LORMAN &045; Earl Smith still wants to contribute as much as he can to the Alcorn State baseball team and pitching staff.

Even if his elbow’s in a brace and he’s not even in uniform.

That was the hard thrower from California this past weekend when the Braves took all three from Alabama A&M in Lorman. Smith, a Ferris Award candidate, didn’t get his normal turn as the staff’s No. 1 weekend starter Friday due to a nagging elbow problem that may not be tendonitis after all.

Right now everyone is hoping he won’t have to call it a season.

&uot;I don’t know right now &045; I’ve got to get my MRI taken care of,&uot; Smith said after Saturday’s game. &uot;I was trying to get back for (the) Valley or Jackson (series). I haven’t had any problems out of it (before). It’s not giving me problems now. I’m just trying to do what the doctor says. When it’s time to play, I’ll strap it on and do whatever I can.&uot;

Coaches will take Smith to Jackson to undergo the MRI and should find out what the status is. Smith figures it’s just a MCL strain in the elbow, although there could a partial tear in there somewhere.

The injury has shaken up the Braves’ weekend rotation a bit with Baron Short and Patrick Long moving up a day. Chris Walker started in Game 3 with Matt Chatwin throwing five innings for his longest outing of the year in relief to get the save.

If Smith is lost for the season, it’ll mark the second straight spring the Braves lost a potential ace to injury. Trey Johnson was predicted to take that spot last season before an arm injury sidelined him.

&uot;Once he gets the MRI, we’ll find out what’s wrong with him,&uot; Alcorn head coach Willie &uot;Rat&uot; McGowan said. &uot;That’s going to hurt us. The first game we started Baron, and that’s who pitched a three-hitter against Southern. We know he’s going to be all right. At first he was coming on in relief, but now we’ve got him in that Saturday starter (role).&uot;

The weekend was Smith’s first not to throw after he threw just one inning in Game 1 in the Alabama State series the previous weekend. He went into that series well-rested with what coaches thought was a case of tendonitis in his elbow.

Instead, he lasted just one inning while walking four and allowing four earned runs and striking out none.

&uot;I was trying to push through it,&uot; said Smith, who has 33 strikeouts in 32 innings. &uot;I didn’t feel great before the game. It wasn’t a good situation. I think it’s going to be a strain. I’ll try to rest it for a while and try to make it through the end of the season. I’ll try to help my team.&uot;

What happens to that No. 3 starter spot is up in the air, although Walker did well in four innings of work before Chatwin shut the door. Chatwin, the right-hander from Canada, may get more innings in the third game this weekend in the Mississippi Valley series if the situation comes up again like it did Sunday.

Coaches wanted Walker to go at least five Sunday. He got the start in Game 3 of the Alabama State series, but he went just 2 1/3.

&uot;It worked out like I wanted,&uot; McGowan said. &uot;I wanted him to throw five, but I didn’t want to take a chance. They got the lead, and I said I’ll go on and pull him and let Chatwin finish it up. I knew Chatwin wasn’t going to give more than two or three runs.&uot;

It was nothing new for Chatwin, who allowed two runs on four hits in five innings to get his sixth save of the season. Armed with a fastball and a curve, Chatwin closed the door in the final two innings against the Bulldogs to notch the win and the series sweep.

&uot;I throw only two pitches,&uot; Chatwin said. &uot;I try to get them to ground out most of the time. Our defense didn’t make any errors, and that was really nice. And I like to pitch when we get up three or four runs.&uot;

Chatwin leads the team in ERA (3.32), appearances (15) and innings (38). He’s walked only 11 batters, also a team-low on a staff that’s had problems earlier in the season.

&uot;He’s been a closer ever since he’s been here, and he’s been doing a pretty good job,&uot; McGowan said. &uot;He’s leading the conference in saves. He’s not an extremely hard thrower, but the way he releases the ball and the pitches he throws catches batters off stride.&uot;

Chatwin could help the team this weekend with the crucial series at Mississippi Valley after the Delta Devils took two of three against Jackson over the weekend. Alcorn enters the week a game back of Valley in the standings with three in Itta Bena starting Friday.

And Short may get the nod to open the series if Smith isn’t ready to go.

&uot;It looks like the team is trying to pick it up,&uot; Smith said. &uot;B.K. (Short) is stepping in. He has the ability to do it. I told him I’ll be the No. 2 (starter).&uot;