Defying the odds is an understatement when talking about Pearl River Central’s baseball postseason run to the state championship, but once they were under the lights at Trustmark Park, they were no longer the underdogs.

Throughout the Blue Devils’ season, I witnessed some serious debacles and miraculous comebacks I’ve ever seen in sports. There were times where the baseball gods didn’t favor PRC and there were other times where they didn’t perform at the level they were capable of playing, but never did I see the Blue Devils stop fighting and I believe that is what led them to this historic accomplishment.

Recently, the Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James said after their loss to the Boston Celtics in game three of the NBA playoffs, “Adversity is all part of the postseason. I feel like you have to have some type of adversity in order to be successful.”

The Blue Devils overcame adversity and gave meaning the word resiliency. PRC began the playoffs by defeating a tough Pascagoula team who brought home the State Championship trophy in 2012. In round two, PRC battled against the 17-10 (8-1) Region 5 District Champions, West Jones. Despite the naysayers, PRC swept the district champions, outscoring them 18-5.

In round three, the Devils faced a Long Beach team known for a great defense. After winning game one, PRC found themselves down 5-2 going into the seventh inning when something unorthodox happened.

A flock of white birds flew over the field, and for an inexplicable reason, the Devils found new life, starting a monster seventh inning rally to sweep Long Beach.

We all heard about what happened in game one of the South State Championship at Hattiesburg. When PRC had the win in the bag, up 8-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Hattiesburg constructed a come back unlike any I have witnessed on any level of any sport, defeating the Devils 9-8. Despite that epic loss, PRC still found the strength to win the next two games and then defeat the two-time defending state champions of Oxford with a late game rally of their own in game one.

Many teams may never see another season like this, but with only three seniors heading out the door, Blue Devils fans should be ready for another rollercoaster ride next season.