Sometimes, there just aren’t any deep philosophical issues to rant or ruminate on. Everything is mellow and not just because it’s 4/20.

So, without further ado, here’s a few local notes, missives and stray thoughts for a sleepy yet busy Thursday:

• Because of the threat of rain across Mississippi on Saturday, the schedule for the MHSAA baseball and softball playoffs has been moved up a day.

Warren Central and Callaway, and Vicksburg and Grenada will play their baseball series on a Thursday-Friday-Monday schedule. WC is at home Thursday at 6 p.m. and plays Callaway at Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson Friday at 4. VHS is away Thursday and home Friday, with both games at 6 p.m.

Vicksburg and Center Hill softball will play Thursday at 6 at Center Hill and Friday at Vicksburg at 4 p.m.
Warren Central is still playing Game 1 of its Class 6A softball series with Olive Branch at 6 p.m. Friday at Lucy Young Field, but Games 2 and 3 will now be played as a Monday doubleheader at Olive Branch beginning at 4 p.m.

• The search for Vicksburg High’s next football coach is in the final stages. A new coach should be recommended in time for the next Vicksburg Warren School District board meeting next Thursday.

• Speaking of April 20, have you ever noticed how much bad stuff happens this time of year? Between April 15 and 20 is one of the most evil times of year.

Among the bad historical stuff that has happened this week: Abraham Lincoln’s assassination; the Titanic sinking; the 1906 San Francisco earthquake; the 1993 fire at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco; the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing; the 1999 school massacre in Littleton, Colorado; and Adolf Hitler’s birthday.

It’s also the week when the Revolutionary War started in 1775 and the Doolittle Raid — our first strike back at Japan during World War II — was launched in 1942, so it wasn’t all bad. Just mostly bad.

• Finally, baseball and softball season are winding down but the first hints of football are already in the air. Warren Central and Vicksburg High have both started spring practice this week.

Warren Central’s spring game is May 11 at Brandon. Vicksburg will face St. Martin in a spring jamboree at Mississippi College on May 13. Before long we’ll be sweating buckets at the Red Carpet Bowl.
As fun as that is, I’m going to take some time and savor the last couple of weeks of baseball season.

•

Ernest Bowker is a sports writer for The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at ernest.bowker@vicksburgpost.com