After four seasons leading the Meridian High School baseball team, head coach Eddie Easley is taking on a new challenge.

Easley recently accepted the head baseball coaching job at Ridgeland following the Wildcats’ most successful season in years. With a strong sophomore class of blossoming talent, Meridian finished 13-14-1 this past spring with wins against MHSAA Class 4A powerhouse West Lauderdale and Oak Grove, which has 11 state championships in its storied baseball history. 

The win against Oak Grove was also Meridian’s second divisional win in as many years, and prior to the 2021 season, the Wildcats hadn’t won a game in their region since 2014.

“I felt like when I got here it was a total rebuild,” Easley said. “We were getting more kids out here and getting the community together to bring back baseball at Meridian and get excited about it.”

When the Ridgeland job came open, Easley said it was a difficult decision to leave Meridian after helping its baseball team turn things around.

“It’s not something I pursued; someone reached out,” Easley explained. “It’s a good program that I’ve kept up with over the years. Once I heard about the opportunity, I wasn’t looking to leave Meridian High because I was very happy here, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

Meridian Athletic Director Cheyenne Trussell said he wishes Easley well at his next job and is grateful for the work he put in during his four years at Meridian.

“I’ve known him about 15 years going back to roughly 2007-2008 as an assistant at Hattiesburg,” Trussell said. “He’s done an awesome job, and I would like to thank him and his staff for their dedication. This past year we were not only very competitive, but we beat some top-ranked teams for the first time in several years. He’s very worthy of all that comes his way, and his leadership and guidance will be missed.”

One thing of which Easley is particularly proud is starting an elementary baseball program within the Meridian Public School District, which will hopefully keep young baseball players interested in the sport through middle and high school.

“Getting as many reps as possible is important, so it’s important for the future of the program that we have an elementary baseball program,” Easley said. “We have anywhere from 90 to 100 kids playing on teams, and this past year, 150 kids tried out for elementary baseball.”

That program, along with the developing of the high school team’s young core of players, are two lasting legacies Easley leaves behind, Trussell said.

“We have a pretty solid sophomore group that will be juniors next year, and many of them are playing summer ball in different camps and showcases,” Trussell said. “We’re excited about the elementary program he started four years ago. We’re not just building a team but a program itself. The (head baseball coach) position is posted on the MPSD and MHSAA websites, and we’re looking for someone who can take the Wildcast to the next level. We’re hoping to have someone in place by mid July, if not before.”

Easley said he has high expectations for Meridian baseball going forward as well.

“Our high school team was a very young team that we developed into being good ball players over the past couple of years, and they’re now playing all over the country,” Easley said. “I could go on and on about the young talent at Meridian, and I’m very excited for their future. I hope whoever comes after me can continue to go in the right direction.”