The 2023 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, excitement abounds throughout the state. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across Mississippi.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Pearl, MS at Trustmark Park as they compete for a state championship, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams across the state as we preview individual teams across Mississippi. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews and by continuing other pieces of content covering the Magnolia State.

Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the state. Each week we will be releasing our players of the week, updating the Top 10 in each MHSAA classification as well as a Power 25. 

*Please note that all information is based on team preview questionnaires that were sent out and returned by the participating high school coaches.

High School Name: Riverside High School

Coach’s Name: Boo Ellis

Classification: MHSAA 2A

2022 Record: 19-6

District Number: District 3

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 7

No. of Returning Pitchers: 8

Team Strengths: Pitching

Top Returning Players:

• P/3B Jason Irion
• 1B Lucas Sims
• C/P Cody Polson

Top 2025 & 2026 Prospects:

• P Braxton Toten

Team Outlook:

The Riverside Bulldogs finished with a solid record of 19-6 in 2022, though ended the season with a first round loss to the Eupora Eagles in the 2A state playoffs. Coach Boo Ellis returns 7 positional starters and 8 arms from that roster and feels his pitching may help them advance further in 2023. 

Top returners for Riverside include senior Jason Irion (3B/RHP), junior Lucas Sims Jr. (1B/LHP), and freshman Cody Polson (C/RHP). Irion was stellar for the Bulldogs in 2022 with a .444 average, 4 HR’s, and 34 RBI’s. He was equally impressive on the mound picking up 9 wins with 78 strikeouts and a 1.80 ERA. Sims will be asked to repeat his solid 2022 season while Polson will once again handle the pitching staff from behind the plate. 

Another underclassmen that will be counted on is freshman Braxton Toten (RHP). Toten was 2-0 with a 3.15 ERA as an 8th grader a year ago. 

The Bulldogs will look to take their district in 2023 and head back to the playoffs as they compete with O'Bannon, Strayhorn, and Northside. 

 

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