No rest for the weary. Adams Christian returns to the diamond less than two weeks after falling two wins shy of a Mississippi Private School Association Class AAA state championship.

Except for recent graduates Glenn Williams, Douglas Davis and Joseph Dunlap, the Rebels will send the same collection of players that finished as state runner-ups to Jackson Prep into summer league ball.

Newly named head coach Ron Rushing, who takes over for the recently retired Gill Morris, is chomping at the bit to install some new wrinkles into a team that finished 24-11 in 2004.

&uot;I’m excited about it. We won’t change a lot of stuff up. We’ll be more aggressive on the bases; bunt a bit more; move runners over; try some squeeze plays &045; small things like that,&uot; Rushing said describing his philosophy. &uot;The main thing for the summer is letting (David) Trisler, (Dustin) Case and (Clay) Floyd get in some more pitching.&uot;

AC is looking to replace two valuable arms in Williams and Davis, both of who finished 6-3 on the season and made MPSA All-Star appearances Saturday along with catcher Joseph Dunlap.

Williams, who boasted a 1.93 ERA last season, was the South’s MVP and Dunlap collected a pair of hits as the South won 15-12.

&uot;Right now we’ve got guys that can do it,&uot; said Rushing, whose club opens at home against North Pike Tuesday. &uot;Some haven’t thrown in the past, so we’re going to try and get those folks a lot of innings.&uot;

The league consists of two other local teams in Trinity and Wilkinson County Christian Academy and also features Amite School Center, which won District 7-A.

Each team plays five-inning doubleheaders every Monday and Thursday, with Memorial Day pushing things back a day this week.

A 16-game schedule will culminate in a tournament at the end of June.

For Trinity head coach Matt Mason, summer ball gives him the perfect opportunity to see where his young team matches up.

&uot;This group is young, but they’re energetic and they work hard,&uot; said Mason, who completed his first year with the Saints in 2004. &uot;I know we’ll have some growing pains with a team this young. I don’t expect to set the world on fire, but by the time their juniors and seniors, we’ll have a program here.&uot;

Of Trinity’s top three pitchers, two will be sophomores &045; Stevan Ridley and Colby Godfrey &045; and one, an incoming freshman &045; Matthew Freeman.

With the league’s coaches agreeing to leave the lights off on the scoreboard throughout games, Mason said it will lessen the burden on himself and players to keep their mind focused on the game.

&uot;The good things about the scoreboard not being on is you don’t feel as bad if you have to take a kid off the mound because you’re not worried with the wins and losses,&uot; said Mason, who leads the Saints into battle against Chester Willis Field against Copiah Tuesday. &uot;I’m real pleased with the way the summer league is set up. It’s always going to be competitive in nature, but I don’t think it really matters to any of the coaches what the scores are. We can focus on what the kids are doing.&uot;

He hopes to keep the same discipline Trinity players became accustom to this spring, yet at the same time loosen things up by not stressing wins and losses as much.

&uot;We’ll see right off the bat where we stand,&uot; Mason said. &uot;Good or bad, it’s going to work out for everybody. It’s basically a gauging tool for all the teams.&uot;

It’s the same line of thinking for WCCA head coach Ray Olive, whose Rams swept Claiborne Academy in the Class A opening round before losing to eventual state runner-up Porter’s Chapel in the South State semifinals.

Olive will send just 10 players to the Rams’ diamond against rival Trinity on Thursday, but the morale at an all-time high, he said.

&uot;Once you can get some confidence in your abilities and team, that’s most of the battle,&uot; said Olive, who finished his second year of coaching at his alma mater in 2004. &uot;ASC is always a good baseball team; when we play Trinity it’s whoever’s up; and we’re real excited to play against ACCS to see how we can match up. We stepped up and played Heidelberg and took our lumps. And we ran out of juice against Porter’s Chapel. To be in the top eight in single-A is a big confidence boost.&uot;

Olive plans on moving last year’s starting second baseman Ruston Cado behind the plate in hopes of filling Stephen Goulette’s shoes.

Cado is also penciled down to see time on the mound, as will incoming sophomore Colin Dor and Taylor Fontenot, who started at shortstop last season.

&uot;When I came down here there was talent o the baseball field, but they weren’t sure how to win,&uot; Olive said. &uot;This year we didn’t stressing win as much as just competing. They realized this year they could compete with anybody that walked onto the field. They realized when they were down they could come back. That made my job easier.&uot;

Morris and Rushing sent out inquiries to area schools during the spring to get an idea of the interest level.

For AC, the best prescription to forget about the Prep disappointment may just be more baseball.

&uot;The kids are looking forward to it. Kids bounce back pretty quick,&uot; Morris said last week. &uot;They’re ready to go and work on their games. It’s not like it’s a bunch of bored coaches looking for something to do.&uot;