Resurrection Catholic sends coach Johnny Olsen out a winner, clinching MHSAA 1A Baseball Championship over Biggersville

As good as J.T. Schnoor was in Game 1, Joe Scarborough was just as impressive in Game 2

PEARL — The Resurrection Catholic Eagles walked out of Trustmark Park wearing runner-up medallions a year ago, determined not to come up short should they get back here in 2022.

They walked off the field Thursday afternoon holding aloft the MHSAA 1A State Championship Trophy after beating Biggersville 4-0 to complete the series sweep.

It was the first baseball championship in school history and first for coach Johnny Olsen, who had already announced this year would be his last after six years with the program.

“The seniors on this team, we kind of came in together and we’re going out together,” Olsen said, fighting emotion. “We’ve been through a lot together and I couldn’t be prouder of them for getting this program where it is today.”

MORE: Photos of the Thursday's Championship-clinching game

The Eagles (33-5) got a great start out of Pearl River CC signee J.T. Schnoor in Tuesday’s Game 1, and they got an even better one out of fellow senior Joe Scarborough in Game 2.

The right hander went all seven innings, throwing 82 pitches, striking out six and allowing two hits and no walks.

“I got a chance to watch J.T. pitch yesterday from my normal position at second base,” Scarborough said. “So I saw what was working for him and I came up with a plan for attacking their lineup today. After watching that game, I couldn’t wait to get out here today. I couldn’t sleep last night — it was like Christmas Eve.”

When he got his chance, he didn’t miss it. Scarborough kept Biggersville (25-7) off balance all day by mixing up his fastball and changeup.

Luke Overstreet and Zach Winters were the only Lions to reach base safely via the hit. Dylan Rowsey and Tre Gunn both drew walks.

“I really don’t have a very good breaking ball,” he said. “So I just stuck with what I knew would work.”

While Scarborough was getting it done on the mound, the Eagle lineup went to work. They picked up one run in the second when Luke Schnoor stole second and came around to score on a fielding error.

They took a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Luke Schnoor led off with a double and scored on a 2-out single off the bat of Connor Davis. They picked up one insurance run in the sixth on an RBI triple from Miller Kay, then iced the game on J.T. Schnoor’s massive double to left — a shot that would have been out of just about every high school baseball park in Mississippi.

“I thought it might go out when I hit it,” said Schnoor, who was named the series MVP. “But after pitching like I did yesterday and hitting the ball that way today. I couldn’t have imagined this series going any better than it did.”

Dylan Rowsey took the loss Thursday for Biggersville. His brother Drew was the losing pitcher in Game 1. Neither one of them pitched particularly poorly.

Dylan went all seven innings Thursday, giving up three earned runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts and seven walks. He threw 109 pitches.

“I actually thought our pitching wasn’t bad in either game,” Daniel Rowsey, father of both pitchers and the Lions’ head coach. “We just didn’t hit very well in either game. (J.T.) Schnoor was probably one of the best pitchers we faced all year in terms of velocity, but we should have done a better job today and been a little more patient.”

(All photos by Austin Frayser)

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