For Mount Vernon baseball, the past week has been pretty much The Return of the MAC (Mississippi Athletic Conference).
The Mustangs split four games with Davenport schools over the Fourth of July weekend.
Mount Vernon (18-16) split a twinbill with Davenport North on Wednesday, July 3, at Ash Park. Losing 5-4 and winning 4-3.
Then Saturday, July 6, Mount Vernon lost to Davenport West, 4-1, at West High School, and beat Davenport Central 10-2 later that day at Brady Street Stadium.
“It felt good,” Mount Vernon coach Charles Chatman said. “We came out of it healthy and got a chance to play a lot of guys. And we played some good baseball in the process. Good all the way around.”
Against North, in the first game, Cael Foreman pitched seven innings, giving up five hits and four walks. The Mustangs only had five hits, with Jase Jaspers hitting a single and a double.
In the win over North, Garet Swartzendruber pitched six-plus strong innings, and Kellen Haverback got the final two outs and the win.
The Mustangs had eight hits, led by Eric Lamb, who was 3-of-4 with two doubles. Michael Ryan had two hits, including a double, and Haverback had two hits.
In the loss to Davenport West, Jase Jaspers took the pitching loss. Mount Vernon managed just three hits. Ethan Wood had a double.
The Mustangs were more productive against Central. Sophomore Landon Wilson pitched a complete game, scattering seven hits. Mount Vernon had 12 hits, led by Colin Bentley who was 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, and three RBIs. Eric Lamb also hit a home run.
“It is always nice to challenge ourselves against 4A schools,” Chatman said. “We broke out against Central to close out the weekend.”
The Mustangs started the week with a 10-6 victory over Cascade on Monday, July 1, at Ash Park.
Wilson got the pitching win, going four innings in relief of Wood. Swartzendruber pitched one inning of relief.
The Mustangs had 10 hits, all singles. Jaspers was 3-for-4 and Swartzendruber and Tait Rentschler each had two hits.
“We came into this week trying to get healthy,” Chatman said. “We sat a few starters and let some other guys play.”
After a non-conference game Tuesday, July 9, against Cedar Rapids Xavier, the Mustangs begin the Class 3A postseason by hosting West Delaware (11-22) on Friday, July 12, at Ash Park.
It is the third straight year the two teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs. They split a doubleheader back on June 27.
“Familiarity isn’t always the best thing when trying to advance yourself,” Chatman said. “You hope it favors you.
“We haven’t hosted a substate game in a really long time. And our first winning record in a while. We’ve checked some boxes.”
Mount Vernon is 18-16, set to finish over .500 for the first time in five years (since 2019, 18-15). The last time they hosted a playoff game was 2018.
“We’ve got as good of shot as anybody,” Chatman said. “We get to play a home game.”