Jay Harper: VDN’s 2025 Baseball Head Coach of the Year

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — St. Aloysius head baseball coach Jay Harper has been named the Vicksburg Daily News 2025 Baseball Head Coach of the Year after leading the Flashes to a 17-14 record and a second-round playoff appearance.

In just his second year at the helm, Harper helped turn around a program that had struggled in recent years. The Flashes showed significant improvement in 2025, building off a 12-16 record in 2024 — Harper’s first season as head coach — and a 4-22 mark the year before he took over.

“I think we did really well and learned from our mistakes,” Harper said. “This year was a reflection of all the hard work we put in over the last few months. We’re excited as a coaching staff.”

Midway through the 2025 season, the Flashes built momentum with win streaks of five and four games. The team notched key victories over programs such as Adams County Christian School and Copiah Academy.

By April, St. Al held a 13-9 record as they hosted Cathedral in a pivotal district doubleheader. The Flashes came away with dominant 11-1 and 14-9 wins, clinching the school’s first district championship since joining the MAIS and their first overall since 2014.

“That was exciting for the team and the school,” Harper said. “It puts our program back on the map, and we’re going to take what we learned into next year.”

Harper, who previously served as an assistant coach, has seen the full spectrum of highs and lows within the program. From seasons where wins were scarce to this year’s resurgence, his leadership has been instrumental in revitalizing St. Al baseball.

“I would say this is a reflection of our coaching staff,” Harper added. “I can’t take full credit because it’s a ‘we’ thing. We’re going to work hard in the offseason, and with the experience we have returning, I think we’ll be good in the future.”

Harper’s coaching staff included Brad Babb, Kevin Magee, Jerry Bourne and Michael Coomes.

This is Harper’s first time receiving Coach of the Year honors.