Porters Chapel coach Randy Wright and the Eagles will shoot for their second state championship in as many years. (Jon GiffinThe Vicksburg Post)

[2/20/04]The ring is the thing.

It sits on Randy Wright’s right hand, a miniature state championship trophy in itself. The blue stone serves as a reminder of eight years of hard work, and the shiny gold the sacrifices it took to earn not just the ring, but the right to wear it.

Wright wears it proudly, as do most members of his Porters Chapel Academy baseball team. Although it’s the ultimate accomplishment, and one that few people ever achieve, it’s not entirely complete.

They want to turn the ring into a set.

The Eagles enter the 2004 season as the defending Academy-A state champions. For the first time since Wright took over the program nine years ago they are the hunted instead of the hunters, but they aren’t about to give up their crown without a fight.

PCA has five starters returning from last year’s team, a pair of transfers that shored up some holes in the lineup, and several newcomers that will make them a heavy favorite to repeat.

“We are thrilled to have a target on our back,” Wright said. “That was the goal since I’ve been here, to get the program in a position to have a target on our back, and it’s a great feeling.”

Wright feels a lot better after he takes a look at his lineup.

Humphrey Barlow, who hit .445 with nine home runs and a team-best 45 RBIs last season, returns to play first and third base. Outfielders Gerald Mims and Michael Shinn, and infielder Chip Lofton are also back.

So is pitcher Ryan Hoben, who threw a one-hit shutout in Game 3 of the state championship series against Heidelberg and earned the Vicksburg Post’s Player of the Year award. He sprained his ankle in PCA’s last basketball game, and may miss some starts early in the season. Even if he can’t go, the Eagles still boast a solid rotation.

Justin Boler transferred in from Vicksburg High along with catcher Rob Quimby. Boler went 5-1 for VHS last season, with a 3.69 ERA in 36 innings. The No. 3 man in the rotation, freshman Michael Busby, could be a No. 1 on most teams. The 14-year-old phenom has an 85 mph fastball that he consistently throws for strikes, and plenty of experience from pitching for tournament teams over the years. Josh Gain and Dan Ivey round out the staff.

“Michael has got a chance to be great. He has a live arm, he locates the ball extremely well, and he has a lot of big-game experience,” Wright said, adding that the pitching staff is the team’s strong point. “We have five guys that could play for anybody. I’m excited about seeing them step on the mound and do their thing.”

Because of the deep pitching staff, PCA’s infield will resemble a game of musical chairs. Five starters Lofton, Busby, Hoben, Boler and Barlow will rotate positions based on that day’s pitcher. The outfield is a little more stable, with Gain in left, Mims in center and Shinn in right.

The depth and strength of the Eagles’ pitching staff may overshadow the team’s offensive punch. PCA had a .368 team batting average and scored 9.6 runs per game