RAYMOND – Their jerseys hang honorably in the dugout.

In spirit, at least, Drew Carlisle and Marc Basye remain a part of the 2006 Hinds Community College baseball team.

Carlisle, a big, strapping left-hander from Texas and Basye, a right-hander from Terry who was sitting out the season on a redshirt, were tragically killed in an automobile accident on I-20 near Bovina on March 17.

The two Eagle players were among three killed in a seven-car, chain-reaction accident on a foggy early morning.

In the aftermath, first-year Hinds coach Sam Temple had to find some way to put his emotionally shattered team back together. The former Warren Central coach has built a huge gallery of support in the Mississippi baseball coaching fraternity, but even they were at a loss.

&#8220From the very first hour and just about every hour after that, I was on the phone with coach (Mike) Kinnison,” Temple said of his long-time relationship with the current Delta State coach. &#8220There’s no doubt that I have a great fraternity of coaches behind me, but all them, to a coach, had never been through something like this.

&#8220Those kids were a part of our family and they still are.”

Thus the jerseys in the dugout. The maroon-colored No. 19 for Carlisle and the white No. 30 of Basye occupy the center-portion of the rack behind the Eagles bench. They are present for both home and away games.

&#8220They’re still part of the team and we bring them with us every day,” said Hinds first baseman Andrew Parrish. &#8220We’ve left their lockers exactly as it was and their jerseys are at every game.”

The Eagles have played 12 games since the deaths, going 6-6.

Zach Balthrop, a freshman infielder who played at Warren Central, said Carlisle and Basye, both sophomores, provided much of the team’s leadership. Carlisle, who the week before his death won his last decision at Vicksburg’s Bazinsky Field against Southwest, was considered the team’s ace.

&#8220It was tough the first week. Those two guys were pretty much the glue that held us together. They kept everybody up,” Balthrop said. &#8220The hardest part afterwards was trying to stay upbeat because Drew and Marc were a big reason why we enjoyed being on this team.”

The loss was equally devastating to Temple. He found comfort in the Bible, as well as the support of family, friends and his team. Having baseball to fall back on helped he and his team rally together, Temple said.

&#8220It’s the first time I have lost players like that. Instead of me holding the team together, it was the team that was holding me together,” Temple said. &#8220I found comfort in the Bible. And the Vicksburg churches did a tremendous job of lifting me and our players’ spirits up. We felt their strength and I, and the team, are really appreciative for their thoughts and prayers.

&#8220Baseball has had a way of uniting our players and getting back out here was good for us.”