RAYMOND — An improved bullpen could propel the Hinds Community College baseball team into postseason play this season.

Fourth-year Hinds coach Sam Temple said Thursday that the Eagles now have the pitching depth to compete for the MJCAA title in May. Temple and his Eagles will get a quick gauge on where they stand when they open the 2009 season tonight against two-time NJCAA national champion LSU-Eunice in Eunice, La.

“I really feel I’ve now got options out of the bullpen,” said Temple, a former Porters Chapel Academy player who coached Warren Central to the Class 5A state title in 2001. “We now have the model that I’ve been looking for. The first year, we winged it, but now we’ve gotten a lot of big, strong kids.”

In his first year at Hinds, Temple went 15-29. In 2007, the Eagles improved to 27-15 when Temple brought in a recruiting class that featured four players from Warren Central. The Eagles were 29-20 last year.

“I feel like we’ve gotten a lot out of the last two years. To be several games over .500 with the schedule we play says a lot,” Temple said.

Then there are the facility improvements. Joe Moss Field has been completely redone, with brick dugouts and a brick-based backstop ringing the stands. A new indoor batting cage is under construction in left field.

The big challenge for Temple will be replacing his starting pitching staff and the four former All-Warren County players that transferred to four-year schools. Josh Gordon, one of the team’s top power hitters in 2008, is now a likely starter at Delta State. Jonathan Ettinger went to Louisiana College while Nick Carson is at Alcorn State and Eric Douglas is at Division I Nicholls State.

“Those guys did a lot for us, but I feel pretty good about our bats. We can hit. We’ve got one of the best shortstops in the league back in Mark Buchanan (.422) and Shane Bennett (.364) has already signed with Delta State.

“My starting pitching, though, is still up in the air. I’ve got to massage that well, early, especially with these three games with LSU-Eunice,” he said.

Temple has projected Southeastern Louisiana transfer Zack Kelt as his opening night starter. Connor Butts, who was the ace of Terry’s strong 5A team last year, is the No. 2 and Bennett will be the No. 3 starter.

It’s in the pen where Temple feels he can now go and get complimentary arms.

“Josh Clarke, who a lot of Vicksburg fans know from Clinton, is with us. And we’ve also got Stephen Byrd, a slider specialist from Pearl,” Temple said.

Former Porters Chapel pitcher Matt Cranfield will start his freshman season in the bullpen. Cranfield went 12-1 for Randy Wright’s team.

“Matt’s doing well. His arm was sore for a lot of the fall, but he threw well last week. We need him to come along and possibly be one of our starters, but for right now, he’ll be in the bullpen,” Temple said.

Vicksburg fans will again get to see the Eagles play at Bazinsky Field four times in early March in the Cliburn Tournament.

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Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com