[2/20/03]Blake Warnock knows the outfield at Bazinsky Field better than anyone.

For three years, he patrolled center field for St. Aloysius, learning every dip, divot, angle and wall the park had. After graduating last spring, he thought he had seen the last of it, though.

He was wrong.

Warnock, now a freshman center fielder for Mississippi College, will return to Vicksburg with the Choctaws when they play a weekend series at Bazinsky against Concordia (Ala.) College.

The teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday at 2 p.m., and may play a doubleheader on Sunday if the weather permits. A Friday doubleheader was postponed this morning because of the threat of rain.

“I didn’t think I’d ever play on that field again,” Warnock said with a chuckle. “When they said we were going back to Bazinsky Field and playing there, I couldn’t believe it … Hopefully some people will come out and watch it.”

The series was originally scheduled to be played in Clinton, but had to be moved because of drainage problems in the outfield of MC’s Frierson Field.

MC has previously played at Bazinsky when its field was unplayable, and the arrangement to play in Vicksburg again was made with a few phone calls. St. Aloysius was asked to switch a pair of games against Riverside and Greenville-St. Joe on Saturday from home to away, and the path was clear.

“Obviously, we’d prefer to play games at our own park. But just to do it for one weekend, we’re looking at it as a chance to showcase our program to the city of Vicksburg,” MC coach Lee Kuyrkendall said.

More rain is forecast for Friday, which might force Kuyrkendall and the Choctaws to postpone the series anyway. Vicksburg Parks and Recreation director Craig Upton said work crews would try to have the field playable on Saturday.

“It’s ready right now, but if it rains Friday we’ll have our crew out there Saturday morning,” Upton said.

That would be good news for Warnock, who was hoping to see some playing time this weekend. He isn’t penciled in as a starter, but Kuyrkendall said Warnock has been impressive in practice so far and would likely get into a couple of games against Concordia.

“He’s played very well in both fall and spring workouts,” Kuyrkendall said. “Since we’re just starting, we’ll probably play a lot of people. So he’ll get a litle bit of playing time.”