Tuesday, June 12, 2018   
 
Fans gear up to see the Diamond Dawgs in Omaha
After a late night of baseball, the MSU Diamond Dawgs are heading to Omaha. The Bulldog faithful are getting ready to hit the road, but the price of going to Omaha is making some fans hesitate, and others get creative. MSU fans are trying to find the best way to get to Omaha to support the baseball team, and the MSU Alumni Association is doing everything they can to help them plan the trip. "We've had quite a few emails both prior to our victory last night as well as this morning, from hotels and things, so we are working on creating a page, and we will be blasting out to our entire alumni base about options for hotels information on where they can look for tickets, as well as once we finalize event plans," said MSU's Jeff Davis.
 
These Fish Keep Forests Alive -- And Fishing Threatens Them
If the forests of South America are the world's lungs, their rivers and wetlands must be its veins and arteries. This is the most diverse continent when it comes to plant life, and it's thanks in part to the fish swimming through its waterways. Freshwater fishes consume about 600 neotropical plant species. The largest of fruit-eating fish in Brazil's Pantanal -- a 70,000 square-mile floodplain the size of Washington state with as much as 55 inches of annual rainfall -- are disproportionately responsible for dispersing seeds and growing habitat. A recent study in Biotropica shows that when these large fruit-eating fish are eliminated from an ecosystem, anglers "fish down" to capture smaller fish, which can have drastic results on seed dispersal and germination. "Seventy million years ago there were already forests in the Amazon and the Pantanal," says the study's co-author, Sandra Bibiana Correa, an assistant professor at Mississippi State University's Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture. "That means that for 70 million years, those fish have interacted with fruit and helped plants to diversify."
 
Why scientists are teaching this burly robot to hug
These days robots do just about everything. They caffeinate us, assemble our furniture, and sort our recyclables. But can bots wrap us in their big metal arms and give us a squeeze that provides the same sense of comfort as a human hug? Researchers are seeking to answer that question with help from "HuggieBot," a humanoid robot programmed to offer hugs to humans. "We were interested in enabling robots to hug because of how common hugs are in daily life and because of their numerous health benefits," said one of the researchers, Alexis Block, a Ph.D. student at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, Germany. But some experts have concerns about robots providing something that has always been provided by humans. "The dangers of teaching a robot to hug may be that people become too emotionally connected to the robot and become dependent on it," Cindy Bethel, director of the Social, Therapeutic, and Robotic Systems Lab at Mississippi State University in Starkville.
 
Restored Dockery gin brings history to life
The Delta boasts many National Historic Registry places, dozens of Mississippi historical markers and a large number of Blues Trail markers. Even among these special places, Dockery Farms in Sunflower County is unique because it can claim all three distinctions. Will Dockery established Dockery Farms in 1895 and his son Joe Rice Dockery ran the plantation after his father's death in 1936. Charlie Patton and other legendary blues musicians once lived and worked at Dockery Farms. Bill Lester, executive director of the Dockery Farms Foundation, was instrumental in saving the farm from loosing some its historic buildings a number of years ago. Lester's passion for the farm and preserving its history has not stopped since.
 
No Debate in GOP Congressional Primary Runoff in Mississippi
Mississippi voters will not see a debate between two candidates before the Republican primary runoff in a congressional race. Michael Guest of Brandon and Whit Hughes of Madison emerged from a six-person primary Tuesday in central Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District. Guest, who is the district attorney in Madison and Rankin counties, received 45 percent of the vote, and Hughes, who is a former deputy director of the state economic development agency, received 22 percent. Hughes challenged Guest to debate before the June 26 runoff, and Guest declined. "I'm shocked that he refuses to debate me," Hughes said Friday. "Running for the U.S. House of Representatives is serious business."
 
Debate drama: Republican Party chapter turns up heat for congressional debate
The Hinds County Republican Party announced on Monday they will host a debate on Thursday between third congressional runoff candidates Michael Guest and Whit Hughes. The only problem: Guest won't be there. After the announcement on Monday, the Guest campaign doubled down on their insistence they wouldn't debate Hughes before the June 26 runoff. "After already participating in 12 debates and forums with our opponent during this campaign, including three in Hinds County, Michael Guest will continue traveling throughout the entire third district to meet with voters directly to discuss the key issues affecting our country," said Rob Pillow, Guest's communications director. "Obviously, our opponent is not going to dictate our schedule any more than we would attempt to dictate his schedule," Pillow said.
 
Legislative Democrats vow to work harder for David Baria in runoff
State Rep. Robert Johnson of Natchez predicted Monday he and his fellow legislative Democrats will make more of an effort in the June 26 U.S. Senate runoff to ensure a victory for David Baria of Bay St. Louis. Johnson said some legislative Democrats might have been reluctant to fully engage in the June 5 primary for Baria because a fellow member of the House, Omeria Scott, also was running. But with the runoff election pitting Baria against Howard Sherman, husband of Mississippi-born actress Sela Ward and an entrepreneur, Johnson said the choice is clear. About 15 legislative Democrats met with Baria Monday in Jackson to discuss get-out-the-vote efforts for the June 26 runoff. Baria said the decision was made to allow each legislator to decide the best way in his or her district to get voters to the polls for Baria. In total, Baria said 41 of the Mississippi Legislature's 67 Democrats had endorsed him.
 
BIPEC 'legislator report card' grades given
The Business and Industry Political Education Committee has issued its annual "Business and Jobs Report Card" for state lawmakers, based on how they voted on numerous bills. Those who score an A are deemed "Business and Jobs Champions." Of the 174-member Legislature, 64 lawmakers received this designation. BIPEC's report card has drawn some criticism in past years, mainly from Democratic lawmakers and some more conservative Republicans who say the votes counted are too subjective or political.
 
Choctaw owned Pearl River Resort and Bok Homa Casino to offer sports betting
Pearl River Resort and Bok Homa Casino, which are owned and operated by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians will soon offer sports betting. On Thursday, May 31, during a Special Call Tribal Council Meeting the council unanimously approved amendments to the Choctaw Gaming Commission Regulations. Specifically, two new sections were added to Chapter 4 on regulations governing sports pools, race books and pari-mutuel wagering. These amendments were brought to the Tribal Council after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Profession Act) on May 14. MBCI and Pearl River Resort will soon be able to offer professional and collegiate sports betting.
 
Trump and Kim See New Chapter for Nations After Summit
President Trump shook hands with Kim Jong-un of North Korea on Tuesday and offered a major concession during the first summit meeting between their nations, a momentous step in an improbable courtship between the world's largest nuclear power and the most reclusive one. Brash, impulsive leaders who only a few months ago taunted each other across a nuclear abyss, Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim set aside their threats in a gamble that for now, at least, personal diplomacy can counteract decades of enmity and distrust. Emerging from a day of talks in Singapore and speaking to reporters for more than an hour, Mr. Trump said that he was suspending joint military exercises with South Korean forces and that he was confident Mr. Kim would begin dismantling his nuclear arsenal "very quickly."
 
Inside Trump and Kim's 'science fiction movie'
It was the North Korean dictator who best captured the day. Strolling with President Donald Trump along a colonnade at their luxury resort summit moments after their historic handshake, Kim Jong Un said that many people would think the scene came straight out of "a science fiction movie." He was right: the landmark summit between the two men was far out in almost every way, from the array of U.S. and North Korean flags draped side by side to the lunchtime menu of Korean delicacies alongside beef and potatoes. There were other bizarre elements, like the North Korean security official clad in latex gloves who emerged to inspect and swab down a pen Kim used to sign a vaguely worded commitment to a process of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. The summit itself was as much a media spectacle as an act of statecraft. As Trump rode to the summit, Singapore's immaculate streets were lined with spectators hoping to catch a glimpse of the motorcade.
 
Trump-Kim summit: Trump says U.S. will end its 'war games' with South Korea
President Trump said he "developed a very special bond" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their historic summit here Tuesday and proclaimed the start of a new era that could break a cycle of nuclear brinkmanship and stave off a military confrontation. "Yesterday's conflict does not have to be tomorrow's war," Trump said at a news conference in Singapore following more than four hours of talks with Kim. Trump said Kim "reaffirmed" his commitment to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and also agreed to destroy a missile site in the country. "We're ready to write a new chapter between our nations," the president said. One major issue that appeared to remain unresolved following the summit was North Korea's brutal human rights record, which Trump had lambasted last year after the death of American college student Otto Warmbier, who was held captive in the North for 17 months and then released in a coma. The University of Virginia student died days after he was flown home to his family in Ohio.
 
With 11 tons of seized drugs, US Coast Guard asks for more ScanEagle drones
What can fly for 12 hours straight, launches from a catapult on the deck of a Coast Guard cutter and has helped apprehend more than 11 tons of contraband? Answer: small unmanned aircraft systems, and the U.S. Coast Guard has asked for a lot more of them. The Coast Guard began the hunt for an economically priced and multipurpose drone earlier this year after recording its third-largest drug bust of all time with the help of sUAS. Faced with the challenge of policing millions of nautical miles of sea for cocaine smugglers, the Coast Guard specified the need for an sUAS able to "conduct surveillance, detection, classification and identification operations." The drone also needs to "support prosecution by providing real-time imagery, data, target illumination, [and] communications relay" to Coast Guard vessels. Now, the Coast Guard seems convinced it has found the answer in the form of Insitu's ScanEagle.
 
Ole Miss names alumna new general counsel for university
Ole Miss has named Erica McKinley as the university's new general counsel. She was the former Chief Operating Officer for the National Basketball Players Association. She is an attorney with nearly 20 years of global legal experience in the private and public sector. In her new role, she will serve as the university's chief legal officer. She will provide advice and counsel on matters including governance, research, athletics, student affairs and finance. She will also help advise the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She is a graduate of Ole Miss.
 
Ole Miss scientists seek ways to keep bed bugs from biting
Children have real monsters to fear at night. Not the ones they imagine living under their beds, but the ones could be living on their mattresses or in their sheets. They're called bed bugs. And scientists at the University of Mississippi are searching for a natural remedy to stop the insect from not only biting, but growing in rapid numbers. The scientists are with the National Center for Natural Products Research at the university's School of Pharmacy. The Insect Management Program, which is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Defense, looks for a natural compound for management of pests affecting soldiers and the public.
 
Ole Miss signs agreement with Von Braun Center
The University of Mississippi has joined the Von Braun Center for Science and Innovation-University Consortium to form a partnership to tackle challenges in the areas of space and national defense. "The University of Mississippi is always looking for better ways to partner with our sister research institutions, so we are excited to join the consortium," said Josh Gladden, UM interim vice chancellor for research and sponsored programs, in a recent news release. As a nonprofit, VCSI was designed to facilitate research relationships with universities and government agencies.
 
CORE campers take over Delta State campus
The first week of CORE Arts Camp, a program of the Janice Wyatt Mississippi Summer Arts Institute at Delta State University, is complete and over 50 teen artists are inspired and steadily creating. "The kids are learning, they're experimenting, some of them with new art forms that they haven't had previous experience with. The faculty is always really impressed with the kids, who self-select for art camp, and this year is no exception. We have a handful of seniors going on to become art majors and minors in college, one of which is coming to Delta State," said Cade Holder, art education coordinator at the BPAC. "I definitely think the campus life has an effect on the kids as well. It's their first taste of college living, bouncing around to different classrooms, the dorm, the caf, the gym. There's a lot that happens at the BPAC and Wright Art buildings on campus that will be presented to the public at the end of the two weeks, and the kids know that they're working toward creating something special," she said.
 
Thomas Huebner hopes to build on success as Meridian Community College president
The new president of Meridian Community College hopes to build on the school's success when he takes over the post on July 1. Thomas M. Huebner Jr. was named to the post after a unanimous vote of the MCC Board of Trustees Thursday night. The veteran educator, who recently completed a three-year tenure as president of East Mississippi Community College, will succeed Scott Elliott, who led the college for 20 years before announcing his retirement earlier this year. Huebner said his success in community building at EMCC -- which serves a diverse student population with a footprint across several counties -- will help him at MCC. Huebner also said he and his family are "very excited" to be coming to MCC.
 
Auburn students experience New York's famed Fashion Week for second time
It's one thing for an Auburn University student to work at New York's famed Fashion Week. It's another to do it twice. Rebecca Schneider, an apparel design student, and Katie Gardner, an apparel merchandising student, both in the College of Human Sciences, were the second pair of Auburn students to experience the September Fashion Week through an agreement with WME-IMG Fashion, the agency in charge of the annual extravaganza. The pair left such an impression at the Big Apple's fall show, they were both invited by IMG to return for the spring show in February -- a first for Auburn students. "Katie and I were blown away by this opportunity and moved quickly to travel back to New York for another fast-paced immersion into fashion," said Schneider, who graduated May 5.
 
Hazing, alcohol, other Greek Life violations at U. of South Carolina are down
Fraternity and sorority violations at the University of South Carolina are down 18 percent from the previous academic year, according to disciplinary records. USC cited eight fraternities and two sororities with 23 violations in the 2017-2018 academic year. That's down from 28 violations the previous year, which had the highest number of violations since at least 2011, the earliest available records. Despite this year's decrease, the 2017-2018 academic year still had the second-highest number of violations since 2011. "People see increases in infractions and people assume that means there's worse behavior," university spokesman Wes Hickman said. Rather, the reason the infractions are higher than many previous years is because students are more likely to report wrongdoing, Hickman said.
 
UT Knoxville on path for flat tuition for first time in three decades after committee vote
A flat tuition at the University of Tennessee's Knoxville and Chattanooga campuses is one step closer to becoming a reality. The University of Tennessee's subcommittee on tuition, fees and financial aid unanimously passed a motion to keep tuition flat at the UT Knoxville and Chattanooga and increase it by 3 percent at UT Martin during a meeting Monday afternoon at the flagship campus. The subcommittee vote on tuition and student fee proposals will now be sent on to the Finance and Administration Committee, which will then vote to move proposals to the full Board of Trustees for approval. Both parties are scheduled to take a vote on June 22, which will mark the current trustees' last meeting. Should the proposals get the final stamp of approval, annual in-state tuition and fees at UT Knoxville will remain at $12,970, with out-of-state tuition and fees stay at $31,390, according to David Miller, chief financial officer for the UT System.
 
U. of Kentucky's tuition is going up again this fall
The University of Kentucky is raising tuition for Kentucky students by the smallest amount in more than a decade, but the 2.5 percent increase will push the sticker price for undergraduate students above $12,000 a year. The UK Board of Trustees is expected to accept the proposed rate increase when it approves the university's 2018-2019 budget at its June 22 meeting. The $3.9 billion budget, which includes $1.7 billion for the operation of UK HealthCare, reflects a $7 million loss in state funding, as well as a proposed 1.5 percent pay increase for faculty and staff. Trustees also will hear about plans for the following year, which include a proposed 2.4 percent in-state tuition increase for the fall of 2019 and a possible 3.5 percent salary hike for employees. UK HealthCare employee raises will be decided at a later date.
 
Georgia's top universities seeking more rural students
Ava Thrasher will defy the statistics when she steps on the Georgia Tech campus this fall as a freshman. The 17-year-old is smart and ambitious. But she's from Gilmer County, a rural part of the state whose students are underrepresented at some of Georgia's most prominent colleges and universities. About 18 percent of Georgia's public school students attend school in what Georgia Tech describes as rural districts, but less than five percent of Georgia Tech's in-state undergraduate students come from them. Fifteen percent of the University of Georgia's undergraduate students are from rural counties, and they graduate at lesser rates than fellow students, according to a December UGA task force report on student learning and success. Many of the nation's most prominent colleges and universities recognize, particularly after the 2016 presidential election, that they don't have enough rural students, and their viewpoints aren't adequately represented on their campuses. Leaders at several Georgia universities with the toughest admissions standards are trying to improve their numbers.
 
12 rural Tennessee counties eye college completion rates to boost residents' career skills
Faced with a low number of college-educated workers, 12 rural Tennessee counties are digging into how they can get their residents to complete a degree. The counties spread out across the state and organized into five regional councils are part of a newly launched pilot initiative by Complete Tennessee focused on clearing hurdles to obtain a college degree or certificate. The so-called Completion Councils will focus on how to boost the skills of local workers to help attract business and boost local economies. The five regional areas have lower-than-average college completion rates among its residents compared to the rest of the state, a barrier for those counties in attracting jobs. The pilot "College Completion Communities" programs tie into the state's Drive to 55 initiative, which seeks to boost the number of Tennesseans with a college education, and is a major step into the work to boost college completion by the nonprofit formed in 2016.
 
U. of Missouri names nursing dean
The University of Missouri's Sinclair School of Nursing will have a new dean on Aug. 1. MU said Monday that Sarah Thompson, associate vice chancellor of health professions and professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Colorado-Denver, has been hired as dean. Retired professor Roxanne McDaniel had been interim leader during the search for a permanent replacement for Judith Miller, who retired as dean in December. "Dr. Thompson is a proven leader, who has spent her career helping to shape the nursing profession as a nurse, a teacher, a researcher, an administrator and a member of national organizations," MU interim Provost Jim Spain said in the news release.
 
More restrictive U.S. policy on Chinese graduate student visas raises alarm
Reversing yet another policy of the previous administration, the U.S. Department of State today began applying tougher restrictions on some Chinese graduate students. The new policy shortens from 5 years to 1 year the duration of visas for those planning to study aviation, robotics, and advanced manufacturing. Although the ostensible reason for the change is to improve national security, U.S. university officials see it as the latest attack on graduate education and the free flow of scientific knowledge. The revised visa policy was initially reported last month by various media outlets and confirmed last week by a senior departmental official during a hearing on student visas by a Senate panel on border security and immigration. The title of the hearing paints the dilemma in stark terms: "Student Visa Integrity: Protecting Educational Opportunity and National Security."
 
Jeff Sessions' Justice Dept. Is Intervening in Another Campus Speech Case -- Its Fourth
Jeff Sessions promised that his Department of Justice would be more involved in cases of alleged censorship on college campuses, and the agency continues to deliver on his word. The department on Monday issued a "statement of interest" in a free-speech lawsuit filed against the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor by a group called Speech First. The department has filed similar statements in three other campus free-speech cases. Two involve colleges' use of free-speech zones and permitting. The other concerns a group of conservative students at the University of California at Berkeley who say the university selectively enforced its speaker policy in an attempt to censor their right to free speech. The department also said it was concerned that Michigan's bias-response team could be exerting a chilling effect on speech by disciplining students.
 
Justice Department opposes U. of Michigan bullying policy
The U.S. Justice Department on Monday filed a brief backing a lawsuit that challenges an anti-bullying policy at the University of Michigan. The department said the policy limited the free speech rights of students and others. But the same day, Michigan announced that it had clarified its policy, explicitly pledging support for First Amendment rights and adopting definitions of bullying and harassment based on state law. Whether the university's clarifications will resolve the Justice Department's concerns is unclear. The Justice Department announcement said that it found the university's code of student conduct to be "unconstitutional because it offers no clear, objective definitions of the violations" for bullying or harassing. "Instead, the statement refers students to a wide array of 'examples of various interpretations that exist for the terms,' many of which depend on a listener's subjective reaction to speech."
 
USC's handling of complaints about campus gynecologist is being investigated by federal government
The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that it has launched an investigation into how the University of Southern California handled misconduct complaints against a campus gynecologist, the latest fallout in a scandal that has prompted the resignation of USC's president, two law enforcement investigations and dozens of lawsuits. In revealing the inquiry by the department's Office of Civil Rights, officials rebuked USC for what they alleged was improper withholding of information about Dr. George Tyndall during a previous federal investigation. The Education Department's action is the second high-profile investigation of a university's handling of sexual misconduct complaints this year. The agency launched an investigation in January into Michigan State's response to Dr. Larry Nassar, the USA Gymnastics doctor convicted of sexual misconduct toward young patients.
 
15 Syracuse Students Suspended Over Fraternity Videos That Ignited Campus Protests
Fifteen Syracuse University students who participated in fraternity videos described by the school's chancellor as racist and anti-Semitic were suspended last week, according to their lawyer, the culmination of a six-week inquiry into the footage, which had ignited campus protests and a sit-in. Karen G. Felter, whose law office represents the 15 students who received formal disciplinary decisions, said in an email Sunday that some of them were suspended for one year and others for two years. But that is not what these "strait-laced engineering kids" deserve, said Gregory L. Germain, a law professor at the university who serves as a pro bono adviser to three of the students. The decision was the result of an "unfair process that was dominated by the university," he said, that "manipulated the rules to meet the facts."
 
Digital world fast becoming our only world
Longtime Mississippi journalist Charlie Mitchell writes: "The longer it's around, the more it appears social media has the wrong name. It's really antisocial media. Be assured this is not a rant about mom, dad, Junior and Sis sitting at a table each engaged on his or her mobile device. It's not even a lament of all the visceral comments people make, anonymously or otherwise, on Facebook or Twitter. All of that is real, of course, but it's old news. This relates more to the abysmal turnout in Mississippi's primary elections earlier this month. Our digital worlds are fast becoming where we live; fast becoming our only worlds."


SPORTS
 
Gary Henderson gave Mississippi State a new identity
On Feb. 20, Mississippi State players were called to the Hall of Champions adjacent to Dudy Noble Field for an emergency team meeting at 7:15 a.m. It was after this early morning summons that the players were notified that Andy Cannizaro was no longer their head coach and that Gary Henderson would be taking over the team for the rest of the season on an interim basis. "At that moment, (Henderson) gave us an identity," said MSU center fielder Jake Mangum. "From that moment on, we bought in." "I'm so proud of our kids and coaches," Henderson said. "Everybody got on board. These guys made a choice to get on board with the coaching staff. They bought in and did everything that we asked, grew and got better. We started with humiliation and we're sitting here going to Omaha. It's been unbelievable."
 
After leading Mississippi State to College World Series, Gary Henderson enjoys the moment
Wrapped inside Tanner Poole's bearhug, a wet Gary Henderson fully extended his arms with closed fists while inches above the ground and jubilantly yelled, not for the first time on Sunday night and not for the last. Cole Gordon and Zach Neff moments earlier had carried together the blue jug of Powerade from Mississippi State's dugout and poured it on Henderson, sparking an emotional chain reaction. Henderson, soaked, pumped his fist just before Poole grabbed him. Henderson did it again while yelling immediately after Poole placed him back down. Jake Mangum raised a sign that read, "#Omadawgs." The crowd rhythmically chanted, "Gar-y, Gar-y, Gar-y." That's when Henderson looked around and said in the loudest way he probably could, "Hey, we gotta meet in right field." In that spot, in the aftermath of Mississippi State's 10-6 win over Vanderbilt that netted the Bulldogs an improbable berth in the College World Series, Henderson told the team that regardless of what happens in Omaha next week, "they will remember this for the rest of their lives."
 
Jake Mangum plays leading role in Mississippi State's return to Omaha
Jake Mangum put off a lifelong dream for this experience, one he met with an expression of disbelief. Mississippi State's junior center fielder could easily be somewhere in the New York Yankees' minor league system -- many in his shoes would be -- after they drafted him in the 33rd round nearly a year ago to the day. Mangum declined, as his postseason vacation revealed something eating away at him: he had to go to Omaha, Nebraska. He wanted to take MSU to the College World Series. In less than a week, he will do it. Twice before, Mangum found himself where he was on Sunday: in a Super Regional, two wins away from college baseball's championship event. With Sunday's 10-6 triumph over Vanderbilt (35-27), MSU won the Nashville Super Regional and punched that ticket for Mangum.
 
When will Mississippi State play its first College World Series game?
Mississippi State found out late Monday night when it'll begin the College World Series. The Bulldogs will take on Washington at 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPN, the NCAA announced. Oregon State and North Carolina kick off the College World Series in Omaha at 2 p.m., and Mississippi State will play one, depending on results, in the second round on June 18. The Huskies (35-24) have been one of the surprises of the college baseball playoffs thus far, like Mississippi State. Washington was the No. 3 seed in the Coastal Carolina regional, but took the minimum three games to advance and then took two out of three at Cal State Fullerton to advance to the CWS.
 
Players agree Cole Gordon was Bulldogs' MVP
Jake Mangum, Luke Alexander, and Keegan James played key roles in the Mississippi State baseball team's biggest victory of the season. Alexander drove in the final two runs of MSU's 10-6 victory against Vanderbilt in 11 innings in Game 3 of the NCAA tournament's Nashville Super Regional. James recorded the final three outs, while Mangum was 2-for-6 with two runs scored and an RBI and threw out another runner at third base. Yet when Mangum proposed that none of them was the most valuable player of the series, none of them disagreed. They were all willing to cede that honor to Cole Gordon. Both of Gordon's appearances in the Nashville Super Regional helped MSU earn the two wins it needed to advance. On Sunday, Gordon's 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief bridged the gap from starting pitcher Jacob Billingsley to the later innings and helped send MSU to the College World Series.
 
Mississippi State's Gary Henderson takes strange trip to CWS
The Lexington Herald-Leader's John Clay writes: "Two years ago, Gary Henderson was resigning as Kentucky's head baseball coach after failing to make the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. Sunday night, as the interim head coach at Mississippi State, Henderson was earning a spot in the College World Series. What a crazy season it has been for the veteran coach, who led UK to a 258-199 record and two NCAA Tournament appearances in his eight seasons (2009-16) as head coach. ...State's victory Sunday after such an unusual and trying season was certainly cheered by his old friends back in Kentucky."
 
Mississippi State is one of this year's CWS surprise guests
The Times-Picayune's Ron Higgins writes: "Five baseball teams that LSU went a combined 9-6 against this season are moving on to the College World Series starting Saturday. No. 3 national seed Oregon State, Big 12 regular season champion Texas, SEC regular season champ Florida and Arkansas, the SEC team with the best hitting/pitching balance, all seemed bound for Omaha for the past month or so. But Mississippi State? ...There probably have been more glamorous and talented Mississippi State CWS teams than the 37-27 2018 Bulldogs, but none is like this season's squad which has emerged as the best story in college baseball. ...The CWS berth caps one of the best years in the history of Mississippi State athletics, which also includes a Final Four berth in women's basketball, an NIT Final Four spot in men's basketball, a TaxSlayer Bowl win, SEC titles in women's basketball and men's tennis and NCAA tourney invites for six sports."
 
Bulldogs welcome Elena Lovato back to coaching staff
A familiar face is returning to the Mississippi State women's basketball sideline, as Elena Lovato is rejoining the program as the Bulldogs' new assistant coach. Lovato, who served on Vic Schaefer's staff the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons and had a hand in recruiting many of the players from State's last two National Finalist teams, returns to Starkville after a two-year stint as the head coach at Arkansas-Fort Smith. Lovato helped recruit some of the top classes in MSU history that went on to earn four-straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, including back-to-back national title game appearances, and collected the program's first SEC championship.
 
Elena Lovato rejoins Vic Schaefer's staff
A familiar face is returning to Vic Schaefer's coaching staff at Mississippi State. Elena Lovato is rejoining the fold as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs following a two-year absence. Lovato served under Schaefer from 2014-16 before leaving to be the head coach at Arkansas Fort-Smith. "Leaving Mississippi State two years ago was a difficult decision because it is a special place surrounded with special people," Lovato said. "I believed with every ounce in me that Coach Schaefer was building an elite program that would compete for national championships. I failed to realize two things: You can't put a price tag on people and I was leaving a big piece of my heart in Starkville."
 
Fulton's Ally McDonald 10th in LPGA event | Sports | djournal.com
Fulton's Ally McDonald tied for 10th on Sunday at the Shoprite LPGA Classic in New Jersey. It's her second-best finish of the season, after tying for seventh place at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup in March. She was tied for seventh after the weather-delayed second round was completed Sunday morning. McDonald, the former Mississippi State All-American, missed the cut in five of her previous six LPGA events. Annie Park (69-65-63: 197) won by a stroke over Skaura Yokomine (70-67-61: 198) for her first LPGA Tour title. Yokomine's 61 tied the course record set in the second round by Sei Young Kim, who finished fourth.
 
Austin Langworthy's homer off glove lifts Florida back to Omaha
Florida sophomore left fielder Austin Langworthy is developing a knack for coming up with big hits in big spots. None was bigger than Monday night for Langworthy, a Williston native who grew up dreaming of playing for the Gators. Langworthy will forever go down in Florida postseason lore with his walk-off home run to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning that lifted UF to a 3-2, series-clinching win over Auburn in the NCAA Gainesville Super Regional. The line drive shot to right field, which caromed off the glove of Auburn right fielder Steven Williams and over the right field fence, was Langworthy's fourth home run of the season and fourth career postseason home run. It sent the defending national champion Gators to their fourth straight College World Series appearance and 12th trip to Omaha in school history.
 
Walk-off home run ends Auburn's season in Super Regional, sends Florida back to Omaha
Steven Williams' head sank. He put his hands on his knees, then dropped into a crouch on the warning track in right field at McKethan Stadium. A little more than 300 feet away at home plate, Florida mobbed Austin Langworthy, reveling a walk-off 3-2 victory that sent the defending national champions back to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., for a record-tying fourth straight year. Williams had a beat on Langworthy's 1-2 line drive off Cody Greenhill in the bottom of the 11th inning in the rubber game of the Super Regional between the two SEC foes. He had a chance to catch it, too. But the ball was hit on a rope. It bounced off Williams' outstretched glove and over the wall. The solo home run was the sophomore's second in as many days off Greenhill. Sunday's tied a game Auburn went on to win. Monday's ended the Tigers' season.
 
Omaha booked: Hogs secure trip to College World Series in offensive show
Dave Van Horn told his Arkansas Razorbacks after Sunday's loss to South Carolina that they should look at the super regional finale as a time for fun, not a life-or-death scenario. The Razorbacks took the message to heart, gleefully bashing through South Carolina's thin pitching staff to claim a spot in the College World Series with a 14-4 victory on Monday night. Carson Shaddy hit a three-run home run to cap the Hogs' five-run first inning, and pitcher Isaiah Campbell had a bounce-back performance to fuel the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville before a crowd of 11,217 at Baum Stadium. The Razorbacks will take on Texas in their CWS opener Sunday at 1 p.m. in the side of the bracket that also features defending national champion Florida and Texas Tech, all teams Arkansas has played this season.
 
No Omaha this year: Gamecocks fall just short of CWS return
Arguably South Carolina baseball's best season in half a decade came to an ugly, disappointing end at Baum Stadium on Monday, as the Gamecocks were steamrolled by Arkansas, 14-4, in Game 3 of their NCAA tournament Super Regional. With the defeat, USC's hopes of advancing to the program's 12th College World Series ended. Carolina finished its first season under coach Mark Kingston with a 37-26 record, after falling at one point to 20-17. After topping the Razorbacks 8-5 on Sunday to force a pivotal third game in the series, the Gamecocks seemed lost from the start Monday and never got on track during their second biggest margin of defeat on the year.
 
After High School, Young Women's Exercise Rates Plunge
Young women, especially young women of color, tend to get less exercise than their male counterparts, and the disparities worsen after high school ends. This is the finding of a study published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. As teens, 88 percent of boys report being physically active, compared to 78 percent of girls. Once the high school days of soccer games, track practices and physical education classes have ended, around 73 percent of young men stay active, but only 62 percent of women do. "The bottom line for this study is that there is a lot of room for improving how physically active teens and young adults in our country are," says Dr. Charlene Wong, a coauthor of the study and a professor of pediatrics at Duke University.



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