Many wondered how Jonesboro-Hodge High School would fare in the 2025 LHSAA baseball season with a sixth head coach in as many years. While the jury is out on Carlos Hick’s first year at the helm, the longtime JHHS football coach has certainly gotten the Tigers off to a great start.

Actually, the 17-5 “mercy rule” five-inning rout of Lincoln Prep on Monday was not only a great start to the season but what looks like a school record start. Certainly the best start in over 15 years. 

A review of the record books show that prior to the 17 runs scored by the Tigers on Monday, that since 2006 the most runs scored by the Tigers on opening day was 12 against Simsboro in 2021. 

Additionally, what also makes the opening day win even more impressive is that the Tigers have dropped their first game of the year in 8 of the last 9 seasons, being outscored by an average of 10 – 3. 

What is the difference this year? 

“We have a lot of returning players,” said Hicks, who with a 1-0 record as a head coach now holds a sports record that although has been tied thousands of times can never be broken. “The guys put in a lot of work on their own prior to the season and it showed today that they took it upon themselves to get better.”  

Early on it looked like this game would be like so many in the past as three walks and two hit batsmen by JHHS pitching paved the way to Lincoln Prep jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The Tigers narrowed the margin to 3-2 in their half of the inning when Landon Boston and Trey Trosclair scored on a passed ball after getting a walk and being hit by a pitch. 

In what turned out to be brilliant decision, Trosclair was moved to the mound in the top of the second where he stayed the final four innings, without allowing a single hit and only giving up a pair of run in the top of the fifth inning by which time JHHS had rallied to score 15 more runs, including plating 11 in the bottom of the fourth to take the unsurmountable lead.  

Offensively, the Tigers garnered 7 hits while also drawing 16 free passes that comprised of 14 walks and two hit batters. Maurice Baker led the hit parade with 3 in 4 at bats, scoring 32 runs and driving in 4 more while Trosclair, who scored four runs and Kamal Cottonham each slapped a double. Dakota Knox (2 runs scored) and Jeremiah Turnage (run scored, RBI) also hit a single each for JHHS, while Boston scored three runs.  Waylon Evans and Jamarlon Johnson also crossed home plate once each. 

While the two teams compete in District 1-1A, the Monday season opener for both schools does not count as a district game.