M-Braves return to the field after 612 days away

Published 7:27 am Thursday, May 6, 2021

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Mississippi Braves players stand at attention during the national anthem prior to Wednesday's season opener against Pensacola. It was the M-Braves' first game since Sept. 2, 2019, after the entire 2020 season canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

The scoreboard at Trustmark Park shows the matchup for Wednesday's season opener. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves players greet each other on the first base line at Trustmark Park before Wednesday's season opener against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Pensacola's Zachary Owings (19) runs out of the dugout during player introductions before Wednesday's season opener against the Mississippi Braves at Trustmark Park. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Pensacola Blue Wahoos players greet each other on the first base line at Trustmark Park before Wednesday's season opener against the Mississippi Braves. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves fans, fromleft, Lyle Eaves, Reese Carpenter and Stacy Eaves stand for the national anthem before the start of Wednesday's game against Pensacola at Trustmark Park. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves coaches Devon Travis, Einar Diaz and Wyatt Toregas stand for the national anthem before Wednesday's season opener against Pensacola. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves fans stand for the national anthem before the start of Wednesday's season opener against Pensacola. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves manager Wyatt Toregas (35) talks with first baseman Gresyon Jenista before the team's season opener against Pensacola on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves manager Wyatt Toregas (35) and Pensacola manager Kevin Randel exchange lineup cards at home plate before the season opener Wednesday at Trustmark Park. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves pitcher Hayden Deal throws the first pitch of the 2021 season Wednesday at Trustmark Park. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Pensacola's Victor Victor Mesa (1) crosses home plate with the first run of the 2021 season Wednesday against the Mississippi Braves at Trustmark Park. Mesa led off the game with a triple and scored on a single by J.J. Bleday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

A young fan takes a picture with Mississippi Braves mascot Pearl during Wednesday's season opener at Trustmark Park. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves mascots Pearl, left, and Froogle clown around on the concourse during the team's 2021 season opener Wednesday against Pensacola. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves leadoff batter Justin Dean watches the first pitch come across the plate in the 2021 season opener against Pensacola Wednesday at Trustmark Park. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves players and coaches sit in the bullpen at Trustmark Park during Wednesday's game against Pensacola. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves first baseman Greyson Jenista bats in the third inning Wednesday against Pensacola. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves player Tyler Neslony waits on deck in the third inning of Wednesday's season opener against Pensacola. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Pensacola's Jerar Encarnacion bats in the third inning of Wednesday's game against the Mississippi Braves. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves catcher Shea Langeliers blocks a pitch in the dirt during the season opener against Pensacola on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves third baseman C.J. Alexander catches a pop up Wednesday against Pensacola. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves catcher Shea Langeliers bats during the season opener against Pensacola on Wednesday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves player Braden Shewmake picks up a loose baseball Wednesday against Pensacola. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves fans watch the team's season opener against Pensacola. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Pensacola's J.J. Bleday (21) leads off first base as Mississippi's Greyson Jinesta tries to hold him on during Wednesday's season opener. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Mississippi Braves fans, fromleft, Lyle Eaves, Reese Carpenter and Stacy Eaves await the start of Wednesday's game against Pensacola at Trustmark Park. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

PEARL — For 612 days, Trustmark Park has been a movie theater, golf course and COVID-19 testing and vaccination site.

On Wednesday, at long last, it was once again a baseball stadium.

The Mississippi Braves played their first game since Sept. 2, 2019, when they opened the 2021 Double-A baseball season against Pensacola. While plenty of vestiges of the COVID-19 pandemic that canceled the entire 2020 season remained — fans wore face masks, and the national anthem and first pitch were taped hours before the game and shown on the video board — it was another big step in emerging from a long national nightmare.

An announced crowd of 2,307 watched Pensacola beat the M-Braves 2-1. Pensacola starting pitcher Max Meyer, the third overall pick in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft, pitched five shutout innings and allowed only one hit. He carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning before Jefrey Ramos broke it up with a one-out single, and finished with five strikeouts.

It didn’t take long for Pensacola, the Miami Marlins’ Double-A affiliate, to score its first run of the season. Victor Victor Mesa led off the game by reaching on a three-base error to right field, and then scored when the next batter, J.J. Bleday, blooped a single to center.

Nick Fortes opened the second inning with a double for the Wahoos and scored two batters later on a single from designated hitter Lazaro Alonso to make it 2-0.

M-Braves starter Hayden Deal settled in from there, and did not allow another run before exiting after five innings. Three relievers followed him and also kept the Wahoos off the scoreboard. Unfortunately, the M-Braves weren’t able to muster much offense to back them. A solo home run by Jalen Miller in the sixth inning accounted for their only run.

The Braves put two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth with two outs on a single by Trey Harris and walk to Shea Langeliers, but C.J. Alexander grounded out to end the game.

Wednesday’s game was the first of six this week between the M-Braves and Blue Wahoos. The teams will play a doubleheader Thursday beginning at 5:35 p.m. — both games are scheduled for seven innings — after Tuesday’s game was rained out.

Thursday marks the first “Thirsty Thursday” of the season with 16-ounce beers and soft drinks on sale for $2. The first 1,000 fans will also receive a 2021 magnetic schedule.

The series continues through Sunday at Trustmark Park. Friday’s game will begin at 6:35 p.m., Saturday’s at 6:05, and Sunday’s at 2:05. Promotions for the weekend include a sports socks giveaway on Friday, postgame fireworks on Saturday night, and a Mother’s Day flowers giveaway to the first 200 mothers in attendance on Sunday.

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

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