BOONEVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State University head baseball coach Ron Polk will be the featured speaker at the 2nd Annual NEMCC Baseball First Pitch Banquet, on January 14, at 7 p.m. at the Frank Haney Union on the Northeast Mississippi Community College campus.

Polk just completed his 28th season as head coach at Mississippi State, and his 34th season as a collegiate head coach. In 2007 Polk led the Bulldogs to their sixth appearance at the prestigious NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

A Boston, Mass. native, Polk has coached Mississippi State baseball teams to five regular season or tournament championships, and 16 NCAA regional tournament births.

“What an honor for us to have him come here to Northeast,” said NEMCC head baseball coach Kent Farris. “Honestly, I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have come and be our featured speaker than Ron Polk. He’s coached so many great players like (Bobby) Thigpen, Will Clark, and Jonathon Pappelbon. The list goes on and on. He’s built one of the nation’s premier college programs at MSU, and I can’t wait to hear what he has to say on January 14th. It’ll be a treat for everyone who comes.”

Emceeing the 2nd annual NEMCC Baseball First Pitch Banquet will be local sports anchor and reporter, Marlin Williams of WTVA televison in Tupelo, MS. Williams is a veteran of the sports television business who covers Mississippi State, and Northeast Miss. Community College baseball each spring. Among his career highlights as a sports anchor are experiences covering Super Bowls, MLB World Series games, and the 1996 Olympics.

Tickets to the NEMCC Baseball First Pitch Banquet can be purchased in advance for $15 each from any Northeast baseball player, or diamond girl. Tickets will be sold at the door on January 14 at the Frank Haney Union for $20 per person. A silent auction will begin 6 p.m. the evening of the 14th, with the banquet scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

All proceeds from the event will benefit Northeast baseball.

For more information contact Northeast head baseball coach Kent Farris at 662.720.7309. For additional contact information within the Northeast athletic department visit Northeast athletics on the internet at www.nemcc.edu.

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