Awards roll in for Hinds

Published 10:25 am Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Hinds Community College didn’t win the grand prize of a trip to the NJCAA Division II World Series, but it did take home some nice parting gifts on Tuesday.

The Eagles had one player named All-Region XXIII, four picked for the first-team All-MACJC team, and eight more on the All-MACJC second team.

Hinds head coach Sam Temple, a Vicksburg native, was selected as the 2015 Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) Coach of the Year.

Sam Temple

Sam Temple

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It’s the fourth Coach of the Year honor for Temple. He won the state honor in 2010 and 2012, and was the South Region Coach of the Year in 2014.

Hinds finished the season 43-7 to set a school record for wins, and claimed its third MACJC championship in six seasons. It also spent seven weeks atop the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II poll. The No. 1 ranking was the first in school history.

This year’s success was built on a strong talent base. Thirteen players have either signed or committed to four-year schools, and most of them were honored with postseason awards on Tuesday.

Pitcher Randy Bell was the team’s lone All-Region selection, and he was also named to the All-State first team.

Bell, a sophomore right-hander and South Alabama signee from Woodville, finished a perfect 12-0 with a 2.37 ERA in 79 2/3 innings.

He was an All-State second team pick as a freshman in 2014 after leading the Eagles in wins (nine), innings pitched (81 1/3) and strikeouts (64).

Bell’s 21 career wins ties him for the school record with former major leaguer Pat Rapp (1986-1987).

Pitchers Houston Case and Austin Sanders, and infielder Jordan Washam were Hinds’ other All-State first team players.

Making the second team were pitchers Graham Ahlrich, Derek Martin and Casey Sutton; catcher Jonathan Washam; infielders Chase Lunceford, Matt Jones and Marshall Boggs; and designated hitter Tyler Cox.