Before the season began, the Hinds Community College coaching staff sat down with Hunter Bell and laid out their plan for his season.

The freshman outfielder probably wouldn’t play a lot this season. The team, which has 11 Division I signees on the roster, was loaded with talented sophomores. One of those is center fielder Quade Smith, who is ahead of Bell on the depth chart.

After laying out that harsh truth, the coaches gave Bell another one: Be ready, because your time might come.

That time is now.

Smith went down with a hip flexor injury a week ago and could be out as long as a month. Stepping into his spot in the starting lineup is Bell, a former Warren Central standout eager to prove himself and keep the top-ranked junior college team in the country from missing a beat.

“That’s a great opportunity. It’s one of the things I’ve worked for my whole life, to be a college baseball player. That dream came alive last Tuesday,” Bell said. “It set in as, I can be a part of something special and be a part of where we’re going.”

Until a week ago, Bell’s main goal was to practice, improve, and learn as much as he could from Smith. Although he’d obviously prefer to play, Bell said he understood and accepted his role as a backup.

And then, in an instant, it changed. Just before a doubleheader against Mississippi Gulf Coast on March 17, Smith was unable to go because of his injury. Bell got the call to start, after not even getting on the field in Hinds’ first 16 games of the season.

“There’s always that pressure to perform,” Bell said. “I just stepped into this role a couple of hours before game time and had to get ready. It’s a different level entirely from high school. A junior college fastball is not the same as a high school fastball.”

Bell hit .305 in his senior season at Warren Central, and looked as if he’d never missed a day when he took the field for the first time with Hinds. He went 2-for-4 with a run scored in game one of the doubleheader with Gulf Coast, and in game two he walked, stole a base, drove in a run and scored one as the Eagles won both games. On Friday, he helped the Eagles (17-1) beat Baton Rouge Community College 7-3.

Bell’s early success came as little surprise to Hinds coach Sam Temple.

“He’s a young man who has a great belief in himself. He’s a worker, a grinder, he’s coachable, brings a lot of energy,” Temple said. “He’s confident that he can get it done, and that’s what we’re looking for.”

Bell’s new mission is to continue his hot start for an extended period of time. Hinds is about a third of the way through its regular season schedule, and Smith is expected to miss 2 to 4 weeks. Smith will likely return to the lineup when he’s healthy, but Temple said it’s nice to have a player like Bell at the ready who can step in, do well, and give his starter the time he needs to fully heal.

“To have enough depth to deal with injuries or rest some guys to keep them from getting injured is crucial,” Temple said.

Bell said the relationship he’s built with Smith is a good one, and if it’s his turn to step aside he’ll do it and support his teammate the same way Smith supported him.

“Me and Quade have built such a great relationship. He’s always helping me and supporting me. Before that first game he gave me a little pat on the backside,” Bell said. “That meant a lot to me, knowing my teammates had my back.”