Region XXIII title defense starts in fall for Pearl River

POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Baseball season doesn’t officially begin for five months, but the Pearl River baseball team is already hard at work in preparation of its Region XXIII title defense.

The Wildcats opened fall ball practice last Monday and have a rigorous month of practice and games planned. With 18 new players, Pearl River coach Michael Avalon believes the fall has a heightened importance.

“I think we’ve had a good first week. It’s exciting to be back on the field and see the pieces together finally. We have a really good group, he said. “When you have a lot of new guys, you want to make sure there’s a solid understanding of the foundation of your program. That’s from the simple things like defenses to the weight room and the classroom.”