The Mississippi high school season kicks off on February 26, the first day for regular season games. Most teams will begin practicing on January 29, getting their rosters set and finalizing their lineups.

Leading up to the start of the high school season, we will be posting high school team previews every day as part of our comprehensive season coverage:

Team: New Hope

Preseason Rank:16
2017 Record: 21-14
MHSAA Classification: 5A
MHSAA District: 2-5A
Head Coach: Lee Boyd
Playoff Run: North State Runner Up
2017 Final Rank: 2^nd in district
Returning Starters: 4
Returning Pitchers: 1

Top Players

Name	State	School	Class	Position	Commitment
Bryce Braddock	MS	New Hope	2018	1B	Mississippi Gulf Coast JC
Tyler Murphy	MS	New Hope	2019	OF	-
Drew Pounders	MS	New Hope	2018	2B	Mississippi Delta CC
Nicholas Sims	MS	New Hope	2018	SS	Mississippi Gulf Coast JC
Peyton Springfield	MS	New Hope	2019	RHP	-

Stat Rat (X-Factor)

Tyler Murphy (.372-BA, 13-RBI, 10-2B)
Bryce Braddock (.292-BA, 24-RBI, 7-2B, 2-HR)
Drew Pounders (.282-BA, 15-RBI, 3-2B)
Nick Sims (.256-BA, 12-RBI, 4-2B)
Peyton Springfield (2.33-ERA, 43-K, 18-BB)
Noah Brock (2.33-ERA, 14-K, 10-BB)

Outlook

The New Hope Trojans return a solid core from a 2017 season that came up short in the North State Finals but finished with an overall record of 21-14. Coach Lee Boyd and the Trojans will rely on stellar defensive play and an aggressive approach at the plate to carry them through the 2018 campaign. Defensively, the Trojans will be anchored by Drew Pounders and Nick Sims. Look for Tyler Murphy and Bryce Braddock to provide a spark in the lineup as they return from a productive 2017 campaign. The real question mark will be on the mound, but Coach Boyd will look for Peyton Springfield and Ryan Burt, two underclassmen, to carry the brunt of the pitching load this season.

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