RAYMOND — Houston Case stormed into the third base dugout, upset at being pulled after hitting two batters, and slammed his glove to the ground with a frustrated shout.

His hat followed a moment later.

An inning after that, coach Sam Temple, annoyed at his players’ lack of intensity, offered some biting criticism to anyone who would listen.

All of this happened while Hinds was beating Southwest Mississippi by 10 runs.

When you’re chasing a national championship like the Eagles are, anything less than perfection just won’t do.

“It’s that way around here all the time,” Temple said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re up one run or a tie ballgame, or you’re up by 10. We’ve got jobs to do, and those jobs are just as important when you’re up 10 runs as they are up no runs.”

Hinds routed Southwest 13-3 on Saturday to sweep a best-of-three MACJC playoff series and advance to the four-team state tournament that begins Thursday in Raymond. It’ll host Meridian Community College Thursday at 6 p.m. in the first round of the double-elimination tournament.

Hinds is 38-5 overall and was ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA Division II poll for nearly a month. It’s ranked third in the latest poll. Winning the state championship is just the first goal on a long list of them.

After finishing as the national runner-up last year, the Eagles are eyeing a return trip to Enid, Oklahoma, in three weeks for the NJCAA World Series.

Achieving those lofty, but realistic, goals requires a certain edge that Temple has worked hard to instill in his team. He’s happy to praise his players when they do well, but also rides them to do better whenever he feels they’re slacking.

In early April, the Eagles were well on their way to a 15-1 win over Holmes when Temple called them together in the dugout during the fifth inning to point out some flaws.

On Saturday, it was a letdown in intensity that drew his ire. The Eagles scored nine runs in the bottom of the first inning to take firm control of the game, but leveled off toward the end.

An abrasive approach?

Perhaps.

An effective approach?

Absolutely, players said.

“It’s all criticism and you’ve got to take it how he gives it to you,” said Hinds catcher Hunter Austin, a former Warren Central star. “We could be up 22 runs, but if Temple ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.”

Temple’s goal, Austin added, was to create a competitive atmosphere and a feeling of being the underdog — even though the Eagles are heavy favorites this week to win their second state title in four years.

“We come into a game saying our backs are against the wall. But in all reality, we’re on top,” Austin said. “It’s always good because you’ve got that target on your back. You’re under pressure. Coach Temple has taught us not to break under that pressure, because we’re that clutch.”