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Oxford native Chad Cregar of Western Kentucky talks with the media after Thursday's practice -- photo by Brandon Speck/theolemissnation.com

Someone thought it would be funny to heckle Western Kentucky’s Chad Cregar with chants of “Rebel Reject” from the student section as the Rebels led by six runs, but three innings later it was the former Oxford Charger that had the final laugh.

Western Kentucky scored nine runs over the final three innings on Sunday night to force a Oxford Regional final with host Ole Miss Monday at 7 p.m.

Jake Wells‘ solo home run in the top of the ninth inning completed a comeback that saw the Hilltoppers trail 9-3 with nine outs to play with.

Keep up with the Oxford Regional and everything Ole Miss with Brandon Speck at theolemissnation.com.

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Pontotoc Red Sox opened their American Legion season with a 5-4 road win over Dothan on Sunday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Jordan Moore (Delta State) took the mound for the Sox and gave up one run on no hits through four innings pitched.  Latham Brister (Houston HS) replaced Moore in the fifth to give up two runs before being knocked off the mound in the seventh by a line drive to his hand.  Latham’s twin brother Landon Brister (Houston HS) gave up one hit before collecting the final out of the inning to hold on for the one-run win.

Jake Smithy (Pontotoc HS) had a two-run home run, Daniel Tunnell (Northeast CC) had a three-run shot, and Moore doubled off the wall for the Sox.

Pontotoc (1-1) dropped the second game of the day 8-1 to host Tuscaloosa.

Thanks to Mrs. Michele Mize for the update.

Pontotoc will travel to Booneville on Tuesday for a double header scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. and will take on Union County on Wednesday with the time and location still to be determined.

Jessi Hayles (South Pontotoc) Coach Shane Montgomery and Laykn Nelson (North Pontotoc)

I just got finished uploaded my photos from the NEMBCA All-Star games this past Saturday in Booneville.

I dropped my prices so feel free to say thanks by ordering a boat load of pictures.

This story originally appeared at wtva.com

Mississippi State junior catcher Chelsea Bramlett has been named Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) First Team All-America for the third-straight year, the association announced Wednesday afternoon.

Bramlett has also been selected ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America second team catcher along with teammate Sammie Jo Bailey, who makes the third team.

Bramlett joins Kellie Wilkerson (1999-2002) as the only Bulldogs to receive NFCA all-America honors three times, but the Cordova, Tenn., native is the only MSU player to be named to the first team three straight years.

Bramlett was named an academic all-American for the second-straight year, making her and Kate Jaspers (2003-2004) the only Bulldogs to receive the honor on multiple occasions.

Bailey’s selection to the third team infield is her first academic all-America award.

Former Oxford High School standout Chad Cregar pulled the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (40-19) within 7-2 with a 2-run shot in the sixth and a two-run single by Matt Rice in the seventh cut the deficit to 7-4, but the Rebels (42-17) held on to win by the same margin to advance to Sunday’s 5:00 p.m. region championship game.

I had a chance to speak with Cregar after the Hilltoppers press conference on Thursday.

Keep up with the Oxford Regional and everything Ole Miss at theolemissnation.com.

BOONEVILLE — The surroundings didn’t scream all-star weekend, but the stellar play from the best-of-the-best from across Northeast Mississippi took care of the lack luster surroundings and sparse crowds of the the fifth annual Northeast Mississippi Basketball Coaches Association.

Players hit the hardwood with the home seating section covered in plastic and splotches of paint on the walls of mid-renovated Bonner Arnold Coliseum to break or tie thirteen NEMBCA records.

West All-Star DeAnna Thompson (Oxford) got the record breaking day started by setting the 3A/4A/5A girls record for most two-point field goals attempted with 21, most free throws attempts with 12, most rebounds with 21, and tied the record of most blocks with two, but it wasn’t enough as the East defeated the West 61-58 in the first game of the day.

East    13  13  11  24    61
West   16  14  13  15    58

East  — Anna Dill (Itawamba AHS) 14, Kierra Jones (Starkville) 14, Beth Hudson (Tishomingo County) 13, Tatum Lewis (Alcorn Central) 10, Brianna Fells (Shannon) 4, Katie Underwood (Nettleton) 2, Noel Prestage (Itawamba AHS) 2, Chelsey Whitaker (Alcorn Central) 2.

West — Thompson 29, Jessi Hayles (South Pontotoc) 12, Tiffany Pierce (Houston) 7, Lakyn Nelson (North Pontotoc) 6, Jacquelyn Carothers (Oxford) 4.

East All-Star Tyler Pritchard (Tishomingo County) set the 3A/4A/5A record for most three-pointers attempted with 10, tied the record for most assist with 4, set the record for most steals with five while West All-Star Evander Wofford (Houston) set the record for most steals with six as the West squeaked out a 66-64 win over the East.

West   14  12  26  14    66
East    14  12  15  23    64

East — Pritchard 14, Labrandon Scruggs (Corinth) 14, Alex Thornton (Shannon) 11, Cody Garrett (Alcorn Central) 8, Josey Pettigrew (Alcorn Central) 7, Justin Osbrin (Itawamba AHS) 6, Chris Fuse (Amory) 2, Roberto Grizzard (Booneville) 2.

West — Johnathon Ware (South Pontotoc) 14, Wofford 12, Tyrie Berry (Ripley) 12, Brandon White (New Albany) 10, Xavier Evans (Pontotoc) 8, Devon Shannon (Tupelo) 8, Willis Certion (Oxford) 2.

Amber Johnson (Pine Grove), Merica Turner (Baldwyn), Maggie Cobb (Ingomar), Amanda Jones (HW Byers) tied the 1A/2A girls record of most three pointers in the game with three each.  Ebony Williams (Calhoun City) set the record for most rebounds in the game record with 18 and tied the record for most blocks with two while Rachel Jones (HW Byers) set the record for most assist in the game with seven as the West thumped the East 83-48.

West   10  24  23  26   83
East    13  12  13  10   48

East — Johnson 13, Turner 9, Iyeshia Thomas (East Webster) 6, Alecia Bellew (Pine Grove) 6, Stephanie Dillard (East Union) 6, Shante Morton (Eupora) 5, Hannah Jackson (Falkner) 2, Kaley Allen (East Webster) 1.

West — Jones 17, Williams 17, Cobb 15, Symone Gorman (HW Byers) 15, Amanda Jones (HW Byers) 13, Ciara Seldon (HW Byers) 3, Megan Jackson (Walnut) 3.

East All-Star Jonathan Banks (East Webster) tied the 1A/2A boys record of most blocks in the game with three, but the game West as they drummed the East 103-68.

West   17  28  30  28    103
East    19  17  17  15       68

East — Andrew Shelton (Baldwyn) 19, Banks 10, Derek Joslin (Belmont) 10, Dylan Hill (Pine Grove) 10, Tyler Stricklin (New Site) 6, Dorian Berry (Baldwyn) 4, Lee Wilson (Wheeler) 3, Jabari Temple (Biggersville) 3,  JB Barnes (Mantachie) 3.

West — Shaunvanta Ingram (Bruce) 18, Tyler Reed (Hickory Flat) 17, TW Bryon (HW Byers) 14, Brandon Lawrence (Calhoun City) 13, Fred Jones (HW Byers) 11, Deandre Allen (Houlka) 9, Tony Hill (Ashland) 8, Justin Jordan (Myrtle) 8, Sergio Prescott (Vardaman) 3.

This story originally appeared at wtva.com

Former Mississippi State standout Mitch Moreland of Amory has been promoted to the Texas Rangers’ Class AA Frisco RoughRiders after a sizzling start to his 2009 professional baseball season with the Bakersfield Blaze in the California League.

The first baseman/outfielder played at State from 2005 to 2007 and was hitting at a .341 clip with 19 doubles, eight home runs and 26 RBI before getting called up.

Moreland went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in his Wednesday night debut with the RoughRiders, who defeated Tulsa 6-0.

The inaugural class of the Northeast MS High School Basketball Hall of Fame will be honored today with an induction ceremony at 12:30 p.m. at the Bonner Arnold Coliseum.

Sam Richey (Mantachie, Ripley), Malcolm Kuykendall (Belmont, Pine Grove), Harvey Childers (Ripley, New Albany), Zane Hale (North Pontotoc), Robert Hooker (South Pontotoc) and Gerald Caveness Sr. (New Site) make up the first class to be inducted into the newly established hall of fame.

List of today’s games.

1:00 p.m. — 3A/4A/5A Girls
2:30 p.m. — 3A/4A/5A Boys
4:00 p.m. — 1A/2A Girls
5:30 p.m. — 1A/2A Boys

Brandon Speck has been busy at his new sports blog The Sports Lash with Brandon Speck

One of the many stories he has posted recently is that of Nettleton’s boys basketball coach Grant Gardner confirming he will be the Nettleton’s girls basketball coach next season.

Here is the link to the story: Nettleton’s Gardner to coach Lady Tigers

Also on The Sports Lash

Nettleton’s Kimmy Nicholson has committed to play fastpitch for coach Chad Case at ICC next season.

Also committing is Amory pitcher Rebecca Rogers, a hard-throwing righty, who was the goalie for the Lady Panthers as well.

Both players are expected to sign as soon as next week.

Chrisitan Brothers’ standout coming to Booneville

Northeast Mississippi Community College head baseball coach Kent Farris has announced that Christian Brothers (Tenn.) High School standout Blake Powell will join the Tiger baseball team in 2009-10.

Powell, a left-handed pitcher, led Christian Brothers to a 33-10 record in 2009 and a spot in the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association (TSSAA) Class AA semifinals at the Division II State Baseball Tournament.

During the 2009 season, Powell pieced together a 5-1 record for the Purple Wave and averaged over a strikeout per inning, fanning 54 batters in 52 innings pitched.

Powell registered a 1.98 earned run average in 2009 and only walked 16 batters during the year.

Kelly Powell, Blake’s father, was a standout quarterback at the University of Mississippi, and the younger Powell was coached at Christian Brothers High School by Buster Kelso.

Hernando’s Robin Franks joins Lady Tigers’ softball team

Northeast Mississippi Community College head softball coach Jody Long has announced that Hernando High School standout Robin Franks will join the Lady Tiger softball team in 2009-10.

Franks, a centerfielder, played 18 games for the Lady Tigers in 2009 without committing an error and registered a .306 batting average her senior year.

Franks also led Hernando in stolen bases while being named to the second team of the All Chickasaw Conference in 2009.