CLARKSDALE—It is the bottom of the 6th inning at Pearl River. The Tigers trail 1-0.

Righty starter Garrett Short has found turbulence, loading the bases with no one out. A lesser pitcher would panic, perhaps even capitulate in this situation. But the unflappable Short is not like other pitchers. He bears down and strikes out back-to-back Wildcats before inducing a flyball to shallow right to get out of the jam.

Crisis averted. 

The Tigers go on to win the game 5-4 in 10 innings and earn their first MACJC victory. While Short gets the no-decision, his numbers do not fail to impress: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 K. In some ways it is business as usual for Short, who currently leads the Tigers in innings pitched, complete games, and strikeouts. 

But talk to him about the performance and he is quicker to praise his teammates than he is to sing about his own accomplishments.

"The guys play really well behind me," Short said at the team's Thursday practice. "It just seems like all of us played more as a team that game. It really wasn't so much me as a starter. I just liked how we clicked."

Perhaps it is Short's easy-going demeanor off the field or his impassioned performances on it, but the squad does seem to respond to his performances especially well. The Tiger defense has committed fewer errors behind him than any other starter, and the offense seems to feed off his energy, banging out 17 runs in the 4 games he's taken the mound.

But Short's individual performances have been a sight to behold. The right-hander has turned in two of the best starts for the CCC squad this season, going all 7 innings while surrendering just 1-earned run in the season opening doubleheader vs. Jackson State and then turning in the 1-earned run gem last weekend at Pearl River. Like his idol Greg Maddux, Short does not overwhelm with velocity. Instead he relies on pitch selection and speed changes to keep hitters off balance. 

The Southaven native's style and craftsmanship draw high praise from head coach Lee Hodge, who called Short's performances against Jackson State and Pearl River "two of the best-pitched college baseball games I've ever seen."

"He's one of the hardest-working guys we've got," the Tiger skipper said. "He wants to win. He wants to play—he wants to play this year, he wants to play next year. And he'll have the chance to play because of his work ethic."

Short is taking nothing for granted. In many ways, he is just getting used to playing again. Short started his high school career a part of the Southaven High program. After his sophomore year, he transferred to Lake Cormorant and was ruled ineligible for his junior season. He then transferred back to Southaven, but once again ran into a transfer-eligibility problem and had to sit his senior season.

Though he missed significant parts of the school seasons, Short was never far from the game. He stayed involved by umpiring, playing summer ball, and working out on his own. He jumped at the chance to play at CCC and has contributed on and off the mound since joining the program. When he's not pitching, Short is one of the Tigers chief cheerleaders in the dugout and also keeps stats for the team in the official scorebook.

"It's just getting back into it this year, coming in with the confidence that I want to play again," Short said. "That's a difference between me and all the other guys. I know what it's like to have baseball taken out from under you."

All his hard work getting back is borne out of a deep appreciation for the game, which he says he learned from his father and which he hopes to pass on to his own young son, Garner. 

"Baseball really isn't considered a game to me. It's a life thing… I love the game and everything about it," Short explained.

With the bulk of the conference schedule still to be played, he seems more determined than ever to help the Tigers rise through the MACJC ranks. And his mantra for success is one that values the team over any individual accomplishment.

"For us to be successful, we all just have to work together [and] click as a team," he said. "Play for the guy beside you as a brother, not only just as a friend."

Short and the Tiger squad return to action Sunday at East Central CC. First pitch in Decatur will be thrown at 2 pm.