POPLARVILLE, Miss. - The Coastal Alabama - South Baseball team, led by third-year head coach JD Pruitt, opened its 2026 season on the road Tuesday, Jan. 27, with a 7-0 loss at Pearl River Community College (Miss.) in a non-divisional matchup at Dub Herring Park in Poplarville.

Pearl River, an NJCAA Division II program, entered the season ranked No. 2 in the NJCAA Division II Preseason Top 25 poll. Meanwhile, Coastal Alabama - South competes at the NJCAA Division I level.

How It Happened

Despite a determined effort from the Coyotes, Pearl River's strong pitching kept Coastal - South off the scoreboard throughout the nine-inning contest. The Wildcats struck early, plating three runs in the second inning to seize control, then added insurance runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh frames to secure the shutout victory.

Coastal - South used a different pitcher in every inning on Tuesday, with the eight-man pitching staff combining for 14 strikeouts and allowing eight hits. Due to the Coyotes' defense committing a pair of errors in the opener, only one of the seven Pearl River runs that crossed home plate was earned. Andrew Hicks highlighted the Coastal - South pitching core, striking out the side in order in the sixth inning.

Pearl River's pitching staff limited the Coyotes' offensive opportunities across the nine innings, using a mix of off-speed pitches and solid command to keep Coastal - South from building momentum. The 'Yotes only managed four hits, two coming off the bat of leadoff hitter London Prashad. Jeffrey Diaz and Derek Jelen joined Prashad with hits in the defeat. To add, the Coyotes only worked three walks and struck eight times as a team.

Headed to South Florida

With the season opener in the rearview mirror, the Coyotes have a long weekend trip upcoming as Coastal - South heads to Miami, Fla. for four non-conference games. The 'Yotes are scheduled for doubleheaders against Monroe University (N.Y.) and Miami Dade College (Fla.) on Jan. 30-31, kicking things off against Monroe at 2:00 p.m. CT on Friday.
 

For coverage of Coastal Alabama South Athletics, follow the Coyotes on social media at /CoastalAlabamaSouth (Facebook), @CoastalAL_south (Twitter), and @coastalal_south (Instagram), or visit the official home of the Coastal Alabama South Athletic Department at https://coastalcoyotessouth.com/index.aspx