VIDALIA, La. &045; Bryan Bennett just wants to play.

The former first team All-Metro first baseman from Vidalia spent this past spring red-shirting his first year at Southern Miss, but he opted to transfer to East Central Community College back in mid-June where he’ll compete for the starting first baseman’s job and may even pitch a little bit.

&uot;When I went up there they really wanted to know what kind of person I was and what kind of player I was, and I just told them I wanted to play ball,&uot; said Bennett, who was courted by the Decatur school before he signed with USM. &uot;It’s just an opportunity for me to play all the time. I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for me. They kind of took me in when I got there, and I liked that.&uot;

The situation at USM, however, may have developed into a tight squeeze for Bennett after red-shirt freshman Marc Maddox emerged to grab the starting job at first base and hit .336 for a Golden Eagles team that posted the best record in school history. Maddox had five homers, drove in 23 runs and made just one error, while previous starter Griff Israel moved to designated hitter.

&uot;They want to DH,&uot; Bennett said. &uot;The main thing was I can hit but my defense wasn’t as great as his. They were really wanting to work on my defense more and be a DH. There were three or four guys battling for DH, and I want to go somewhere where I can play and not every other day. I want to play full time. It’s hard to get in a rhythm if you’re not playing all the time.&uot;

Bennett, meanwhile, used the season to better his game in the baseball hotbed of Hattiesburg and the USM program. Now at 6-4, 220 pounds, he can bring a power source who can field well and will join the team as a red-shirt freshman and compete among three others for the starting first baseman’s job.

&uot;He’s a pretty strong kid,&uot; East Central head coach Jake Yarborough said. &uot;I think he’s got good power. He swings it well. Playing at first base, he’ll do a good job over there. And defensively, he’ll help over there.&uot;

As far as versatility, Bennett may be of extra value to the team if coaches at East Central have their way. A part-time pitcher growing up, Bennett threw only one year at the varsity level during his senior year after battling a case of tendonitis his junior season.

&uot;We’ll try to work him a little bit as a sidearm pitcher,&uot; Yarborough said. &uot;We’ll drop him down and throw him underneath a little bit. He’s worked on it this summer. He’s a hard worker.&uot;

A year in the USM program under head coach Corky Palmer may give him a bit of an edge going into fall workouts as Bennett admitted he’s plenty more knowledgeable about the game now since his days from high school.

In his last year with the Vikings Bennett hit .420 with eight doubles, 11 homers and 36 runs batted in. He’ll go in as a red-shirt freshman for East Central but will still be a sophomore in his classwork.

&uot;The coaches taught me a whole lot,&uot; Bennett said of USM. &uot;Just being in that atmosphere I became a better player. The drills they worked with you every day makes me look at baseball totally different. In high school I just went out there and hit the ball, but they told me what to look for in certain counts and keep you mind on what’s happening.&uot;

Also, former

Trinity Episcopal left-handed pitcher Elliot Meng has reportedly transferred out of the USM program for the junior college ranks.

Numerous efforts to reach Meng were unsuccessful.