After a rough 2012 that kept Pearl River Community College out of post-season play, the Wildcats weren’t sure what the future held.
But when baseball season rolled around again, the Wildcats received a pleasant awakening. PRCC got off to a strong start, and the club hasn’t looked back.
For head coach Josh Hoffpauir, redeeming Pearl River of a 25-19 season last year was a priority. Currently, his players have achieved success as the No. 5-ranked club in the most recent NJCAA poll and are a national contender.
“Offensively, we have surprised a lot of people this season, and I was definitely one of them,” Hoffpauir said. “This year has been a big achievement for us and we’re hoping to keep it that way.”
A Vidalia, La., native, Hoffpauir joined the Wildcats as an assistant, and in 2010, took over when Jamie McMahon resigned.
The team stands atop a 23-9 overall record, and the Wildcats have their eyes fixed on a run in the MACJC State Tournament.
But high rankings aren’t the only notoriety that PRCC has received in the national spotlight. Freshman infielder Kyle Dolan, a former Forrest County AHS standout, received honors as NJCAA Division II Player of the Week on March 10, a distinction that gave further validation that the Wildcats were a program ascending to new heights.
Last week, a Pearl River player was given the award once again. This time, it was for sophomore catcher Krisjon Wilkerson.
“The work we put in during practice has been a huge contributor to our Player of the Week titles,” Wilkerson said. “I was honored that something like this would happen to me.”
Wilkerson leads the NJCAA in home runs (8) and is tied for the national lead in RBIs (34).
But Wilkerson and Dolan are just two examples in a long roster of talent. Hoffpauir claims that much of the leadership lies within the “veterans” in the program, which is one of the reasons for chalking many of its big wins.
