Road to Pearl: Booneville Blue Devils Set for 3A State Championship Showdown at Trustmark Park

Written By: Carter Smith

PEARL, MS

The road to Pearl is officially complete for the Booneville Blue Devils. After battling through one of the toughest playoff paths in Class 3A baseball, Booneville now stands just two wins away from another state championship as the Blue Devils prepare to face Presbyterian Christian School in the MHSAA 3A State Championship Series at Trustmark Park.

The championship series will take place at the former home of the Mississippi Braves and the current home of the Mississippi Mud Monsters in Pearl, Mississippi.

Booneville enters the state championship with a 20-13 overall record and an impressive 8-1 mark in the postseason. The North Half Champions have caught fire at the perfect time and have arguably played the toughest road of any team remaining in the playoffs.

The Blue Devils opened postseason play with a first-round series win over North Panola before knocking off three consecutive No. 1 seeds — defeating Yazoo County in round two, Nettleton in the third round, and division rival Kossuth in the North Half Championship Series.

What has separated Booneville throughout the postseason has been its dominance on the mound. Through nine playoff games, the Blue Devils have allowed only 27 total runs while consistently shutting down some of the top offenses in Class 3A baseball.

Leading the charge has been junior ace Knox Houston, who has emerged as one of the premier pitchers in North Mississippi. Houston, who already holds an offer from Northeast Mississippi Community College, carries a 1.86 ERA into the state championship series. The right-hander is 6-0 on the season, has pitched 52 2/3 innings, and has struck out 54 batters.

Houston delivered one of the most dominant performances of the postseason in Game 1 of the North Half Championship against Kossuth, throwing a complete-game one-hit shutout to give Booneville a crucial opening victory in the series.

Booneville has also received tremendous performances from John Greyson Pharr, who has stepped up in some of the biggest moments of the postseason. Pharr tossed a complete-game victory in Booneville’s decisive Game 3 win over Nettleton in the third round and later returned to throw 6 1/3 strong innings against Kossuth in Game 2 to clinch Booneville’s trip to Pearl.

Offensively, Booneville’s senior class has delivered timely hits throughout the playoff run.

Senior catcher Jacob Matthews, a Northeast Mississippi Community College signee, enters the championship series hitting an outstanding .454 on the season and has consistently provided big at-bats in key situations.

Senior second baseman Jack Sandlin has also been one of the Blue Devils’ top offensive weapons with a .437 batting average, while senior left fielder and pitcher Cade Lott — another Northeast Mississippi Community College signee — carries a .311 batting average into the finals.

Senior centerfielder Porter Tapp has also delivered important moments throughout the postseason as Booneville’s veteran lineup continues to find ways to manufacture runs when needed most.

The trip to Pearl marks Booneville’s first appearance in the state championship series since 2021 when the Blue Devils captured the MHSAA 3A State Championship against Magee.

In that memorable series, Booneville dropped Game 1 by a score of 6-3 before battling back to win Game 2 by a 4-2 final to force a decisive Game 3. The Blue Devils then exploded offensively in the winner-take-all finale, defeating Magee 12-4 to bring the state championship trophy back to Booneville.

Standing in Booneville’s way this season is a new face in the MHSAA ranks.

Presbyterian Christian School out of Hattiesburg is competing in its first season in the MHSAA and has quickly established itself as one of the top programs in Class 3A baseball.

The Bobcats enter the championship series with a stellar 27-6 overall record and, like Booneville, carry an 8-1 postseason record into Pearl.

The No. 1 seed out of Region 8-3A opened the playoffs with a first-round series win over Jefferson County before surviving a tough three-game battle against St. Andrews in round two. Presbyterian Christian then defeated Pisgah in the third round and West Marion in the South Half Championship Series to earn the program’s first-ever trip to the state finals.

Much like Booneville, Presbyterian Christian has relied heavily on dominant pitching throughout the postseason.

The Bobcats feature one of the deepest pitching staffs in Class 3A led by standout arms Seth Hataway, Bankston Walters, and Tyner Flynt.

Hataway enters the series with a 2.06 ERA, 41 strikeouts, and only 11 earned runs allowed this season.

Walters has been nearly unhittable for the Bobcats, posting a 0.34 ERA while going 9-3 on the mound with 121 strikeouts and only three earned runs surrendered all season. Walters also leads the team offensively with six home runs.

Flynt has also dominated opposing hitters with a 0.43 ERA, a perfect 7-0 record, and 88 strikeouts across 49 1/3 innings pitched.

Offensively, Reed Bridges leads Presbyterian Christian with a .409 batting average entering the championship series.

The matchup between Booneville and Presbyterian Christian will mark the first-ever meeting between the two schools and guarantees that one program will leave Pearl with history.

For Booneville, it would mean bringing another state championship trophy back to Northeast Mississippi.

For Presbyterian Christian, it would mean capturing a state title in the program’s first season competing in the MHSAA.

The MHSAA 3A State Championship Series schedule is as follows:

• Game 1 — Wednesday, May 20 at 4:00 PM
• Game 2 — Friday, May 22 at 4:00 PM
• Game 3 (if necessary) — TBD

All games will feature a free audio-only broadcast with the Voices of the Blue Devils, Carter Smith and Jody Presley.