| Monday, May 21, 2018 |
| Startup by Mississippi State students uses drones to improve rural internet access | |
 | A recent Mississippi State engineering graduate is leading a team of other young alumni and current MSU students in work that could mean big improvements for internet access in rural areas of the U.S. and has the potential to make a global impact. About half of the world's population does not have internet, and running fiber is not economically feasible in most rural areas. However, WISPr Systems, a new company born at MSU and now valued at about $2 million, could help make internet access in rural areas much more practical and affordable. Conor Ferguson and his associates have utilized MSU's Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach in the College of Business, which offers resources and a network of business experts who have coached the company through the start-up process. |
| Mississippi State's Catherine Pierce realizes a 'big poet dream' with Pushcart Prize | |
 | A Mississippi State faculty member with a passion and talent for creative writing is being honored with the prestigious Pushcart Prize. "I Kept Getting Books About Birds," a poem by Associate Professor of English Catherine Pierce, was first published in the spring 2017 issue of The Gettysburg Review, one of the country's premier literary journals. Editors of The Gettysburg Review then nominated the poem for inclusion in the 43rd edition of "The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses" anthology series. Endowed and annually published since 1976 by Wainscott, New York-based nonprofit Pushcart Prize Fellowships Inc., the Pushcart Prize series has been hailed by Publishers Weekly as "one of the most important publishing projects in American history." More than 70 new and established authors from more than 50 presses are included in the 2019 edition. |
| Mississippi State students build tiny houses | |
| Nearly 30 students spent two semesters building tiny houses. The students in Mississippi State University's Building Construction Science program spent the full academic year working on several projects leading up to the design and construction of steel and wooden house frames. They designed, researched and explored materials and fabrication methods, planned construction and built every element of the structures. Students also were responsible for creating a comprehensive document explaining the entire design and construction process. For fabrication, the students were split into two teams of 14. College of Architecture, Art and Design Dean Jim West guided students for the wood building. Assistant Clinical Professor Lee Carson guided the steel building team. |
| Psi Chi Honor Society inductees at MSU-Meridian | |
 | Photo: MSU-Meridian recently held induction ceremonies for Psi Chi, an international honor society whose purpose shall be to encourage, stimulate and maintain excellence in scholarship of the individual members in all fields and to advance the science of Psychology. Members typically come from the top 25 percent of all psychology majors, must have a 3.30 overall GPA and demonstrate interpersonal character and be committed to the betterment of MSU-Meridian and the field of Psychology. Inductees pictured are, from left, Dr. Rod Wilson, (co-faculty advisor), Alana Knowles (Decatur), Katie Beddingfield (Meridian), Meagan Higginbotham (Preston), Ed'Londa Tureaud (Meridian), Saquena Alford (Meridian), Sara Thorne (Noxapater), Veronica Nicole Stewart (Collinsville), and Dr. Vicki Gier, (co-faculty advisor). |
| ATV safety focus of Extension program | |
 | Within the past 6 months there have been at least four ATV deaths in east Mississippi and west Alabama. Three of those have happened since March. Industry officials say ATV safety can determine a person's future. That's why the Lauderdale County Extension Service sponsored its first ATV Safety Course Friday for children. Instructors with the institute say following their rules can mean the difference between life and death. "Kids are out of school," says Lauderdale County Extension Agent, Shani Hay. "They get up on their parent's ATVs and families' ATVs and there are a lot of accidents." Hay says Friday's safety classes are part of a big effort to curb that number. |
| Celebrity waiters 'will work for tips' to benefit Camp Rising Sun | |
| Eulalie Davis and Bobby Harper got an introduction in serving food and drinks Wednesday in preparation for their upcoming shifts as celebrity waiters. They are among 21 volunteer servers who will raise funds for Camp Rising Sun Tuesday, May 22 at Mugshots in Columbus. All tips and donations the volunteers receive from 5:30-9 p.m. will directly benefit the camp for children ages 6 to 17 who have been or are currently being treated for cancer. "This is the first time we've had a Celebrity Waiter Night," said Camp Rising Sun board member Fred Kinder. Camp Rising Sun and Mississippi State University have enjoyed a long relationship. Visits from MSU athletes and coaches highlight the campers' week each summer. On Tuesday, MSU head football coach Joe Moorhead is slated to join local celebrity waiters at about 5:30 p.m. |
| Starkville native named Eudora Welty Fellow | |
 | Starkville native and current Mississippi State University graduate student Caroline Brandon has been named the 2018 Eudora Welty Fellow and will use the $2,000 award to allow her to work in the Eudora Welty Collection at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in Jackson this summer. "Eudora Welty depicted strong female characters in her fiction," Brandon said. "I want to follow changes the author made as she developed the stories to see if her revisions add complexity to those female protagonists or limit them to better align with societal expectations." Established by MDAH and the Eudora Welty Foundation, the fellowship seeks to encourage and support research use of the Eudora Welty Collection -- the world's finest grouping of materials related to Welty and one of the most varied literary collections in the United States. She is working toward an M.A. in English literature at Mississippi State. |
| Congressional candidates face off in GOP forum Wednesday | |
| With six Republican candidates vying for U.S. Congressman Gregg Harper's open seat, the Lauderdale County Republican Party will sponsor a GOP forum for the public on Wednesday, May 23. The forum, presented by WTOK-TV and The Meridian Star, will be hosted by Meridian Community College at the McCain Theater starting at 7 p.m. Republican candidates Sally Doty, Morgan Dunn, Michael Guest, Whit Hughes, Perry Parker and Katherine "Bitzi" Tate will each make opening and closing statements during the two-hour forum, interspersed with questions from WTOK and Star reporters, Andrea Williams and Whitney Downard, as well as political analysts Keith Heard and Kathy Baxter. Syndicated columnist Sid Salter will be the moderator. |
| Starkville to begin mulling residential parking ordinance change | |
| Starkville drivers may soon be in for a change to their city's residential parking ordinance. Ward 5 Alderman Patrick Miller called for the city of Starkville to look at adjusting its residential parking ordinance at the Board of Aldermen's May 1 meeting. The new ordinance changes residential parking requirements to be set by number of dwelling units, rather than square feet, as the current ordinance sets them. The new ordinance also includes restrictions against parking on front yards, which Miller said has been an issue. The ordinance allows exceptions from the front yard parking rule -- such as for Mississippi State University home game weekends, or for private events. According to the ordinance as currently proposed, private event exceptions can be issued for up to three events per year. The ordinance automatically waives yard parking restrictions from noon Friday to noon Sunday on MSU game weekends. |
| Parks partners with SOCSD for joint use of facilities | |
| Starkville's Parks and Recreation department is preparing for a busy summer, with new activities and facility locations available for use. Interim Director Gerry Logan said one of the biggest new developments for the department this summer is a new joint-use agreement the city of Starkville and Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District approved for some of the recreational facilities at schools. The agreement, which the school board approved last week and aldermen approved on Tuesday, allows for public use of the Henderson-Ward Stewart playground and multi-use area; the Armstrong Middle School playground and multi-use area; the Sudduth Elementary School playground; and the Overstreet Elementary School playground and park. Beyond, that agreement allows for requests to use school district indoor spaces and athletic facilities to be considered on an individual basis. |
| City utilizes new video cameras to boost security | |
| In addition to the city's current surveillance system, Starkville will now utilize two new security cameras to help monitor public spaces. The two new security cameras are located on the back end of city hall on Main Street and at J.L. King Memorial Park, facing the splash pad. Public Information Officer for the Starkville Police Department Brandon Lovelady said the recent vandalism at J.L. King Park sparked the idea of placing a new camera over in that area. Lovelady said having video surveillance at Starkville parks is important because families should feel safe while enjoying the area. He said the cameras are also used as a deterrent for those who may be mischievous. |
| Delta Council annual meeting scheduled for June 1 | |
 | Delta Council President George King of Chatham announces the organization's 83rd Annual Meeting to be held June 1. The Annual Meeting of the Delta's regional business and agriculture organization will be hosted at Delta State University's Bologna Performing Arts Center in Cleveland. "We are excited to announced our Annual Meeting and are looking forward to our annual celebration of regional cooperation through the work of Delta Council," said King, a producer in South Washington County. The 2018 Delta Council Annual Meeting itinerary will commence with the 15th annual Salute to Delta Honor Graduates Event at 9 a.m., held outside of the Bologna Performing Arts Center on the lawn. Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr., president of Alcorn State University and Commissioner-Elect for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Education, and Mississippi State Senator Briggs Hopson of Vicksburg, vice-chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a member of the Universities and Colleges Committee, will welcome the graduates, their families and school officials and present the graduates with engraved certificates. |
| State of the Region meeting to discuss economy, education | |
 | Business and community leaders will gather next week to receive an update on the progress and opportunities ahead for Northeast Mississippi. The CREATE Foundation will host it's 22nd State of the Region meeting Thursday with two speakers as well as a regional profile and goal report. In addition, an annual report from the Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi will also be provided. Sheldon Day, mayor of Thomasville, Alabama, will be a guest speaker at the event and will discuss economic development in small communities, drawing from his experience working toward job creation in the manufacturing and service sectors, revitalizing a downtown area and bringing a major health organization to Thomasville. |
| Indian Tribes Dig In to Gain Their Share of Sports Betting | |
 | State officials from California to Connecticut spent last week maneuvering for control of the tens of billions of dollars in projected revenue from sports betting, and joining them was another group of powerful, and familiar, gambling operators aiming to claim their piece of the action: American Indian tribes. Now, after a groundbreaking Supreme Court decision cleared the way for states to allow betting on sports, industry experts say what may become a yearslong fight over control of sports betting will hinge on the fine print of a series of gaming agreements between state governments and Indian tribes. In Mississippi, where casinos rise from the Delta's cotton fields and dot the Gulf Coast, regulators are hoping they can be one of those states and want a system to allow wagers on sports in place by the start of the college football season, in August. So far, the state's tribal casinos have been silent publicly about their intentions. A spokeswoman for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians referred a request for comment to the tribe-controlled Pearl River Resort. |
| Coast casinos just had the best April ever, numbers show | |
 | Even before sports betting has a chance to bring in new customers, before the summer tourists arrive and a new casino opens at Island View, Coast casinos are on a roll. April's gross casino revenue at the 12 Coast casinos hit an all-time high --- even higher than the record year of 2007 when volunteers and contractors flooded the Coast and the casinos after Hurricane Katrina and revenue for the year topped $1.3 billion. Mississippi Department of Revenue reported late Friday revenue of $108.6 million at the casinos in South Mississippi. That's 9 percent higher than the $99.2 million in April 2017. It's also $1.4 million higher than the $107.2 million in April 2007. Mississippi's total casino revenue increased by 5 percent, rising to $184 million from $175 million in April 2017. |
| Docs look for traction on cigarette tax; legislators see pot holes | |
| Mississippi Medical Association President Dr. William Grantham has been traveling around Mississippi, aiming to build bridges and reduce the state's smoking rates. The Clinton family physician and the medical association are proposing a $1.50 hike in the cigarette tax, which would mean smokers would pay $2.18 in tax on every pack. The additional revenue would generate an estimated $166 million, well over a third of the $400 million needed for infrastructure. "This is a public health initiative more than anything else," Grantham said. "Where the revenue goes is less relevant than that it needs to get done." Area legislators said they aren't opposed to a cigarette tax increase as a public health measure, but they had concerns about the medical association's proposal. |
| Bennie Thompson urges national Democrats to help Mike Espy win | |
| Rep. Bennie Thompson and other Democrats are urging the national party to invest more resources in the South, including Mike Espy's bid for a Senate seat in Mississippi. "He's got a shot. Things need to fall into place," said Thompson, the lone Democrat in Mississippi's congressional delegation. "He's setting the building blocks ... We just need to make sure at the end of the day we put our best foot forward. A lot of people are committed to doing all they can to help him." Espy, a former Democratic congressman and secretary of agriculture under the Clinton administration, is running in a special election to replace Republican Thad Cochran. Cochran retired in April citing health reasons. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who in April was sworn in to fill Cochran's unexpired term, and state Republican Sen. Chris McDaniel are among the other top contenders. |
| Mississippi universities want more courses for new students | |
 | Mississippi's eight public universities plan to raise their admission requirements, in line with changes made earlier to the state's public high school diplomas. The College Board on Thursday voted preliminarily to increase the number of academic credits high school students would need for full admission. The board must vote again later. The changes would begin with students entering in fall 2022. Those students will start high school this fall and will be the first subject to new high school diploma requirements. The K-12 system voted last year to change high school diplomas, creating traditional diploma as well as an alternate diploma for some special education students. For students earning a traditional diploma, state officials want students to seek one of three endorsements -- career and technical, academic and distinguished academic. |
| Next generation of women leaders to gather at The W this week | |
| Statistics show that while women make up more than half of the U.S. population, they continue to be underrepresented in the political arena. Mississippi N.E.W. Leadership, a partnership between Mississippi University for Women and the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service, will educate college women about the impact they can have in public service and on the political process. The five-day residential institute is a national bi-partisan program developed by Rutgers University and will be held on The W's campus today through Thursday, May 24. Participants were nominated by their institutions and selected by the program directors. On Tuesday, Constance Slaughter-Harvey, former assistant secretary of state and general counsel, will deliver the keynote address. Students also will hear from faculty-in-residence including alumna Kristie Metcalfe, staff attorney with the Mississippi Senate; alumna Amy Tate, government relations manager with TVA; program director Jenn Gregory and program assistant Andrea Myles, both with the Stennis Center for Public Service. |
| UM Pre-College Programs offer career exploration | |
| Every summer, the University of Mississippi's Division of Outreach and Continuing Education organizes a variety of educational opportunities through their Pre-College Program. There are several different options available through the pre-college programs. Wendy Pfrenger is the assistant director of pre-college programs at the University of Mississippi. "Our one-week camps are opportunities for middle and high school students to explore their interests and deepen their passions and kind of figure out what educational and career pathways might work out for them as they get older," Pfrenger said. |
| Ole Miss student vies for Miss USA crown Monday night | |
| A University of Mississippi student is among the contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia competing Monday in the 2018 Miss USA competition. Laine Alden Mansour, 21, is from Tupelo. She is studying Integrated Marketing and Communications and plans to obtain her Law Degree to practice Family Law. Mansour is not new to pageantry as she has won the title of Most Beautiful at her high school and Most Beautiful at Ole Miss, according to The Miss Universe Organization. |
| USM alumnus, retired administrator Bud Kirkpatrick dies at 82 | |
 | William E. "Bud" Kirkpatrick, founding director of the University of Southern Mississippi's public relations office, died Friday at his home in Hattiesburg. He was 82. Kirkpatrick holds the distinction of being the longest continuous serving employee in the history of the university, with 45 years of service. "Bud Kirkpatrick was an exemplar public relations professional and leader for The University of Southern Mississippi. He always demonstrated honesty and integrity in his roles at USM, including as head of communications for more than three decades," said USM Chief Communication Officer Jim Coll. Bud Kirkpatrick loved Southern Miss, and always worked for its benefit," said USM President Emeritus Dr. Aubrey Lucas. |
| Rick Young returns as East Mississippi Community College interim president | |
| A familiar face is back in the president's office at East Mississippi Community College. EMCC Board of Trustees Chairman Jimmie Moore confirmed Thursday that Rick Young -- who served as EMCC President for 12 years -- will serve as interim president as the school looks for a permanent replacement for Thomas Huebner, who resigned May 7. "Dr. Young accepted the position (Wednesday)," Moore said. "He will serve as president until we selected a permanent president." Young served as EMCC's president from 2004 until his retirement in 2015. Moore said the search process for a permanent president will begin in June. |
| Feeding the demand: Itawamba Community College introduces hospitality management program | |
| The Hospitality State, as Mississippi also is called, likes to welcome visitors with open arms. Travel and tourism is big business in the state -- it's a $6.34 billion industry that accounts for more than 87,000 jobs directly and indirectly. "Mississippi welcomed 23.15 million visitors last year, who experienced our incredible culture, cuisine, music and history," said MDA Executive Director Glenn McCullough Jr. during the recent National Tourism & Travel Week. "Bringing more visitors to our state is vital to our future economic growth." Indeed, travel and tourism help generate some $3 billion in annual income for total direct, indirect and induced employment. At Itawamba Community College, the Hospitality Management Technology program is rolling out this fall to help meet some of the needs of the hospitality industry. |
| Video touts U. of Alabama's successes in 2017-18 | |
 | The University of Alabama has posted an online video restrospective of highlights from the 2017-18 year. In an email sent May 16 to alumni and friends, UA President Stuart Bell touted record-breaking enrollment and the awarding of more than 5,000 degrees at spring commencement as bookends to what he called "another successful academic year." "Once again, our students, faculty and staff have distinguished themselves, and our athletic teams continue to excel at the highest level as we won national championships in football, as well as men's wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis," Bell said in the email. "It is an honor for me to lead this great university ..." |
| LSU hazing prosecutor reveals inconsistencies in witness testimony | |
 | The grand jury that indicted a former LSU student on negligent homicide and three others on hazing in the September alcohol-related death of freshman fraternity pledge Maxwell Gruver heard inconsistent testimony from witnesses, a prosecutor has disclosed. The disclosure by East Baton Rouge Parish Assistant District Attorney Robert Savage was unusual for a prosecutor to make in an ongoing criminal court proceeding and one that has implications for the cases defense lawyers are able to mount for their clients. The issue surfaced in a recent court filing in which Savage asked a judge for permission to "reveal testimony before the grand jury." Such testimony is normally kept secret. |
| Legislators cry buyer's remorse on secrecy for U. of Tennessee's offshore funds | |
 | When state Rep. Eddie Smith cast his vote last year, he thought he was helping the University of Tennessee gain an edge in the investment market. He says he didn't know his vote would give the university cover to hide fees paid on millions of dollars funneled to hedge fund managers in the Cayman Islands. "I think people have a right to know what those fees are," said Smith, R-Knoxville. "Those are public funds. I don't remember any discussion being had about offshore payments." The exemption -- one of 538 to Tennessee's Public Records Act -- became law in 2017. UT officials cite the law in keeping secret the specifics of the university's "alternative investments," many of them stashed in offshore private funds that critics say charge high fees but seldom beat the market. Smith, who's vice chairman of the House education committee, says that's not how UT sold the bill to him and other legislators. |
| College Station may consider bike-share regulations with Texas A&M program primed to expand | |
 | As Ofo's yellow bicycles have become ubiquitous around the Texas A&M campus -- with a few thousand more on the way -- the city of College Station is studying potential regulations for dockless bike-sharing. The university's pilot program with the Chinese bike-sharing company Ofo began in late February with 500 bicycles, which quickly ramped up to 850. With plans for that number to increase to between 3,000 and 4,000 bikes by the start of the fall semester, city staff likely will move quickly to bring back regulations for the City Council to consider later this summer. While city leaders across the country and state are studying or have already put out rules and guidelines for bike-share companies, College Station has yet to identify a comparable community that's dealt with the phenomenon. Ron Steedly, Texas A&M's alternative transportation manager, confirms that the university is the "pioneer" for rolling out such a bike-share program on a college campus. That meant about nine months of research before the program began in late February. |
| 'Higher Education' Isn't So Popular, Poll Finds, but Local Colleges Get Lots of Love | |
 | Democrats and Republicans both see a need for improvements in higher education. But they also really like their local colleges and universities. Those are two of the key findings from polling by New America, a research organization that on Monday released its second annual survey of views on higher education. The survey results, based on responses from 1,600 randomly selected adults, are largely similar to the findings of last year's poll, which showed deep support for community colleges and the belief that a college degree leads to better job opportunities than a high-school diploma does. While the 2017 poll focused on how people in different generations viewed colleges and the value of a degree, this year's poll sought to identify distinctions across partisan political lines. The results suggest a more nuanced view of higher education than is sometimes portrayed in other polls and through the news media, said Rachel Fishman, deputy director for higher-education research at New America. |
| Republicans are generally positive about higher education in new survey | |
 | A pair of surveys last year from the Pew Research Center and Gallup showed deep skepticism about higher education among Republican respondents. While subsequent, less publicized surveys painted a more complex picture, many college leaders and academics remain worried about whether Republican scrutiny could lead to (more) budget cuts or policy crackdowns. New America is the latest on the scene with the release today of its second annual survey on Americans' attitudes about higher education. The Washington, D.C.-based think tank tweaked several of the questions this time around. But both installments found that respondents largely believe it's easier to be successful with a college degree than without one. And Republicans were generally positive about higher education and even their tax dollars going to support it, according to the new survey. |
| Wanna bet on who's not gonna run in 2019? | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "Not-gonna-run-in-2019 season is upon us. Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs started it. He announced early this month he is not gonna run for lieutenant governor or any other statewide office next year. While Petal Mayor Hal Marx says he is running for governor and former Nettleton Mayor and now Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley might run for lieutenant governor, the expected avalanche of not gonna run for statewide office announcements from other mayors, supervisors and aldermen has yet to drop. It could happen any day now. Meanwhile, the cascade of statewide elected officials who are not gonna, or probably not gonna, run for re-election is well underway." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State baseball completes sweep of top-ranked Florida | |
| Jake Mangum's legendary three years as Mississippi State's center fielder has contained nearly four times as many singles, 200, as all other extra-base hits, 55. Of those 55 multi-baggers, only two have left the yard. His first home run, as a freshman on April 2, 2016, opened scoring of a win over Ole Miss that clinched the series. His second home run was the both the beginning and the end of a run that won't soon be forgotten. Mangum took the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning for a home run to right field Saturday, one of three hits in what could be his final game at Dudy Noble Field. It was the beginning of a run of slugging that drowned No. 1 Florida (41-15, 20-10 Southeastern Conference) to a 13-6 win; it was the end of a regular season-ending sweep, after 6-3 and 12-4 wins on Thursday and Friday. |
| Mississippi State sweeps top-ranked Gators | |
| Mississippi State secured its spot in the SEC Tournament with a win over Florida on Thursday. The Bulldogs then all but locked down a spot in the NCAA Tournament by sweeping the top-ranked Gators, concluding with a 13-6 victory on Saturday. "Coming in against the No. 1 team in the nation, everyone was like 'I hope they get one,'" said MSU right fielder Elijah MacNamee. "Our mindset was 'we're taking all three'. We didn't care who was on the mound or who we were playing, we were going to compete. 'Toughness out-beats talent' and we definitely showed out all three days." With the win, State (31-24, 15-15 SEC) finished in a three-way tie for third in the SEC West and earned the No. 9 seed in the SEC Tournament. The Bulldogs will take on eight-seeded LSU on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in Hoover, Alabama. |
| What to expect of Mississippi State in postseason after sweep of Florida | |
| It's on to the SEC Tournament in Hoover for Mississippi State, which will play on Tuesday, but that --- somewhat surprisingly --- wasn't the major news from its three-game series against No. 1 Florida. This is: Mississippi State assuredly locked up a regional appearance this week by sweeping Florida (41-15, 20-10). That's right. Mississippi State, which hadn't been ranked since March, started 2-7 in the SEC and needed to win at least one game this week to likely still have a shot at making the NCAA Tournament, took all three games against the top-ranked Gators, ending the series with a 13-6 win Saturday at Dudy Noble Field. Missisisippi State will be the No. 9 seed against No. 8 LSU at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. |
| Mangum moment: Mississippi State junior soaks in what could be final game in Starkville | |
| There's no crying in baseball. At least that's what the famed line from actor Tom Hanks' character Jimmy Dugan said in the 1992 baseball-themed film, "A League of Their Own." Yet post game on Saturday after Mississippi State polished off a series sweep over top-ranked Florida at Dudy Noble Field, Bulldogs centerfielder Jake Mangum didn't hold back his feelings. He knew he might have just played his final game in Starkville. The magnitude of the day wasn't lost on him. "I wanted to cry the whole game," Mangum admitted. "It's emotional because you don't know." Mangum's uncertainty rests in his fate in the upcoming Major League Baseball Draft. Mangum is one of college baseball's best talents. Scouts think he may be selected highly. That's all in the future though. Saturday was all about the present. If it was the last time Mangum played at Dudy Noble, it couldn't have been scripted any better. |
| Loss for words: Success leaves Bulldog Elijah MacNamee speechless | |
| Elijah MacNamee usually isn't one to have to search for words. The Mississippi State junior outfielder typically is eloquent and willing to provide insightful commentary on just about any question. After Mississippi State polished off a three-game sweep of top-ranked Florida on Saturday though, that wasn't the case. "I'm kind of speechless right now," MacNamee said. "Coming in against the No. 1 team in the nation, everyone was saying, 'I hope (MSU gets) one.' Our mindset was that we're taking all three." Indeed, the Bulldogs won every game against the powerhouse Gators. State rolled to a 13-6 victory on Saturday. That followed a 6-3 win Thursday and a 12-4 triumph on Friday. An improving offense and strong bullpen absolutely bodes well for Mississippi State moving forward. It's a future that, in the short term, will include the SEC Tournament starting with a 4:30 p.m. game in Hoover, Alabama, against LSU on Tuesday. In the long term, State's journey now almost certainly includes an NCAA Regional somewhere. |
| Notebook: Mississippi State baseball set to turn thoughts to SEC tournament | |
| Thanks to sweeping the Gators (41-15, 20-10 SEC), MSU now enters the SEC tournament with a 9-1 record against teams that entered the weekend in the top 10 of the NCAA's Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) rankings. Florida was No. 1 and Arkansas was No. 3, both of which were swept by MSU, and MSU took three of four from No. 8 Ole Miss. |
| Remarkable weekend for Mississippi State | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Logan Lowery writes: "The way Mississippi State wrapped up its regular season was truly remarkable. The Diamond Dogs entered the weekend against No. 1 Florida needing at least one win to extend its season and ensure a spot in the SEC Tournament. By the time the final out was recorded on Saturday evening, MSU had outscored the Gators 31-13 in a three-game sweep and made a huge statement entering postseason play. ...Not only did this weekend secure an SEC Tournament spot for Mississippi State but it also all but locked up an NCAA Tournament bid as well. The Bulldogs had been on the fringe for the last few weeks but may now be able to play their way into a No. 2 seed with a good showing in Hoover this week." |
| Mississippi State men's tennis falls to Ohio State in NCAA quarterfinals | |
 | ne of the best seasons in program history came to a close Sunday, as the seventh-ranked and sixth-seeded Mississippi State men's tennis team (23-3) dropped a hard-fought 4-3 decision to No. 3 Ohio State (33-2) in the NCAA quarterfinals at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex. The setback closed out a remarkable season that saw the Bulldogs do things that had not been done in 20-plus years, reaching the NCAA quarters for the first time since 1998 and claiming the SEC Tournament title for the first time since 1996. At 23-3, the Bulldogs finished 2018 with their best overall record since 1979 (25-2) and a program-best 11-1 SEC mark. State will now turn its attention to the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships. |
| Mississippi State's record-breaking softball season ends in Tucson Regional | |
| Mississippi State (38-22) brought the winning run to the plate in the seventh, but the Bulldogs historic run came to a close as No. 9 Arizona held on for a 4-3 victory on Sunday in Hillenbrand Stadium to advance to Super Regionals. Mississippi State knocked three hits, all solo home runs from freshman Mia Davidson, junior Sarai Niu and senior Carmen Carter to bring MSU's season total to 55 bombs on the year to set a new single-season team record. The 2018 campaign featured a number of first for the program under the helm of head coach Vann Stuedeman and some feats the program hasn't reached in decades. The Bulldogs picked up their first SEC tournament win since 2005 before going on to play on championship Sunday in a regional for the first time since 2005. |
| An SEC Who's Who appears at Mike Slive memorial service | |
 | They came from all over. Coaches. Administrators. Media members. Athletic directors. Nick Saban was there. So too were John Calipari, Phil Fulmer and Bruce Pearl. A Who's Who of dignitaries with ties to the SEC appeared Friday at Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham to pay respects to former conference commissioner Mike Slive, who died Wednesday at 77. "The one thing that has resonated with me and is one of the most accurate: He was one of the most powerful people in sports, yet he was one of the nicest," ESPN personality Paul Finebaum told the large gathering. Finebaum delivered an eloquent eulogy, conveying how Slive deftly transitioned from leader to learner, from family man to SEC enforcer. |
| Friends, family of LSU's Billy Cannon remember star as 'one of the greatest' to don purple and gold | |
| Friends and fans of legendary LSU running back Billy Cannon remembered the late athlete as a kind, unique individual behind one of the most decorated plays in the university's history. "There may be no other figure in LSU sports who was more beloved and revered," Joe Alleva, LSU vice chancellor and director of athletics, said. "His loss will be felt across the world today." A product of Istrouma High School, Cannon led the Tigers to the 1958 national championship. As a senior, he scored the winning touchdown in the 1959 game against the Ole Miss Rebels, commonly referred to as the Halloween run. University President Dr. F. King Alexander said calling Cannon a legend an "understatement." |
| AD Phillip Fulmer's contract, buyout protects Tennessee more | |
| Tennessee athletic director Phillip Fulmer's contract lists 26 ways he could be fired for cause. The provisions range from getting too drunk to perform job duties to failing to reasonably cooperate with UT's efforts to prevent sexual assault. Fulmer's contract includes seven ways he can be fired for cause that were not included in the contract of his predecessor, John Currie. Given the multimillion-dollar buyouts that can ensue from firing a coach or athletic director, universities like Tennessee are adding more fire-for-cause provisions to offer further protection and create more opportunity to get out from under the financial burden of buyouts if an employee is fired. "I think it's very smart of the university to cover themselves that way," said B. David Ridpath, an associate professor of sports administration at Ohio University and an expert on NCAA matters. |
| Two months into job, Tom Crean laying foundation for his UGA program | |
 | It's mid-morning and Tom Crean is in the Georgia men's basketball head coaches' office that he's occupied for two months now. There's a cup of to-go coffee nearby, which you might think he downs in large supplies given how much energy Crean has exuded since he took the job. "I have anywhere from two to three if you can believe that," Crean said. "I've actually cut back if you can believe that from where I was at Indiana. I've cut back from where I was the past year where I was with all the television travel." Crean knows where to go to get Jittery Joe's, Caribou or Starbucks. "And we have our own coffee pot here," he said. He’s still getting settled in his new surroundings. He went this week to Birmingham for the SEC’s new coaches’ orientation where he chatted with football coaches Jimbo Fisher from Texas A&M and Joe Moorhead from Mississippi State. |
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