Last season didn't produce the end result that Northwest Mississippi was hoping for.

After opening the season with its highest NJCAA preseason ranking in 15 years at No. 7 overall, the Rangers finished 30-14 and garnered their sixth 30-win season in the last eight years. Despite the accomplishment, Northwest dropped a best-of-three playoff series with Mississippi Gulf Coast and failed to advance to the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament for the first time since 2014.

"I think one of the reasons that we had a short run in the playoffs was not being able to hold leads," 14th-year head coach Mark Carson said. "Our pitching at times wasn't adequate and some of that was due to depth and other times we just gave up chunks of runs in certain innings. We had leads of six, seven and even nine runs that we could not hold on to. For this year, I think we have improved in terms of pitching depth and we have a few more bullets than we had last year. I think that is what is going to make the difference between last year's team and this year."

Some of that pitching depth includes returning right-handers Reed Logsdon and Reed Harding. In seven starts on the mound last season, Logsdon compiled a 5-3 record with a 4.37 ERA, striking out 30 batters against 27 walks in 47.1 innings pitched. Serving primarily as the team's closer in conference play, Harding, a University of Memphis signee, put together a 5-2 mark with a team-best 3.52 ERA, four saves and 28 strikeouts against 13 walks.

Northwest will also see Daniel Shelton, Noah Day and Jake Tyrone return to the bullpen. All three saw limited action last season with Shelton seeing the most, delivering 17 strikeouts in 17 innings of relief work.

In all, Northwest will welcome seven freshman arms this season, highlighted by Ole Miss signee Dalton Fowler. A product of Arlington, Tenn., the lefty Fowler finished 6-1 with a 1.62 ERA as a senior, punching out 71 batters in 47.1 innings of work against 29 walks and allowed just 11 earned runs in nine appearances. He helped AHS to a combined 45-21 record over his final two seasons, receiving recognition to the Commercial Appeal's All-Metro Team.

Brothers Parker Stinnett and Carson Stinnett have also caught the eye of Carson in the fall and into the preseason. Both helped guide talent-heavy Oxford teams to Class 5A state titles with the freshman Parker fanning 75 batters against 24 walks last season, for a 4-5 record and a 3.95 ERA. A transfer from Hinds, Carson saw limited action during his freshman campaign but notched a 3-2 record with a 3.66 ERA and 17 strikeouts.

"He's a very durable guy that throws in the upper-80s," Carson said, on Parker. "He just knows how to pitch and he will definitely be one of our top guys in the rotation. I think he's a guy that will make us a lot better and I expect Carson to help us a lot in the rotation as well."

Colton Peel (Houston HS), Jackson Smith (Central Hinds Academy), Cooper Dowell (Lewisburg) and Trent Bunting (North Little Rock, Ark.) round out the Rangers' freshman arms. 

"More than anything, I am excited to have so many bullets in our bullpen," Carson said. "I think it is really going to add to how many arms we can throw out there and make us more durable as a staff."

Another aspect that Carson is excited about is hitting. The Rangers lost home run leader Brant Blaylock to Southern Miss, but welcome back heavy hitters Hayden Leatherwood and Ben Van Cleve to the lineup. Both Ole Miss targets finished in the top five in batting last season, with Leatherwood leading the team with an average of .388, nine doubles, three triples, 15 home runs and 47 RBIs, followed by Van Cleve's numbers of .306 with eight doubles, eight home runs and 28 RBIs.

Shortstop Tanner Leggett, catcher Tanner Booth and infielder Bradley Smith make up the remaining group of returning sophomores. Starting in 41 of 44 contests last year, Leggett hit .253 with a team-high 13 doubles, a triple, home run and 13 RBIs. The recent Mississippi State signee also finished with seven multi-hit games, including a season-high three hits three times, while fielding .919 in over 200 chances.

At the junior college level, the cycle of turnover is something that's expected every year, which is why Carson relies heavily on his sophomores to provide leadership.

"It's always crucial to have sophomores on the field that have been there and done that," Carson said. "Those are guys that can get us through this because they have been there before. They are very talented but they're also good people and good leaders with great character. You don't have to worry about them and you know that they are going to do what they're supposed to."

Carson believes that in the field, this team has the potential to be one of the fastest that he's coached. Redshirt freshman Brayland Skinner has been an anchor in center field so far through the preseason, with Carson calling him "one of the best he's coached at that position." Smith also carries some speed and could be a reliable option at second base, but could also slide into the outfield if needed.

Those two in particular, along with Leggett at shortstop, Van Cleve at first and Leatherwood in left field, make up the athletic nucleus Carson has been looking for. Freshmen Kelton Hall and Peyton Mills have also been battling at third base, along with Hammer Franks and Clark Stovall in the oufield.

"Both Kelton and Peyton will get ample opportunities to get in there and get the job done," Carson said, on his position battles. "With Hammer and Clark, we have four outfielders that can hit and one of the great things about the way our park is set up is that all four of those guys are left-handed hitters. That will be a fun thing for us to be able to match those lefties up with the right-handers in this park."

Much like seasons past, the Rangers will face a stiff schedule both in and out of conference play. Within the MACJC, Meridian has the highest preseason expectations after checking in at No. 4 in the NJCAA's opening poll. Pearl River doesn't sit too far behind them, coming in at No. 8 followed by 14th-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast, with Northwest having to travel to all three opponents. Jones College, Hinds and East Central will also prove to be formidable conference competition, as will rivals Itawamba, Northeast and a surging Coahoma program that finished one win away from claiming its first postseason bid in program history.

In non-conference competition, Northwest faces a pair of doubleheaders with Southwest Tennessee and Calhoun along with twinbills against solid opponents Rend Lake, Kaskaskia, Southeastern Iowa, John Wood and Columbia State.

"It's a good non-conference schedule," Carson said. "I have always felt that if you really challenge yourself in non-conference play, it will pay you back somewhere in the conference. I have never been one to schedule JV games and it's nothing against those programs, but I want to play top-notch junior college programs that are comparable to our league. That's not to say that it will always happen with weather always playing some variables in that but when I look at these programs, those are good teams. When you bring those guys in here, it's a challenge to our team and it will prepare us for conference play."

Given the disappointing end to last season, Carson's most important goal for the Rangers is to get back to their winning ways in the postseason.

"Our number one goal always is to win the MACJC," Carson said. "It's a tough thing to do now, because the champion is crowned to the team that wins the 28-game conference schedule. If you look at our schedule, five of our last six doubleheaders are on the road and that's what you have to go through to try and win the conference. We want to make the region tournament and the national tournament every year. We set our sights high and that's what we should expect. I think this team is capable of doing it, but we have to stay healthy and continue to improve our pitching and if our offense and defense does what we think it should do, then I think winning the conference is a realistic goal."

Northwest is slated to open the 2019 season this Saturday, Feb. 9 against Calhoun at Jim Miles Field. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. Live stats and a live broadcast will be provided through nwccrangers.com.