EARLY VISIT TO FLORIDA AMONG HIGHLIGHTS OF NEMCC'S QUALITY BASEBALL SCHEDULE

Richy Harrelson has compiled one of the toughest schedules of his 10-year tenure as headman of the Tigers with 17 games vs. ranked teams.
Richy Harrelson has compiled one of the toughest schedules of his 10-year tenure as headman of the Tigers with 17 games vs. ranked teams.
Posted: Dec 20, 2024

BOONEVILLE, Miss. - The Northeast Mississippi Community College baseball team will put a few more miles on the bus this year after leaving the state just once all of last season.

 

A weekend trip to Florida in mid-February highlights the early portion of the Tigers' 2025 schedule, which features 15 home dates and 53 games overall.

 

"It's important to play good competition with the at-large bid we have now to get into the World Series," said Northeast head coach Richy Harrelson. "The more situations that we can put guys in to show them what it takes to win at a high level, the better off you're going to be when it gets playoff time."

 

Three of the Tigers' four games in the Sunshine State are against programs that finished in the top 10 of the final National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II poll during the previous campaign.

 

That includes two neutral site contests versus Heartland (Ill.) Community College, which was the preseason No. 1 ranked team in 2024, along with a true road test with national semifinalist St. Johns River State (Fla.) College.

 

Northeast has 17 total contests against rated opponents. Nine of them are at The Plex, including a three-game set with Parkland (Ill.) College from March 7-8 that concludes non-conference play for the Tigers.

 

The Tigers begin the new year by visiting Columbia State (Tenn.) Community College on Saturday, February 1. Northeast welcomes Olney Central (Ill.) College four days later for its home opener.

 

Northeast once again renewed its annual four-game series with both Kaskaskia (Ill.) College from February 21-22 and Wallace State (Ala.) Community College at Hanceville from March 1-2.

 

The Tigers will participate in three round robins featuring Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) members before the official start of the league slate during spring break.

 

One of those dates will take place on the Booneville campus as Northeast brings in Itawamba Community College and Northwest Mississippi Community College for a tripleheader on Wednesday, February 26.

 

The Tigers meet their archrivals again in conference doubleheaders. Northeast travels to the Indians on Wednesday, March 26 while the Rangers return to the City of Hospitality on April Fools' Day.

 

Eight of the last 12 regular season contests for the Tigers are on the road. Northeast has a playoff rematch with East Central Community College in the middle of that stretch on Friday, April 18.