Northwest Rankin wins first baseball championship since 2005

PEARL — Ryan Herbison hadn’t started a game all season until Sunday. The senior was used primarily as a closer for Northwest Rankin. He had four saves and 31 strikeouts in 13 appearances this year.

However, Herbison was thrust into a starting role for the Cougars in Game 3 of the MHSAA Class 6A championship against DeSoto Central on Sunday. Herbison — with a 0.00 ERA in 16⅔ innings — told coach K.K. Aldridge before the game that the Cougars wouldn’t need a reliever in the series clincher. He was prepared to go all the way.

“I’m a closer,” Herbison said. “I don’t usually start every game, but I had it in my mind I’m going as long as I can.

“I go in there (and) give it all I got, and it just unfolded.”

Herbison had a complete game with five strikeouts and allowed eight hits in Northwest Rankin’s 3-2 victory at Trustmark Park. The Cougars (34-3) avenged last season’s state championship loss to Madison Central with their first title since 2005.

“I’m just so proud of my guys,” Aldridge said. “They just put forth effort and constantly answered and answered and competed their tails off all year. I’m glad to see them be able to reap the rewards of their hard work and complete the tour.

“We said all along nobody is going to make it easy for us and sometimes I guess we didn’t make it easy for ourselves. But we always had the resiliency to fight back.”

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The Jaguars (22-12) struck first with a two-out triple from junior Ryan Moore followed by an RBI single from senior Kristian Sprawling in the second. Northwest Rankin evened the score 1-1 with senior Christian Cameron stealing home on a wild pitch in the bottom of the second.

The Cougars took their first lead behind a two-out RBI double from Southern Miss signee Nick Monistere. The senior was named MVP of the series and had four RBIs in three games.

“They handed it to us pretty good (Saturday), and today we came out and had some timely hits,” Monistere said. “Their guy on the mound was good again today, so we just had to string hits together, and Ryan just threw an absolute gem of a game.”

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Herbison came up huge again in the sixth inning with the score tied at 2. Herbison had a 3-2 count with the bases loaded and two out when he hit a line drive to third base. Moore was able to field it cleanly, but his throw was wide, allowing Herbison to reach first safely and drive home the game-winning run.

“I’m just running down the line and I slide into first,” Herbison said. “I didn’t know if I was going to make it or not, but I checked in and he overthrew it, so luckily we scored that run.

“I knew we were winning right then and there.”

DeSoto Central finished one win shy of the program’s third title in the past five years.

“Easily one of the most resilient groups that have come through DeSoto Central,” coach Mark Monaghan said. “Just says a lot about their character, a lot about the families that they come from. I couldn’t be more proud of the teams that have come before them and the foundation that they’re laying for teams in the future.”

Northwest Rankin claimed its second championship in program history. The Cougars have won 61 games over the past two seasons.

“We are some bottom-of-the-line, country Mississippi boys,” Herbison said. “You won’t ever get the best of us. We’re going to keep on going.

“(Saturday), that was a blowout, but we come back and bounce back. That’s just how we are.”

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Northwest Rankin beats DeSoto Central for first state title since 2005