The game of baseball can be a cruel and fickle mistress.

One minute, you’re on top of the world. The ball looks like a beach ball and you’re swinging a boat oar. You can’t miss.

Two days later, those superpowers vanish and you’re just another schlub mired in an 0-for-20 streak.

It works the other way, too. It’s how guys like former Marlins journeyman infielder Luis Castillo go on 35-game hitting streaks and wind up being taken 10 rounds too high in fantasy baseball drafts for the next five years.

Within the game, it’s shrugged off with the saying, “That’s baseball.”

It’s a bit simplistic, but is meant to convey the idea that —much like life — you never quite know what the next day will bring. Warren County’s baseball fans don’t have to look far to see the truth and wisdom in it.

On the college level, both Ole Miss and Mississippi State have seen their fortunes change dramatically and, seemingly, overnight.

Ole Miss was coming off its first College World Series appearance in 42 years and had high hopes for this season. It’s hovering around .500 heading into this weekend’s SEC series against Tennessee and needs a big-time turnaround to even make the NCAA Tournament.

Mississippi State, meanwhile, was undefeated in February, but went 6-12 in March. The Bulldogs also need to solve some issues if they’re going to do anything in the postseason.

Our local high school teams have also seen some seismic shifts in the course of their seasons.

Warren Central and St. Aloysius both had promising starts, but have also had some uneven patches here and there. WC suffered a deflating loss to Clinton last week and had to scuffle to get by Greenville on Tuesday. St. Al, a team that appears to have the talent to contend for the Class 1A championship, has lost four out of five.

It’s not all bad, though.

Vicksburg High and Porters Chapel Academy were both floundering until mid-March. They were surrounded by the type of negativity that often accompanies struggling teams — self-doubt, some squabbling, some finger-pointing.

Yet, somehow, both have done 180-degree turns in the last two weeks. Vicksburg has scored 54 runs during a four-game winning streak and is right back in a position to challenge Pearl for the Division 4-5A title. PCA has scored 110 runs while winning seven of eight and is on course to win the MAIS District 5-A championship.

After closely watching Vicksburg over the past week, it’s obvious whatever negativity was there three weeks ago is gone. The Gators were laughing, cheering, even chanting in the dugout during Tuesday’s 10-0 win over Callaway.

That’s the magic of baseball. Much like the winter weather in Mississippi, if you don’t like it just wait 10 minutes. It’ll probably change. Hot streaks come and go, as do cold streaks. Nothing lasts forever.

It can be fickle and cruel, or joyous and uplifting.

Now that, my friends, is baseball.

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Ernest Bowker is a sports writer. He can be reached at 601-619-7120, or by email at ernest.bowker@vicksburgpost.com