A former Mississippi track standout has been convicted of misdemeanor simple assault for a 2007 baseball bat attack on another man.

John C. Yarbrough was found guilty Tuesday for attacking Travis Amos in October 2007 at an apartment complex in Oxford. Sentencing was scheduled for Wednesday.

Yarbrough’s attorneys claimed he was acting self-defense, but several witnesses said he was the aggressor in the confrontation. The victim’s injuries were limited to bruises and abrasions, but prosecutors wanted Yarbrough convicted of a felony instead of the lesser charge.

The misdemeanor conviction carries a penalty of up to six months. Yarbrough could have faced 20 years in prison had he been convicted of a felony.