys Challenge soccer team is off to a good start, having finished 2nd in their first tournament and 3rd in the second tournament this spring.

“We talked about coming up with a name, but couldn’t agree on one, so we stuck with the basics,” said coach Tony Fortenberry.

The team has been together since February, and has played nine games, as of early April.  By season’s end, the boys will have played 15 to 20 games.

45-0: THE GREAT BEATDOWN by William Hawkins, 4th Grade DDES (Mrs. Edwards’ 2008-2009 class)

On the clear, sunny day of November 28, 2008, my Dad, my Aunt and Uncle, my two cousins, and I all went to an Ole Miss Football game.  Ole Miss was playing Mississippi State in the annual Egg Bowl, which is a great rivalry.  We all got our food and drinks and headed to some of the best seats in the Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Working So You Can Play: Steven Tillman

As spring sports get underway, Steven Tillman, superintendent of Ridgeland Recreation and Parks may well be the busiest man in the city.

Tillman oversees the city’s Recreation and Parks maintenance and operation. “I make sure everything happens like it’s supposed to happen,” says Tillman.

The University of Southern Mississippi graduate is in his 14th year in the department. His favorite aspect of the job, he says, is “getting to be outside, not being stuck behind a desk.”