PEARL, Miss. (WLBT) – The Mississippi Mud Monsters have announced its first coach ahead of the state’s newest professional team’s inaugural season at Trustmark Park.

On Monday, former professional baseball player and experienced coach Jay Pecci was announced as the club’s Field Manager.

“I am thrilled to join the Mississippi Mud Monsters organization and take on this exciting opportunity,” said Pecci. “Mississippi has a passionate sports community, and I look forward to helping build a winning culture that fans can be proud of. My goal is to foster a team that competes at a high level while staying deeply connected to our fans and the community. Together, we’ll make the Mud Monsters a team to remember.”

Pecci was named the 2008 Northern League All-Star MVP and played seven seasons of Minor League Baseball and over a decade of MLB Partner League play. Pecci had the 4th highest batting average (.588) in College World Series history during his collegiate career at Stanford.

As a manager, he has led teams to success, including guiding the Florida Complex League Mets to the best regular season record in 2023.

Pecci has previously served in various coaching roles, including as the Bench Coach for the Syracuse Mets in 2022, and the Bench Coach for the St. Lucie Mets in 2021. He was also the complex coordinator for the Mets in both 2023 and 2024, further solidifying his role as a key leader in developing young talent.

The Mud Monsters will play their inaugural Frontier League game on May 8 at Trustmark Park against the Florence Y’alls.

Click here to view the full schedule.

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MADISON CO., Miss. (WLBT) – A woman was killed in a single-vehicle crash in Madison County.

A press release says the incident happened at 4:06 p.m. Sunday near the 121-mile marker.

According to the Mississippi Highway Patrol, a 2017 Jaguar, driven by 26-year-old Madison Walker of Terry, was traveling northbound on I-55 when it lost control, collided with an embankment, and overturned.

Walker died at the scene.

The crash remains under investigation by the Mississippi Highway Patrol.

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The Southern Mississippi women’s soccer team is making some noise this off-season thanks to one of the newest members of their team, Kiana Dufour. The Brazilian soccer player joined the team after reportedly playing semi-pro in Canada.

The 19-year-old committed in July, was officially welcomed by the team in November, and discovered by social media over the past few days.

Kiana’s viral success has the internet’s attention. It also has people taking a closer look into her Instagram game. She currently has 243,000 followers.

Not too shabby for a semi-pro soccer player turned college athlete. The online investigative process has turned up some interesting activity on the rising internet star’s account.

Southern Mississippi’s Kiana Dufour has some likes from some recognizable athletes

While Kiana is being introduced to the internet at large, there are several recognizable athletes that are already familiar with her Instagram skills.

According to the Daily Mail, who provided screenshots to back some of the claims, USMNT and Juventus star Weston McKennie has liked some of her past posts.

New York Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman and an Inter Miami teammate of Lionel Messi’s, David Ruiz, have also admired her work. As has rugby player turned member of the Jaguars practice squad, Louis Rees-Zammit.

Will the signing of Kiana Dufour translate to wins on the field for the three-win Southern Miss women’s soccer team? We’ll have to wait until at least August – when the season starts – to find out.

Off the field, Kiana, the soccer team, and social media as a whole have already scored a few wins. With this kind of head start on the season, you can expect many more off the field wins.

The Southern Miss campus isn’t going to know what hit them once Kiana stretches and gets comfortable. She’s bringing legit star power with her.

Win or lose on the field, the Golden Eagles are going to have a season for the history books.