By Reina Kempt

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — Natchez High head baseball coach Brian Kossum decided to start hosting an annual alumni baseball game for the first time since he played for Natchez in 2004. But little did he know what would happen when current and former players hit the field.

Kossum just finished his first year as head coach of the Bulldog baseball team and remembered the end of the year alumni baseball games the high school used to host back in his day.

“We used to do this every year and the last one was in 2004 so we’re just getting back in the tradition,” Kossum said.

He and assistant coach Rod Smith called up some former Natchez High baseball players and told them to head down to Chester Willis Field for a fun game Saturday.

When Kossum and Smith first showed up to the field, they weren’t sure how many would show up, but one by one, several alumni Natchez baseball players showed up for a friendly game.

Current Bulldog players showed up to watch their predecessors battle it out.

“The players had a baseball camp to come to today but some of them came early to watch the game,” Kossum said.

Players of all ages showed up and showed off to prove that they still have it in them.

The game was filled with laughter, trash talk and fun. The oldest player on the field, Eric Michael Dunham, piloted the jokes.

Most people know Dunham as “Cateye.”

Cateye, given the name because of his unique green eye color, was the pitcher from 1982 to 1987.

He played when there were two separate Natchez High Schools, North Natchez and South Natchez. North Natchez was predominately black and South Natchez was mixed with black and white, Cateye said.

Cateye represented his alma mater, North Natchez, with pride at the alumni game sporting his 1987 green and gold North Natchez baseball cap with the matching green and gold wristbands.

“I brought out the hat (Saturday), the old green and gold,” Cateye said with pride “I’m even wearing the North Natchez wristbands. I’m the only one out here from that era.”

Cateye stepped on the mound to have fun and show the current Natchez players who used to fire the fastballs at Chester Willis Field.

“It feels great to come back here, and all the people and kids who have heard about me but never saw me play got to see me today,” Cateye said.

But stepping on that mound again was more than just showcasing his talent once more. Cateye said the game brought back a lot of memories for him.

“I got a scholarship to Southern, and we played for the SWAC title right here at this very field,” he said.

Cateye was known for throwing 96 mph fastballs in his day, and Shavoke Herrington got the opportunity to step up to the plate and take Cateye on.

Herrington is the only current Bulldog that played Saturday, and Smith said it meant a lot to Herrington to be able to play.

“At first, he was going to play because a lot of guys showed up late but he still go to play once they showed,” Smith said. “It shows a lot of respect that he got picked up before alumni.”

Not only is it a surprise that Herrington got to play in the Alumni game, it is a surprise that he plays for the Bulldogs at all.

Herrington is a seventh grader from Morgantown Middle whose skills surpassed playing at the middle school level. Kossum loved his potential and welcomed him to the high school team with open arms.

And Herrington wasn’t just on the team to learn and develop, he was given a jersey to play.

“He played really well in the playoffs,” Kossum said. “I was really pleased with him. I have five more years with him, so I expect a lot.”

After a great first year with the Bulldogs, Herrington was being stared down by Cateye who was nodding off a signal from the catcher at the mound.

It was a classic case of the old teaching the new.

“I may have gotten older but the game is still the same,” Cateye said. “You still have to focus on the fundamentals.”

Cateye’s team won 12-9 in the first game and 5-3 in the second game of the Natchez High alumni game.

Both teams laughed and briefly caught up over hotdogs and hamburgers after the game. As they shared old memories, they were also creating new ones.