Ever since he took over as Hinds Community College’s baseball coach, Sam Temple has worked to make the Wes Cliburn Classic a success.

Starting as a four-team tournament featuring mostly Mississippi teams in 2006, Temple’s goal was to transform the Classic into an event that would draw some of the top programs in the country and serve as a showcase for his program.

Wes Cliburn Classic

All games at Joe G. Moss Field in Raymond

Today

Northeast Mississippi vs. Hinds, Noon

Panola (Texas) vs.

NE Mississippi, 3 p.m.

Panola (Texas) vs.

Hinds, 6 p.m.

It took only five seasons for the dream to be realized.

The 2010 Wes Cliburn Classic starts today in Raymond and will feature 10 teams from four states. Among them are LSU-Eunice, the top-ranked team in the NJCAA’s Division II poll, as well as teams from Mississippi, Texas and Illinois. Hinds, with eight NCAA Division I signees in the lineup, was not ranked but did receive votes in the NJCAA poll.

The tournament will continue through Sunday in Raymond and at Mississippi College in Clinton.

“It’s definitely grown into one of the more premier junior college tournaments in the South,” Temple said. “Now it’s grown into a tournament everybody is trying to get into. We’ve had to turn people away.”

Growth hasn’t come without some sacrifices, however.

The tournament was held at Bazinsky Field the past four years. That site was a tool to show Hinds’ program to Vicksburg’s deep talent pool and as a thank you to the city from Temple, a Vicksburg native who coached Warren Central to the Class 5A championship in 2001.

It was also a bit of a necessity, since Hinds’ on-campus Joe G. Moss Field was undergoing renovations. With the work complete, Temple said it was time to move the tournament to Raymond and show off the Eagles’ new home. Raymond’s proximity to Mississippi College, about 10 miles up the road in Clinton, also allowed Temple to use that field and invite a few more teams.

“That was one of the bigger reasons for moving it, was we had gotten so big we needed two fields. Mississippi College being eight miles from us was a good fit,” Temple said. “And with all that we had done it was time to bring it to campus.”

No matter where it is, the Cliburn Classic is still a strong draw for recruits and recruiters from four-year schools. Temple said coaches from four-year schools enjoy being able to see some of the country’s top junior college talent assembled in one place, while playing against those type of teams shows potential recruits what they can expect by spending two years at Hinds.

“This tournament has helped many young men be recruited. It’s not even necessarily our team,” Temple said. “That recruiter may come in to see one young man from Panola (Texas) and see one of ours that he likes.”

With a smile, Temple added that it was a good opportunity for fans to see some quality baseball as well.

“There’s a pretty good baseball team right down the road with some pretty good talent. You’re going to be reading a lot about these guys a few years from now,” Temple said.

Contact Ernest Bowker at ebowker@vicksburgpost.com