Mississippi News
College baseball begins Friday with high expectations
Play Ball! College baseball begins Friday with high expectations
It's time to do what Mississippians do best when it comes to college sports. That is, play ball. Baseball.
Defending national champion Mississippi State, NCAA regional champ Ole Miss, and perennial NCAA Tournament participant Southern Miss all begin their seasons Friday with home weekend series. To say the least, expectations are high.
Mississippi State, ranked highly in most preseason polls including No. 4 by D1Baseball, will play host to West Coast baseball powerhouse Long Beach State, ranked No. 24 in the same poll. The Bulldogs and Dirtbags will play single games at 2 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
At Oxford, Charleston Southern (18-26 last season) of the Big South Conference will visit for single games Friday (4 p.m.), Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (2:30 p.m.).
At Hattiesburg, Southern Miss will play North Alabama (7-40 in 2021) for single games Friday (4 p.m.), Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.).
The 2021 college baseball season ended with State's All American closer Landon Sims getting the last out in the Bulldogs' 9-0 championship victory over Vanderbilt in the College World Series at Omaha. State's 2022 season will open with Sims on the mound at Dudy Noble, shifting roles from lock-down closer to Friday night starter. Sims, who saved so many of All American Will Bednar's victories last season, will inherit Bednar's role of front-line starter.
The Bulldogs will be face a difficult foe. Long Beach won 15 of its last 17 games a year ago and features one of the nation's best closers of its own. Sophomore Devereaux Harrison finished with a 3-1 record and a team-leading 10 saves last season. He struck out 42 batters in 34 innings and opponents hit just .175 against him.
At Oxford, Ole Miss returns its everyday lineup virtually in tact from a team that hit .288 with 85 home runs in 67 games. Rebel returners include shortstop Jacob Gonzalez who hit a team-leading .355 with 12 home runs and 55 RBI. Also back is first baseman Tim Elko, who gained almost legendary status in Ole Miss baseball annals last season when he played the last couple months with a torn ACL and still led the team with 16 home runs. Kevin Graham (.342, 14 HR, 54 RBI) also returns.
This weekend's series will mark the return of former Ole Miss player and assistant coach Marc MacMillan, who begins his second season as Charleston Southern's head coach.
Southern Miss must replace two of the most productive starting pitchers in school history in Walker Powell and Hunter Stanley — and left-handed relief ace Ryan Och. But Scott Berry returns a deep pitching staff of strong arms and welcomes back most of a batting lineup that hit .275 with 83 home runs to help the Golden Eagles finish second in the Oxford Regional.
Southern Miss apparently will be competing for the last season in Conference USA and the Eagles are the coaches' preseason pick to win the league.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
8 schools in our area receive ‘Military Star Schools’ recognition
SUMMARY: Eight schools in the area have been recognized by the Mississippi Department of Education as “Military Star Schools” for their support of military families and children of service members. These schools include West Lowndes Elementary and High Schools, New Hope Elementary, Middle, and High Schools, Aberdeen Elementary School, Annunciation Catholic School, and Columbus Christian Academy. Schools with this designation must have a dedicated school liaison for military families and provide professional development for staff to meet the needs of military students and families. The designation lasts for two years and was established by Governor Tate Reeves in February 2022.
The post 8 schools in our area receive ‘Military Star Schools' recognition appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
Mississippi lawmakers go back and forth on education funding
SUMMARY: Mississippi lawmakers are debating public education funding before the end of the 2024 Legislative Session. The House is pushing for the INSPIRE Act, which aims to provide more funding to underfunded schools and special needs students. Opponents are urging caution in overhauling the current funding system, calling for input from experts to understand potential consequences. The Senate's plan involves making minor adjustments to the current MAEP formula. The final decision on education funding will impact the future of education in Mississippi and its impact on students.
The post Mississippi lawmakers go back and forth on education funding appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Itawamba County deputies save dog with Narcan
SUMMARY: Itawamba County deputies saved a dog during a drug bust by administering Narcan after the pup became unresponsive due to fentanyl exposure. The deputies were originally at the home on a search warrant and found Kenneth Cook and Candace Pierce in possession of meth and fentanyl with intent to distribute. Both individuals were charged and their bonds were set at $45,000 each. The dog was revived with two units of Narcan. Follow for updates on this local news story involving the rescue of the dog and the arrest of two individuals.
The post Itawamba County deputies save dog with Narcan appeared first on www.wcbi.com
-
Mississippi News5 days ago
Mississippi will soon be bombarded with cicadas
-
SuperTalk FM4 days ago
4 tornadoes touched down in Mississippi during latest round of severe storms
-
SuperTalk FM2 days ago
Chance of parole denied for man who killed 3 Choctaw Indian tribal members
-
SuperTalk FM5 days ago
2 Jones County correctional officers arrested in smuggling bust
-
Mississippi News7 days ago
Columbus schools may see needed upgrades with bond issue
-
Local News5 days ago
Almost 3,500 Mississippi Veterans have enrolled in VA health care in past 365 days, 28% increase over last year
-
Kaiser Health News2 days ago
To Stop Fentanyl Deaths in Philadelphia, Knocking on Doors and Handing Out Overdose Kits
-
SuperTalk FM4 days ago
Amazon project in Madison County to be over $10B, create more jobs than projected: report