JCMS Joins New Class “A” Middle School Baseball Conference

JCMS Principal Jason Vaughn reported, “Our baseball team is excited to be a part of the new 13th Region All-A baseball conference. It will be a 7-team conference with 12 games and a conference tournament, to go along with other games outside of our conference. Also, a big thank you to the Fugate-Mattingly Foundation for the $1,000 donation to each program. The Generals are eager to start the 2026 season."

Last week, the Class “A” Middle School Baseball Conference was officially formed at Pineville Independent. Coaches from across the region gathered for the inaugural meeting to establish the new league.

“This conference was established to help ensure that our student-athletes at smaller schools would be able to compete for a championship at the end of the middle school baseball season,” said Pineville head baseball coach Tay Zachery, the league’s founder.

“When I first got to Pineville, they didn’t have anything like this. There were other conferences, but they were filled with larger schools, and we weren’t ready to compete with those schools yet,” he continued. “So my goal was to get this league created so we would all have something to build on and something to measure from the beginning of the season to the end.”

The Fugate-Mattingly Foundation has also played an integral role in the creation of the league. The foundation has graciously committed to donating $1,000 per year on a two-year contract to support schools that join and prioritize participation in the conference.
The $1,000 allocated to middle school baseball programs will help meet needs such as equipment, uniforms, travel, and umpire fees.

“At smaller schools, budgets can have a chokehold on coaches, so an extra $1,000 can mean a lot to these programs. We are extremely thankful for the Fugate-Mattingly Foundation,” Zachery added.

Superintendent Russell Thompson also spoke about the league and emphasized the importance of smaller schools continuing to work together to provide students with the best opportunities possible.

The Class “A” Middle School Baseball Conference will begin play this season in its inaugural year. Pineville will host the first conference tournament on May 8th and 9th.