The expectations for the South Pemiscot High School baseball squad last spring weren’t much, as the Bulldogs entered the postseason with just four wins. However, what South Pemiscot had going for it was some talented youngsters, three very good seniors, and a coach (Jason House) with as much experience (15 years leading the program) as anyone could hope for.
All of that showed as the Bulldogs battled a 17-win Bernie squad to a 3-2 loss in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 Tournament.
“You have to look to the future now,” House said back in May following that loss. “You have to start trying to develop for next season.”
“Next season” is here.
The Bulldogs will open their fall schedule at home against Senath-Hornersville on Sept. 3 at 4:30 p.m. It will be the first of 13 regularly scheduled games, in addition to three tournaments, which are scheduled.
House lost seniors in pitcher Jadie Morton, first baseman Brayden Bomar, and catcher Will McDaniel.
“We’ve got quite a few (players) coming back,” House said at the time. “We lose three, and those three, they were a big part of our culture. Probably the toughest spot to fill will be the catcher’s position.”
House utilized McDaniel most of last year, but he also had now-junior Logan Southern get behind the plate on occasion.
“That is a special position,” House said of catching. “You have to give a kid credit who is willing to get back there and do that job, because it is one of the hardest jobs on the field.”
Southern returns and can also play shortstop while junior Ethan Busby (outfield), junior Parker Carlisle (second base), senior Brandon Lanier (third base), sophomore Zeke Floyd (outfield), and junior Robert Farmer III (outfield) also come back.
Carlisle was “plagued with some injuries” in the spring, as well as he was ill as the postseason neared.
Another stroke of luck went against now-junior Parker Pritchard, who broke his thumb in practice last spring.
“He was doing some hitting for us,” House said, “and playing good defense.”
Lanier is the lone senior on this fall’s team while House has 14 players, each of whom will, at least, be back again in 2025-26.
That lack of experience showed at times last spring. The Bulldogs lost five games by two or fewer runs.
South Pemiscot had strung together four consecutive winning records in fall baseball prior to the 2022 season. In the past two autumns, the Bulldogs have won a combined 10 games.
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