Oxford Chargers Open Up 6A North Half Play Tonight

Oxford Chargers get set for 6A North Half Championship

The Oxford Chargers baseball team opens the 6A North Half Championship tonight at 7 as they travel to Southaven to take on DeSoto Central in a three-game series.

Oxford (23-9) rolls into the North Half after taking the back-end of the series from a red hot Madison Central team.
“Madison was obviously one of the most talented teams in the state,” Oxford head coach Chris Baughman said. “They had power 1-9 in the lineup.”
Baughman said that he hasn’t seen many pitchers better than Madison Central’s Regi Grace. “I would put him in the top three of the state this year,” Baughman said. 
“They are coached well, strong and talented. They were favored to win it,” Baughman said. “Our kids battled, and we told them on Wednesday, ‘It’s a three-game series, and it’s a three-game series for a reason.’ Until that 21st inning—or more is completed—you still are in the fight. I am real proud of how they battled and played with each other. They competed really, really hard and made some plays and got some big hits when we needed and that is what it takes this time of year.”
DeSoto Central (25-8) comes into this series after knocking off Tupelo and Northwest Rankin.
“Offensively, they are very similar to Madison Central,” Baughman said. “They have hitters [who] try to out score you—in which, they have done all year to people. So we are going to have to score runs. [We are] going to have to pitch well, and we are going to have to make plays defensively behind them.
The winner of the North Half Championship will advance to the 6A State Baseball Championship against the series winner between Gulfport and George County.
The Chargers’ senior class looks to advance to the State Championship at Trustmark Park yet again.
“They have the opportunity to be the first senior class to play four-straight State Championships,” Baughman said.
Fans can listen to tonight’s game, as well as the rest of the series, on the Bullseye 95.5 radio station. The Chargers and Jaguars will play Game 2 at 7 p.m. Friday at Edwin Moak Field. Game 3, the deciding game, will be played at DeSoto Central on Saturday.

Adam Brown is the sports editor of HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at adam.brown@hottytoddy.com.