Wednesday, June 21, 2017   
 
Mississippi State receives extensive Lincoln and Civil War collection
A private collection of artifacts from President Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War were gifted to Mississippi State University by former Rhode Island Chief Justice and Lincoln authority Frank J. Williams. MSU President Mark E. Keenum and Williams announced the gift on Tuesday, which Keenum said will transform the university into one of the nation's leading destinations for scholars and students of the Civil War. The collection -- which has been valued at $3 million -- is considered the nation's largest privately-owned holding of Lincoln research and display material. The over Civil War material is included in the overall value. "Mississippi State University is immensely proud to receive the Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana, a truly unique and comprehensive collection that provides unprecedented insight into the life and times of our 16th president and the Civil War era," Keenum said.
 
Mississippi State gets Lincoln, Civil War collection
Officials say a large Civil War donation will transform Mississippi State University into one of the nation's leading American Civil War research destinations. Former Rhode Island Chief Justice Frank J. Williams, a nationally known authority on Abraham Lincoln, will donate his collection, amassed over the past 50 years, to the university. He was also key in relocating the Ulysses S. Grant Association and its archives to Mississippi State nine years ago. Williams and his wife, Virginia, have also promised a gift of $500,000 for the creation of the Frank J. and Virginia Williams Research Fund, an endowment to MSU to curate the material in the years to come.
 
Former R.I. chief justice gives Lincoln memorabilia to Mississippi State
Former Rhode Island Chief Justice Frank J. Williams has donated nearly $3 million worth of Civil War and Lincoln memorabilia to Mississippi State University. MSU President Mark E. Keenum said the gift will transform his institution into one of the leading destinations for scholars and students of the American Civil War. The Williams' collection is considered one of the country's largest privately owned collections of Lincoln research and display material, the university said. It includes rare historical artifacts, signed documents, ephemera and books published over a span of 150 years. Judge Williams and his wife have also promised a gift of $500,000 to create the Frank J. and Virginia Williams Research Fund, an endowment to curate the material for years to come.
 
Local Mississippi State students receive Toyota-Haley Barbour Scholarship
Several local students have been awarded the prestigious Toyota-Haley Barbour Scholarship from Mississippi State University. The university honors six incoming freshmen with the scholarship. Each will receive more than $32,000 over the course of four years to help cover the cost of tuition. To qualify, the students must be graduating high school seniors from either DeSoto County or northeast Mississippi. They must also hold a minimum 3.0 grade-point average, as well as the expressed pursuit of degrees in math, physics, computer science, or engineering.
 
On the Move: Mississippi State University
Dennis Smith, a veteran chemist and researcher, is the new head of the Department of Chemistry at Mississippi State University. His position as the leader of the College of Arts and Sciences' department will begin July 1. David Buys, a Extension Service health specialist, has received the Magnolia Award from the Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, which recognizes individuals outside the dietetics profession who make significant contributions to the field. Jamie Burwell Mixon, a graphic design professor, is being honored with a HOW International Design Award for her Mumford & Sons concert poster. Mixon has been designing concert posters for the Verizon arena since 2004.
 
Aldermen OK comprehensive plan amid industrial park debate
The Starkville Comprehensive Plan was a major talking point during Tuesday's Board of Aldermen meeting - which represented the last meeting of the current Board before the swearing in of newly-elected aldermen in July. The board addressed the reconsideration of the Starkville Comprehensive Plan, which was approved back in December of 2016. The comprehensive plan was approved with a vote of 4 to 3. Ward 2 Alderman Lisa Wynn, Ward 6 Alderman and Vice Mayor Roy A'. Perkins and Ward 7 Alderman Henry N. Vaughn, Sr., voted against adopting the plan. Mayor Parker Wisemen said the comprehensive plan presented Tuesday is the same one that was approved last year. Wiseman explained that the plan is being presented again because the city couldn't adopt it last year.
 
Mayor Parker Wiseman recounts eight years of growth in Starkville
As his two terms in office draw to a close, Mayor Parker Wiseman believes the local economy has seen tremendous growth in the previous eight years, adding that Starkville is a city where he is proud to continue life as a private citizen. Wiseman's second term ends June 30. He decided not to seek a third term. Recalling a memorable quote from his first mayoral campaign to Starkville Rotarians at the weekly luncheon on Monday at Starkville Country Club, Wiseman said he would know we have arrived as a city when "we get more excited about doing something in the community than we do about stopping something in the community." Now, more than eight years later, he believes that day has come due to many growth factors.
 
Lowndes County supervisors weighing options for Communiversity funding
Lowndes County supervisors want more time to consider a resolution that would pave the way for a $13.5 million bond issue for the Communiversity later this year. The Communiversity, which is currently under construction on Highway 82 next to PACCAR, is a joint project between Clay, Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties, along with East Mississippi Community College to build a regional workforce training center. The resolution allows East Mississippi Community College to issue $13.5 million in bonds for the project's local funding -- $10 million from Lowndes County; $2.5 million from Oktibbeha County; and $1 million from Clay County. Joe Max Higgins, CEO for the Golden Triangle Development LINK with which the three counties contract for economic development projects, appeared before Lowndes supervisors Monday and reported the bonds would be repayable over 20 years.
 
Long Stretch of Gulf Coast Eyes Tropical Storm Cindy
From the Florida Panhandle to eastern Texas, residents and government officials along the northern Gulf Coast kept an eye on slow-moving Tropical Storm Cindy, which the National Weather Service said posed a threat of "life-threatening flash flooding." Rain bands from the weather disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico began pushing ashore Tuesday even before it reached tropical storm strength. It was stationary much of the day Tuesday but was on a lumbering track that would take its center toward southwestern Louisiana and eastern Texas by Wednesday morning. "We could see this thing park on the west side of the state and dump rain until Saturday," Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Executive Director Lee Smithson said Tuesday.
 
South Mississippi waking up to street flooding from Tropical Storm Cindy
Rainfall from Tropical Storm Cindy already has caused enough road flooding to block off parts of US 90 and South Mississippi wakes up on Wednesday. Rain bands associated with Tropical Storm Cindy will continue to move across South Mississippi through Thursday, causing flooding in low-lying areas and flash flooding. The National Weather Service in New Orleans is forecasting 3 to 6 inches of rain for the Mississippi Coast on Wednesday. The Mississippi Department of Transportation tweeted out that there is flooding on Mississippi 604 between Mississippi 607 and US 90 in Hancock County. Avoid the area if possible. The storm is moving northwest at 8 mph early Wednesday morning with a track that has it making landfall on the Louisiana-Texas border on Wednesday evening.
 
Farm Bureau national president visits South Mississippi farmers
The head of the nation's largest general farm organization was in the Pine Belt Tuesday meeting local farmers. Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, toured the B & M Blueberry Farm and Packing Facility in Lumberton and he also spoke at a Farm Bureau banquet in Jasper County. He also visited other parts of Mississippi during what he called a fact-finding tour, to help make farms better and stronger. "It's listening to issues and really taking stories from the farm to Washington, D.C., sharing it with Congressmen, Senators, the President of the United States or the USDA, whoever might need to hear that story," Duvall said. Duvall, a cattle and chicken farmer from Georgia, said the number one issue facing agriculture is farm labor.
 
Lawmaker believes updated safeguards adequate for awarding state contracts
Legislation passed during the 2017 session is the final piece in putting together laws to ensure the fair and accountable awarding of state contracts for both personal services and commodities, said House Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Chair Jerry Turner, R-Baldwyn. Turner said additional "tweaking" of the laws on the awarding of state contracts might be needed in the upcoming session, but said in general "I want to see how the changes work." Turner began working on making changes on how state contracts were awarded prior to then-Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps being indicted in November 2014 for accepting bribes for the awarding of contracts. Epps was sentenced to almost 20 years in the federal penitentiary system earlier this year for various counts of bribery and other charges.
 
Former Southaven Mayor Greg Davis found not guilty on felony fraud, embezzlement charges
A Lafayette County circuit court jury Tuesday found former Southaven Mayor Greg Davis not guilty of embezzlement and fraud, reversing a 2014 conviction in DeSoto County that was thrown out by the Mississippi Court of Appeals. The panel took 1 1/2 hours to make its decision Tuesday afternoon following a full morning of testimony by Davis, the day's only witness. With the decision, Davis puts behind him a years-long legal saga that grew out of the last few years of his 16-year tenure as mayor. In a separate civil case, Davis was ordered by the state auditor's office to repay more than $170,000 to Southaven, which he said Tuesday has been repaid fully. Davis, who now works at Home Depot in Horn Lake, said a tell-all book might be in his future plans now that he's free to talk. But the former state representative, before becoming mayor, and unsuccessful U.S. Congressional candidate, said he has no further political ambitions.
 
Congress should let members carry concealed weapons, representative says
In the wake of last week's shooting that left one of his colleagues in critical condition, Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks has introduced a measure that would allow members of Congress to carry concealed weapons to better protect themselves. "I am a person who believes in self-help," Brooks said Tuesday in an interview with the USA TODAY network. "You're a sitting duck in Washington, D.C., to a lone-wolf shooter or a terrorist. You have no protection except for when you're on the U.S. Capitol and congressional office building grounds." Mississippi U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly was reportedly the first target of the gunman. Kelly, a combat veteran, was playing third base when the gunman opened fire from the third-base side of the field. Mississippi Republican Rep. Gregg Harper, chairman of the House Administration Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Capitol Police, said the panel will discuss safety concerns in upcoming days.
 
Spotted at the Mississippi Society's 'Mississippi on the Mall' event over the weekend
Spotted at the Mississippi Society's "Mississippi on the Mall" event over the weekend, according to a POLITICO Influence tipster: Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.) and his son, Bear; Brad White of Sen. Thad Cochran's office; Michelle Barlow of Sen. Roger Wicker's office; Rodney Bennett, the president of the University of Southern Mississippi, and Gordon Cannon, the vice president for research; Nick Owens of Magnolia Street Partners; Susan Sweat of Cornerstone Government Affairs; and members of the Mississippi Society, including Robert Murray (with his son, Brooks), Sarah Lloyd Stevenson, Nicole Tisdale, Brett Richards, Samantha Helton, Mary Margaret Johnson and Frances Luke Stringer.
 
Staff Departures Undermine GOP Legislative Agenda
Key Republican staffers are departing Capitol Hill with the GOP in control of Congress and the White House, raising questions about how the party will advance its ambitious agenda to overhaul the U.S. tax code and health care system. Senior personnel for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee have departed and lobbyists say others are preparing to depart the Senate Finance Committee. A handful of health policy staffers for members on those panels have also left for jobs off Capitol Hill and a key individual on the Senate Budget Committee was recently nominated for a senior post at the State Department. While much of the work of staff is done behind the scenes, lawmakers are quick to recognize the strong impact they have on advancing policy. Outside of the committees, top health staffers have departed the offices of Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Johnny Isakson of Georgia.
 
President Trump sparks rush of NAFTA lobbying
Lobbyists are gearing up for the looming renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, a sweeping trade pact of critical importance to the United States, Canada and Mexico. Trade officials from the three nations will take the lead at the negotiating table, but business leaders are already working to build consensus around possible changes to the agreement. About 175 companies and groups in the U.S. listed lobbying federal officials on NAFTA from June 2016 through the beginning of this year. Roughly a dozen other entities have recently hired Washington lobbyists, including states, provinces and business groups in Mexico and Canada. The agriculture sector is "not the industry pushing for large wholesale changes to NAFTA," said Veronica Nigh, an economist at the American Farm Bureau. "Now that we're here, there could be some changes around the edges."
 
Handel defeats Ossoff to win Georgia 6th District
Republican Karen Handel staved off a furious challenge from Democrat Jon Ossoff on Tuesday in a race to represent a suburban Atlanta seat in Congress, as the GOP and President Donald Trump avoided an embarrassing defeat in the most expensive U.S. House contest in history. A former Georgia secretary of state, Handel emphasized her experience and roots in Georgia's 6th Congressional District to defeat Ossoff and keep a seat that's long been held by Republicans in GOP hands. She becomes Georgia's first female Republican member of the U.S. House. Her victory will be cast as a win for Trump, who campaigned for Handel and hurled a string of antagonizing tweets at Ossoff. And it could buoy jittery GOP incumbents who worry that allying with Trump in competitive districts could doom them.
 
Democrats, reeling from Georgia loss, face 2018 reality check
Congressman John Lewis, before the votes were counted Tuesday, called Jon Ossoff's candidacy "not just a campaign" but a "movement." Lewis and the rest of the Democratic Party were reminded a few hours later that movements can still lose elections. Ossoff's loss to Republican Karen Handel highlights a painful truth for Democrats: At a time when most House battlegrounds lean Republican, their party's newfound surge of energy -- on its own -- will struggle to deliver big victories in next year's midterm election, as it has in a slew of special election defeats this year. "What matters to me is what we can do in the next 12 months," said Austin Barbour, a prominent Mississippi-based GOP strategist. "If we don't get stuff done legislatively in the next 12 months or even 14 or 15 months, we will be in for a rough ride as a party, as a country. That's what ultimately matters...I'm glad Karen Handel won tonight, but that's the big picture."
 
Tyson Foods Adopts Video, Welfare Checks in Poultry Operations
Tyson Foods has installed video cameras in key areas of its poultry operations and will test new ways to slaughter birds -- not in response to previous "gotcha" moments but under a corporate philosophy that notes its role as a steward for millions of chickens, the company said. The Arkansas-based meat producer last month hired its first chief sustainability officer and on Wednesday will announce a series of animal well-being initiatives. In an interview Tuesday, Justin Whitmore said that while abuses at myriad companies have been exposed through secretly recorded video, taking action now prevents having to react later.
 
'Legendary' Ole Miss law professor George Cochran dies
George C. Cochran, Professor Emeritus at the University of Mississippi School of Law, has passed away. The Ole Miss School of Law made the announcement Monday on its website. "Cochran has been an integral part of the Ole Miss Law family since joining the faculty in 1972. Cochran was a legend at Ole Miss Law and will be greatly missed." Cochran clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stanley Reed and for Chief Justice Earl Warren. He taught constitutional law, Supreme Court practice and federal jurisdiction and procedure. He was director of the Center on Law and Poverty at Duke University, an attorney with Steptoe and Johnson in Washington, D.C., and an attorney for the President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy. For the past 16 years, he has been a visiting constitutional law professor at Fordham University and worked with the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York.
 
Scholars at JSU to Learn About State's Role in Civil Rights Movement
Twenty-two professors from across the country are spending three weeks in Mississippi. They're at Jackson State University, courtesy of the National Endowment for the Humanities. They're learning about the state's role in the Civil Rights movement. Professor Andrea Johnson from California State University knows about Dr. Martin Luther King and the movement in Alabama and Georgia, but little about Mississippi's role. "So it's been great to come here and see a little bit different side of the picture. Obviously there's times King comes through the state, but the Mississippi civil rights movement has some great local heroes," Johnson said. JSU is also hosting a "Voice of Freedom Book Series" this week, to celebrate the centennial of voting rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer.
 
For U. of Alabama Sororities, the Path to Diversity Is Personal
Stasia Foster is the first African-American president of her sorority at the University of Alabama -- but she doesn't see herself as a symbol of her campus's progress. Instead she sees herself as the leader of the community that made her feel welcome in a new place. It is an accomplishment, she said, not qualified by race. Four years ago the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa saw protests and national attention because of the barriers for minority students among its sororities and fraternities. This year, three African-American women took over the presidencies of their traditionally white sororities, including Ms. Foster, whose sorority is one of the largest on the campus. The women's appointments, university administrators say, are evidence of a changing campus.
 
U. of Tennessee trustees to vote on $25K raise for president, decide on employee increases
A $25,000 raise for University of Tennessee President Joe DiPietro and other salary increases and bonuses across the UT system will be decided Thursday when the UT board of trustees meets in Knoxville. More than $300,000 in incentive payments for top administrators, excluding DiPietro, are being proposed as part of an incentive compensation plan for the university's five chancellors, executive vice president, chief financial officer, general counsel and the president's secretary. A three percent increase in the university's payroll, worth about $29 million, also will be considered to cover salary increases across the UT system.
 
Texas A&M touts data center at RELLIS Campus
The Texas A&M University System RELLIS Campus is looking to add a new data center to its upcoming facilities -- a move officials said could be an attractive addition for potential industry partners. A&M System administrators had an open meeting Tuesday with industry representatives interested in developing the public-private project to share the institution's vision for the data center and its place at the rapidly growing campus. Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Phillip Ray led the meeting, where he said the center has potential to bring added momentum to the campus mission. "The potential is unlimited if this thing takes off the way we think it will," Ray said.
 
U. of Missouri wins round in lawsuit with professor
The Missouri Western District Court of Appeals on Tuesday gave the University of Missouri a victory in its effort to terminate an engineering professor who has engaged in ongoing legal disputes with the university. Galen Suppes, a professor of bioengineering until he was terminated in late May, lost in his lawsuit seeking to throw out the UM System rules governing grievances against tenured faculty. The court, in an unanimous opinion written by Judge Victor Howard, determined that procedures for investigating and ruling on grievances do not violate federal due process rights and meet the requirements of state law. Suppes' attorney, George Smith, said the ruling undermines tenure rights for faculty throughout the state.
 
U. of Missouri System president to promote use of free online course materials
Early this spring, Taylor Tutin sat at a table in the University of Missouri Student Center representing the Missouri Students Association and asked MU students to write on a whiteboard how much they had spent on a book for a class. "We had all the way up to $600 for a single textbook," she said. UM System President Mun Choi, as part of a larger effort to make higher education more affordable, is scheduled to announce at 1 p.m. Wednesday a system-wide initiative on open educational resources. Representatives from bookstores, faculty and student governments will be present when he makes his remarks at the MU Student Center. Open educational resources usually rely on peer review processes to ensure quality, but that quality isn't always guaranteed. MU Interim Chancellor and Provost Garnett Stokes in a campus email Tuesday referred people to a Goucher College website for more information.
 
When your First Amendment rights offend me: Senators considers free speech on campus
Students on college campuses can't agree on what represents legitimate free speech, and neither can Congress, with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee arguing Tuesday about where to strike a balance. "Where do you draw the line?" asked Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. "I don't want a speaker to come to a university and use a racial epithet repeatedly. ...I don't consider that to be adding to public discourse." But Kennedy said he's disturbed about incidents such as one earlier this year at Middlebury College in Vermont, in which protesters shouted down speaker Charles Murray, who co-write "The Bell Curve," which links intelligence to class and race. "But on the other hand, if somebody wants to come and discuss 'The Bell Curve' and is hooted down ...I don't see anything wrong with that (discussion). So who wants to tell me how to draw that line?"
 
'Bright line' indicators, student outcomes dominate discussion of federal accreditation panel
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Distance Education Accrediting Commission just happened to be the two agencies whose turn it was to appear before the federal panel on accreditation that met here Tuesday. It hardly mattered, though, as the discussion before the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity had relatively little to do with the two agencies' actual performance or perceived failings (with a couple of exceptions, including how the Southern accreditor responded to academic wrongdoing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Many accreditation watchers looked to Tuesday's meeting as the first that might show some impact from the new administration, which has made noises about deregulating higher education and other sectors.
 
Sen. Roger Wicker to be first GOPer to test election water after flag stance
The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Bobby Harrison writes: "Tupelo's Roger Wicker is expected to cruise to an easy victory next year for his second full term in the United States Senate. And, if that re-election does occur as expected, Wicker will become the first Mississippi Republican to win a statewide election after definitively calling for the state flag to be replaced. A matter of fact, the Tupelo attorney may be the first Republican to wage a statewide campaign after endorsing changing the state flag, which includes the controversial Confederate battle emblem as a significant part of its design. It should be pointed out that Republican Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann at least hinted that he might support changing the flag in June 2015 months before his re-election. But by the time Hosemann made his statement the deadline for someone to qualify to run against him had passed so he faced no immediate political jeopardy -- especially from a fellow Republican."


SPORTS
 
John Cohen discusses Vic Schaefer extension, baseball construction, more in Q&A
In a wide-ranging Q&A with The Clarion-Ledger, Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen recently discussed a contract extension for Vic Schaefer, how Dudy Noble Field construction impacts baseball home games and more.
 
Dak Prescott conducts youth camp at Mississippi State
Mississippi State's favorite son returned to Starkville to give back to the community that helped mold his career. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott conducted a football camp on Tuesday for children in grades 1 through 8 on the Bulldogs' practice fields. It was important to Prescott for this to be one of the stops on his summer camp tour. "It's just everything Mississippi State has done for me," Prescott said. Conducting youth camps is something Prescott has been planning since he was drafted in the fourth round by the Cowboys last April. "I know the platform that I have and felt like this was something that was necessary that I do," Prescott said. "It's good to give back and interact with these kids and try to give them life lessons as well as football lessons."
 
Dak Prescott happy to bring camp to Mississippi State
Dak Prescott grew up wanting to play football for a living. The former Mississippi State quarterback and current Dallas Cowboys signal caller fulfilled his dream. Thinking back to his time as a youngster though, Prescott said he would have loved to have the chance to go to a football camp ran by an NFL player. He wanted to make sure kids in the Starkville area got that opportunity. Prescott was back at MSU on Tuesday at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex leading the adidas Dak Prescott Football ProCamp. The camp featured two different sessions and welcomed a total of about 1,400 first-through-eighth-grade campers who got the chance to rub shoulders with Prescott. "I would've done anything I could to be in their shoes (when I was that age)," Prescott said. "It is an opportunity for them and an opportunity for me, as well, along with these coaches (helping at the camp) to make relationships and learn something from the person next to you about life."
 
Over 1,400 kids attend Dak Prescott camp at Mississippi State
Over 1400 kids were in one place on Tuesday. The Adidas Dak Prescott ProCamp was held at Mississippi State. The young athletes got to learn from and hang out with the Cowboys star. This camp just 1 example of how the former Bulldog continues to give back. And even with all the spotlight, the 2016 NFL Rookie of the Year said it never gets old. "I love that," Prescott said. "Their excitement and just how easy I can bring excitement to their day or change something in their life or whatever they're going through, it's great. I feel like it's necessary that I do these camps to give back and interact with these kids. Try to give them life lessons as well as football lessons and get them better in their community and anyway that they can. I've been blessed to have this platform, so it's important for me to do this."
 
Dak Prescott hosts youth football camp at Mississippi State
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott returned to Mississippi State on Tuesday to conduct a football camp for more than 1,400 youngsters. The adidas Dak Prescott Football Camp featured a morning session and an afternoon session. Prescott played at MSU from 2012-2015. "When we started picking places for camps, it was a no-brainer to come back home, and it's been a great turnout," Prescott said. "It's great to see familiar faces, familiar coaches, (and I) have some of my family and friends here as well, it's amazing." Prescott led the Cowboys to the NFC East title in 2016, when he was named the NFL's Rookie of the Year.
 
Collin Crane offering new challenges to Mississippi State men's basketball
Collin Crane's job description extends far beyond using only weights. Hired in May as strength and conditioning coach for the Mississippi State men's basketball program, Crane learned from MSU coach Ben Howland and others what the Bulldogs did in the weight room with his predecessor, David Deets. He also discovered those things weren't a top priority. "Coach Howland was ready for a new challenge for our team," Crane said. "That was something we talked about a lot in the process of me getting acclimated to our program. He wanted a new sense of what our team is going to be about, a new sense of identity." A few weeks into the summer schedule -- Crane's first exposure to the team allowed by the NCAA -- and all parties are pleased with the results.
 
Mississippi State's Drew Windham looks to find groove in summer league
Drew Windham was always in season at Ocean Springs, always busy. When he wasn't quarterbacking the Greyhounds, he was either pitching or swinging a bat on the diamond. There was very little down time to speak of for the standout student athlete. After coming on as a senior at OSHS, Windham caught the attention of recruiters and eventually worked his way onto the Mississippi State baseball team as a pitcher. He had a solid fall ball season, good enough to make the squad, but was redshirted. Windham was grateful for the opportunity to wear MSU maroon, even if his official Bulldog debut will have to wait a year. "It was definitely a major adjustment but I had to realize I'm blessed to even be in this position to redshirt at Mississippi State," he said Monday. "It's every kid's dream to play college baseball, especially in SEC."
 
Royals ink Mississippi State's Josh Lovelady
Mississippi State catcher Josh Lovelady will get a shot at the next level. The backstop inked with the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday making him the second redshirt senior Bulldog to sign a free agent contract along with Cody Brown, who went to the Yankees. Lovelady started 51 games behind the dish for MSU this season batting .215 with seven doubles, one triple, one home run and 21 RBIs.
 
Alabama baseball coach to earn $265,000
New University of Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon's base salary will be identical to that of his predecessor. Bohannon's salary will be $265,000. The Tuscaloosa News obtained the information through an open records request. That does not include a talent fee, other compensation or bonuses which should be included in the final contract once it is approved. That works out to $22,083.34 per month. Previous head coach Greg Goff's total compensation was $450,000 annually, with a $265,000 salary and $185,000 talent fee. Goff will be paid the remaining four years of his base salary, worth $1.06 million in total, as part of his buyout if he does not take another job in baseball.
 
TCU ends Texas A&M's baseball season for third straight year
A quick start and a tall lanky pitcher took all the drama and suspense out of a series that has been full of both over the past couple of years. TCU starter Brian Howard controlled Texas A&M for seven innings, and the Horned Frogs scored four runs early en rout to a 4-1 victory over the Aggies, eliminating them from the College World Series on Tuesday. The two teams needed three games and then some to decide two super regional series the previous two years. The same team won this time around, but Howard, reliever Sean Wymer and TCU's quick start made for a much quieter show as the Horned Frogs (48-17) ended the Aggies' season for the third straight year.
 
Florida handles Louisville 5-1, advances to CWS winner's bracket final
Brady Singer pitched seven strong innings and Austin Langworthy and Deacon Liput homered to lead Florida to a 5-1 win over Louisville in the College World Series on Tuesday night. The Gators (49-18) have won their first two CWS games for the first time in four appearances since opening 3-0 and reaching the finals in 2011. Florida plays at 8 p.m. Friday in the Bracket 2 final against the winner of Thursday's Louisville-TCU elimination game. Louisville (53-11) managed one run on six hits and struck out nine times against Singer (8-5). Florida pitchers finished with 10 strikeouts, making it their fifth straight game with double-digit Ks.
 
Phillip Fulmer to earn $100K for part-time U. of Tennessee job
Phillip Fulmer wasted little time before addressing the elephant in the room. As he was introduced Tuesday as a special adviser to University of Tennessee President Joe DiPietro for community, athletics and university relations, the former UT football coach stated that there was "absolutely no animosity" between himself, the university and John Currie for not being named athletic director back in February. "I simply felt compelled to try for the position because of my love and passion for the university," Fulmer said. "I went through the proper channels and appreciated the support I received internally and from the alumni and fans, but it was made clear to me from the very beginning that I did not fit the criteria." In a letter dated June 5, UT offered a part-time staff position to Fulmer for an annual salary of $100,000 ($8,333.33 per month). He will have a non-accountable expense allowance of $30,000 for the year to fulfill his duties, according to UT.



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