BOONEVILLE, Miss.--  Northeast Mississippi Community College head baseball coach Kent Farris has announced that his team will hold its annual First Pitch Banquet on Tuesday, January 23 at 7 p.m. in the Claude Wright Room on the second floor of the Haney Union on the Northeast campus.

Kent Willis, minor league pitching coordinator for the Atlanta Braves, will be the featured speaker. Willis, a Columbus, Miss. native, was the pitching coach for the Double-A Mississippi Braves last season before being promoted to his current position in October. The former minor league pitcher is approaching his twelfth season as a coach in the Braves organization having coached current Atlanta Braves pitchers Chuck James, Kyle Davies, Macay McBride, Joey Devine, and Blaine Boyer.

Marlin Williams, Sports Anchor at WTVA Television in Tupelo, Miss., will emcee the event.

Tickets for the NEMCC First Pitch Banquet are $15. They go on sale beginning December 6, and can be purchased by contacting head coach Kent Farris at 662-720-7309. Deadline for early ticket purchases is January 12. Tickets include a buffet dinner.

Checks should be made payable to the NEMCC Development Foundation, and should be mailed to: Northeast Mississippi Community College, 101 Cunningham Boulevard, Booneville, MS, 38829, Attn. Kent Farris

Tickets will be sold at the doors of the Claude Wright Room on January 23 for $20.