Michael Avalon is entering his ninth season as head baseball coach at Pearl River Community College in 2024-25.

The 2024 season was one for the records book. Avalon took home MACCC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career after guiding PRCC to a program-record 49 wins, program-record 29-game winning streak and MACCC record 25-3 showing in conference play. PRCC captured its third MACCC crown in four years and sixth overall during the season, earning the right to host the Region 23 Tournament. The Wildcats eclipsed 45 wins for a third straight season and were ranked in the top-5 of every NJCAA poll.

During the 2023 season, Avalon's Wildcats won 45 games for the second consecutive season and were once again ranked in the NJCAA poll in every edition. 

Avalon and his Wildcats had an unbelieveable 2022 campaign, capturing the baseball program's first NJCAA Division II National Championship. Pearl River also captured a second straight MACCC Championship along with the Region 23 Title. The Wildcats finished the year with a 45-11 record. Avalon was named MACCC, Region 23 and NJCAA Coach of the Year after the year was complete.

In the 2021 season, Avalon led the Wildcats to a 36-9 record and a MACCC Championship. Pearl River spent the entire year ranked among the top three teams in the national rankings. For his efforts, he was named MACCC Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the season.

The Wildcats were off to a hot start in 2020 before the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic prematurely halted the season. At the time the season was canceled, the Wildcats had built a 12-4 overall record and had climbed to No. 3 in the NJCAA Division II poll. The highlight of the season came in a doubleheader sweep at nearby Nunez where PRCC's staffs combined for an impressive combined no-hitter.

The 2019 season saw Avalon help the Wildcats break through in a history-making season. The Wildcats spent the entire season as a nationally ranked top ten team while accumulating a 41-14 record. Most importantly, the Wildcats broke through during the postseason, winning the Region XXIII Tournament and clinching an appearance in the College World Series for the first time since 2002. 

In Avalon's second year at PRCC he led the Wildcats to their third state championship in school history, posting a 38-11 record. 

Avalon posted a winning record of 28-19 in his first season as head coach of the Wildcats. 

Avalon had been the head coach at Mississippi Delta Community College for five seasons, taking the Trojans to the MACJC playoffs four times, and was an assistant coach at East Central Community College for five seasons prior to taking the job at MDCC.

Under Avalon’s guidance, the Trojans were consistently among the best in the state and in the nation in team grade-point average, finishing either first or second in the MACJC for all five years of his tenure.

He also raised more than $200,000 for the MDCC program, resulting in a number of significant upgrades to the facility on the Moorhead campus. Through 2015, he has sent 36 players to four-year programs, including 12 Division I players.

Avalon is a native of Jackson and played high school ball as a pitcher for Tommy Groves at Forest Hill High School.

He played two seasons at Holmes Community College (2001-02) and was a second team All-State selection as a sophomore. He was named to the HCC Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

After leaving Holmes, Avalon spent a year at Lincoln Memorial University (Tenn.), then completed his playing career in 2004 at West Alabama. He served two seasons as graduate assistant at UWA, helping the Tigers reach the NCAA Division II regionals both seasons. West Alabama was Gulf South Conference champion in 2005 and GSC runners-up in 2006.

While at East Central, he helped the Warriors to the MACJC championship in 2007, and three appearances in the NHCAA Region 23 Tournament.

His overall coaching record at Mississippi Delta was 115-111 and 69-61 in conference play.

Avalon was named Assistant Director of Athletics ahead of the 2022-23 school year.

Avalon is married to the former Kayla Brooke of Kosciusko, Miss., and they have two sons, Brooks and Tucker, and a daughter, Harper.