Photo Gallery: Warren Central wins the North State championship
Published 12:58 am Sunday, May 12, 2024
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Warren Central's baseball team celebrates after beating Center Hill 5-0 on Saturday to win the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship. The Vikings advanced to the state championship series for the first time since 2001. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Warren Central baseball coaches Jake Parker, Derrick Dewald and Jace Leachman go over the scouting report for Center Hill before Game 2 of the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship series on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Warren Central's Ryan Nelson is greeted by his teammates during introductions before Game 2 of the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship series against Center Hill on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Warren Central's baseball team stands at attention for the national anthem before Game 2 of the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship series against Center Hill on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Warren Central's baseball team stands at attention for the national anthem before Game 2 of the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship series against Center Hill on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Warren Central's Brooks Willoughby throws a pitch during Game 2 of the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship series against Center Hill on Saturday. Willoughby threw a no-hitter to lead the Vikings to a 5-0, series-clinching victory. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Warren Central catcher Jack Esparza gets a new baseball from the home plate umpire during Game 2 of the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship series against Center Hill on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Warren Central's Brooks Willoughby throws a pitch during Game 2 of the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship series against Center Hill on Saturday. Willoughby threw a no-hitter to lead the Vikings to a 5-0, series-clinching victory. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Warren Central's Maddox Lynch hits the baseball during Game 2 of the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship series against Center Hill on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Warren Central first baseman Lester Martin tracks a foul pop up during Game 2 of the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship series against Center Hill on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Warren Central's Ryan Nelson dives safely back to first base as Center Hill's Kyle Erwin makes a late tag on a pickoff play during Game 2 of the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship series on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Warren Central baseball fans cheer on their team during Game 2 of the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship series against Center Hill on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Warren Central baseball fans light off a couple of smoke bombs to celebrate the team's 5-0 victory over Center Hill to win the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Warren Central's Charlie Roberts slides across home plate to score a run during Game 2 of the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship series against Center Hill on Saturday. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Warren Central's baseball team celebrates after beating Center Hill to win the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship. The Vikings will play in the Class 6A championship series against George County on May 22 and 24. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
Warren Central baseball coach Randy Broome talks to his team after they beat Center Hill 5-0 on Saturday to win the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship. The Vikings advanced to their first state championship series since 2001. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)
For the first time in 23 years, Warren Central will play for a baseball state championship.
The Vikings defeated Center Hill 5-0 on Saturday to complete a two-game sweep of the MHSAA Class 6A North State championship series and advance to the state finals May 22-25 at Trustmark Park in Pearl.
Senior left-hander Brooks Willoughby, a Southern Miss signee, threw a no-hitter in the North State clincher. He finished with eight strikeouts, including the final batter of the game to send the Vikings on to the next round.
Willoughby’s gem was the third shutout thrown by a Warren Central pitcher in six playoff games. The Vikings (19-11) have won 12 of their last 13 games overall.
“Great, great, great performance. We seem to have had a few of those during this run and we’re going to need a few more,” Warren Central coach Randy Broome said.
Warren Central will play either Pearl River Central or George County in the Class 6A championship series. Those teams will play a deciding Game 3 for the South State title on Monday.
Game 1 of the Class 6A finals are Wednesday, May 22, at 4 p.m. at Trustmark Park. Game 2 is Friday, May 24, and 4 p.m.; and if Game 3 is necessary it will be on Saturday, May 25 at a time to be determined.
“I’m so proud of our coaches and our student-athletes. They are the epitome of what we stand for as an athletic department and I couldn’t be more proud of what they are about to experience,” Vicksburg Warren School District athletics director James Lewis said. “They represent us well. We thank our fans for coming out tonight. We thank our city for supporting us.”
Enjoy this selection of photos from the Vikings’ North State-clinching victory against Center Hill, and follow us for more coverage on the road to the state championship.
About Ernest Bowker
Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.
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