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Mississippi State, Ole Miss Win Big To Open SEC Play, Highlight College Baseball Roundup — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects – Baseball America

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Mississippi State, Ole Miss Win Big To Open SEC Play, Highlight College Baseball Roundup — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects – Baseball America



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Hunter Hines (Danny Parker/Four Seam Images)

Mississippi and Mississippi State, the 2022 and 2021 national champions, are both trying to dig out from dismal seasons a year ago. The Bulldogs and Rebels finished 13th and 14th, respectively, in the SEC in 2023, missing not just the NCAA Tournament but also the SEC Tournament. The disappointment was especially acute for Mississippi State, which also missed the postseason entirely in 2022.

Both teams this spring started slowly: Ole Miss was 2-4, Mississippi State was 3-4. But both the Rebels and Bulldogs righted themselves and came into the start of SEC play with identical 13-5 records. With the conference season beginning this weekend and both teams hosting high-level opponents – No. 12 South Carolina for Ole Miss and No. 2 LSU for Mississippi State – it was time to find out the Rebels and Bulldogs had truly turned a corner or if their records were more a product of soft schedules.

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On Friday night, both Ole Miss and Mississippi State passed their tests. The Rebels edged past the Gamecocks, 5-4, thanks to a two-run double from shortstop Luke Hill and a strong night on the mound. The Bulldogs knocked off the Tigers, 10-4, thanks to the best offensive performance any team has had this season against LSU.

Mississippi State can especially feel good after Friday’s victory. The Bulldogs beat LSU righthander Luke Holman, who came into the day having not allowed a run in 24 innings to start the season, the best mark in the country. They scored five runs (two earned) on 10 hits, including a Hunter Hines home run, against the junior.

Mississippi State kept up the pressure against the LSU (16-3) bullpen. It got a run against righthander Gavin Guidry and four more against lefthander Justin Loer. It finished the game with 16 hits, the most the Tigers have surrendered in a game this season.

Hines led the way, going 2-for-5 with two home runs. Center fielder Connor Hujsak added three hits and seven starters collected multiple hits.

Ole Miss, meanwhile, found itself in a more traditional, low-scoring Friday night game. Lefthander Gunnar Dennis threw five solid innings, holding the Gamecocks (14-4) to three runs, and kept the Rebels in the game.

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Hill provided the big hit, as his two-run double in the sixth inning was the only one of Ole Miss’ nine hits that went for extra bases. But the Rebels did a good job of putting pressure on the Gamecocks, as they drew seven walks against just three strikeouts and stole three bases. With the South Carolina offense still not hitting on all cylinders – its top four hitters combined to go 0-for-16 with seven strikeouts and one walk – it was enough on Friday.

One impressive Friday night is not going to carry Ole Miss and Mississippi State back to contention in the SEC or the top of the sport. But it’s a start and a strong one at that.

For good measure, the good times in the Magnolia State carried over to Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles (12-6) opened Sun Belt play with an 8-4 victory against Marshall (6-11).

Ace Watch

Friday night is for the aces. Here we highlight some of the best pitching performances of the day.

Colin Atkinson, RHP, Sam Houston State: Atkinson threw an eight-inning shutout in Sam Houston’s 10-0, run-rule shortened victory at New Mexico State. He struck out nine batters, walked three and held the Aggies to two hits. Atkinson is 3-1, 1.76 with 30 strikeouts and nine walks in 30.2 innings. He now has 203 career strikeouts, ninth most in program history.

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Jake Brink, RHP, Charleston: Brink threw eight scoreless innings to lead Charleston to a 4-0 victory against Wofford. The sophomore retired the final 14 batters he faced and finished the game with four strike outs, working around three hits and two walks. Brink improved to 3-0, 2.03 with 21 strikeouts and 13 walks in 31 innings.

Nick Pinto, LHP, UC Irvine: Pinto threw eight scoreless innings and No. 19 UCI defeated UC Davis, 1-0. He struck out seven batters and scattered three hits and two walks. Pinto is 3-1, 2.08 with 30 strikeouts and nine walks in 30.1 innings.

Kyle Robinson, RHP, Texas Tech: After a tough start last week against Texas, Robinson bounced back with seven scoreless innings to help No. 24 Texas Tech to a 2-0 victory at Baylor. He struck out eight batters and scattered three hits and two walks. Robinson is 3-2, 5.76 with 31 strikeouts and 13 walks in 25 innings this season.

Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas: Smith was dominant again for No. 1 Arkansas, throwing six scoreless innings in an 8-0 victory against Missouri. He struck out 10 batters, walked one and held the Tigers to two hits. He extended his scoreless innings streak to 15. Smith this season is 3-0, 1.57 with 50 strikeouts and eight walks in 23 innings.

Gage Ziehl, RHP, Miami: Ziehl helped Miami to a 14-1 upset against No. 14 North Carolina, as he threw a seven-inning complete game in the run-rule shortened game. He struck out six and held the Tar Heels to one run on five hits and two walks. Ziehl is 1-1, 5.04 with 29 strikeouts and 10 walks in 30.1 innings.

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Around The Horn

  • No. 3 Duke defeated No. 9 Clemson, 5-2, to open a top-10 showdown in Durham. The Blue Devils (15-3, 3-1) got a bounce-back start from ace Jonathan Santucci, who last week got knocked out in the third inning against Wake Forest but on Friday held the Tigers to two runs (one earned) in five innings and struck out 11. Clemson loaded the bases in the ninth inning but closer Charlie Beilenson (2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K) wriggled out of the jam to earn his eighth save of the season. It’s early, but Beilenson is on pace to break the Division I single-season saves record of 24, set in 2013 by UCLA’s David Berg.
  • No. 10 Florida defeated No. 5 Texas A&M, 8-6, to open SEC play and hand the Aggies (17-1) their first loss of the season. The Gators (11-6) hit five home runs, including two from Jac Caglianone, and all-SEC closer Brandon Neely had a get-right game, throwing three scoreless innings for his first save of the season.
  • No. 21 Florida State defeated Notre Dame, 8-4, to open ACC play and improve to 16-0 on the season. The win, combined with Texas A&M’s loss at Florida, leaves the Seminoles as the last undefeated team in the nation. Third baseman Cam Smith led the way for Florida State, going 3-for-3 with a double and a home run. He is now hitting .507/.573/.789 with five home runs.
  • Oklahoma went on the road to defeat No. 11 TCU, 7-3. The Sooners (11-6, 4-0) fell behind early and trailed, 3-2, after six innings. But between the five scoreless innings they got out of the bullpen from righthander Kyson Witherspoon (5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K) and a four-run seventh inning, they were able to mount a comeback. As big of a win as it was for Oklahoma, the loss for TCU (15-3, 1-3) is at least as significant. The Horned Frogs were the runaway preseason Big 12 favorites and now have lost three of their first four conference games after last weekend dropping a series at Kansas.
  • This weekend provides a showdown of the Volunteer State against the Yellowhammer State, as No. 17 Auburn travels to No. 8 Vanderbilt and No. 6 Tennessee visits No. 18 Alabama. On Friday night, the Tennessee schools got the better of the Alabama schools. Vanderbilt routed Auburn, 11-1, and Tennessee rolled to an 11-3 victory at Alabama. Tennessee’s A.J. Causey (6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K) and Vanderbilt’s Carter Holton (7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 K) both delivered quality starts.
  • No. 15 Virginia used two big innings to beat No. 7 Wake Forest, 16-10. The Cavaliers scored seven runs in the second inning and eight runs in the sixth inning, showing just how deep and powerful their lineup is as they collected 14 hits and seven walks. The most important development of the game, however, was Virginia righthander Jack O’Connor, who threw three scoreless innings to finish the game. The Cavaliers need someone to step up in the bullpen and O’Connor, who started the year in the rotation, could be that emergent reliever.



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Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for June 2, 2026

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Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for June 2, 2026


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The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at June 2, 2026, results for each game:

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Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from June 2 drawing

05-14-16-33-35

Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 2 drawing

Midday: 3-3-8, FB: 5

Evening: 6-9-5, FB: 7

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 2 drawing

Midday: 6-0-4-9, FB: 5

Evening: 2-8-1-0, FB: 7

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 2 drawing

Midday: 08

Evening: 03

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Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Story continues below gallery.

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.

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Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:

Mississippi Lottery Corporation

P.O. Box 321462

Flowood, MS

39232

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If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.

Mississippi Lottery Headquarters

1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100

Flowood, MS

39232

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Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.

When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?

  • Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
  • Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
  • Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
  • Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Jackson mayor claims victory after water authority ruling. What he said

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Jackson mayor claims victory after water authority ruling. What he said


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  • A federal judge issued a split ruling on a new state law creating the Metro Jackson Water Authority.
  • The judge blocked the new authority from taking substantive actions while Jackson’s water system is under federal oversight.
  • Jackson Mayor John Horhn claimed the ruling as a victory, validating the city’s concerns about a state takeover.
  • The judge did not strike down the law itself, leaving the question of future control of the water system unresolved.

Jackson Mayor John Horhn claimed victory in the city’s legal fight against Mississippi’s new Metro Jackson Water Authority, arguing a federal judge’s latest ruling validates Jackson’s concerns about state lawmakers trying to influence the future of the city’s water system.

During a press conference at City Hall Tuesday, June 2, Horhn pointed to U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate’s decision to block the authority from naming a president, entering lease agreements or taking other substantive actions while Jackson’s water and sewer systems remain under federal oversight.

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“What we’re thankful of is that the judge seems to agree with us,” Horhn said. “House Bill 1677 appeared to try to subvert the authority of the federal court.”

The comments come one day after Wingate issued a split ruling on the controversial law. While the judge declined to block House Bill 1677 outright, he also barred the Metro Jackson Water Authority from taking operational action beyond seating board members while the federal court continues overseeing Jackson’s water and sewer systems.

But Wingate’s ruling did not strike down House Bill 1677. It was more of a split ruling.

The judge agreed with arguments made by the state, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and JXN Water that the law itself does not automatically transfer control of Jackson’s water and sewer systems because any future takeover remains subject to federal court approval.

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That leaves open a question: If the law remains on the books, could the Metro Jackson Water Authority simply remain in place until federal oversight ends and then assume control of the systems?

Horhn was asked that question directly Tuesday.

In response, Horhn focused on portions of the ruling that prevent the authority from naming a president who would serve as a deputy to JXN Water leader and Interim Third-Party Manager Ted Henifin. Horhn also pointed to Wingate blocking movement on any lease agreements until the court decides how the eventual transition away from federal oversight should occur.

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“Two major points of the judge’s ruling are that he enjoined the state and the authority if it does start taking action from being able to name a president who would become the second in command of JXN Water,” Horhn said. “The other thing is that he enjoined any action on a lease being entered into until such time as he has had a chance to deliberate and decide what the future path ought to be.”

Horhn’s answer suggested he believes the ruling leaves room for other options besides simply allowing House Bill 1677 to take effect once federal oversight ends.

“What the judge has said to us for a number of months is that he wants to see a transition plan,” Horhn said.

The mayor said city officials have already begun discussions with JXN Water about what that transition plan could look like.

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“We have begun discussions with JXN Water to have meaningful conversations with them about putting such a transition plan forward,” Horhn said. “At this point, the actions of the city are focused on working with Jackson Water to try to come up with a transition plan that might be approved by the judge.”

Under existing court orders, JXN Water is expected to develop a formal transition plan that must ultimately be approved by Wingate.

When asked whether the city could pursue its own water authority rather than the state-created Metro Jackson Water Authority, Horhn pointed to existing Mississippi law allowing municipalities to create utility districts.

“For a number of years, there has been state statutory authority for municipalities to establish municipal utility districts,” Horhn said. “We have made that presentation before the judge, and as I understand it, he’s taking it under advisory.”

Horhn did not elaborate on whether the city is actively pursuing that option, but the comments suggest Jackson may continue advocating for alternatives to House Bill 1677 as discussions about a post-receivership transition continue.

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Additionally, Horhn reiterated his long-standing position that Jackson should maintain majority control over any future governing body overseeing the city’s water and wastewater systems.

“We don’t mind participation and involvement by the state of Mississippi,” Horhn said. “But any future governance of the City of Jackson’s water and wastewater system must have the City of Jackson having the majority of control.”

Horhn said Jackson’s position has never been that the state should be excluded entirely.

“What I have said is that we don’t mind participation and involvement by the state of Mississippi,” Horhn said. “But any future governance of the City of Jackson’s water and wastewater system must have the City of Jackson having the majority of control on any future boards or authorities that would be created.”

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Horhn said Jackson opposed House Bill 1677 because it would have allowed state and suburban appointees to outnumber city representatives on the authority’s governing board.

“We don’t mind if you want to have some involvement, but not control,” Horhn said.

The mayor also argued the legislation ignored concerns repeatedly raised by Jackson officials during the legislative process.

“House Bill 1677 was a classic example of the state not listening to the local interests of the City of Jackson,” Horhn said.

Overall, Wingate’s 22-page order on Monday, June 1, was something of a split decision. Jackson persuaded Wingate to freeze many of the authority’s powers, but the state successfully defended the law itself from being blocked outright. The larger question of who will ultimately control Jackson’s water system remains unresolved. For now, Wingate remains in the driver’s seat.

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“The parties should all accept that this state statute cannot force this court’s hand, nor dictate the calendar of this litigation,” Wingate wrote.

Charlie Drape, the Jackson beat reporter, has covered the Jackson water crisis from its collapse in 2022 through the system’s ongoing recovery, including independent testing and other accountability reporting. You can contact him at cdrape@gannett.com.



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How SCOTUS Callais Ruling Erased a Mississippi Voting Rights Victory

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How SCOTUS Callais Ruling Erased a Mississippi Voting Rights Victory


In 2022, Dyamone White, then in her late 20s, filed a lawsuit in federal court arguing that Black voters like her didn’t have a fair chance to elect justices to the Mississippi Supreme Court.

Three years later, she won a significant victory. A federal judge ruled that Mississippi Supreme Court election districts violated the Voting Rights Act and that Black candidates who wanted to run for the state’s highest court were unlikely to succeed. U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock instructed lawmakers to draw a new map to give Black voters more power, with court-ordered special elections to follow, likely this fall.

“WE WON,” White wrote in a social media post that day in August 2025. “This isn’t just a personal victory — it’s a win for every Mississippian who has waited too long for fair representation. I became a plaintiff because I refused to accept that our state’s highest court could exclude the very people it serves. Today, that changes.”

But that change still hasn’t happened — and a recent seismic ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court means it may never happen.

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In late April, the conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in Louisiana v. Callais that dramatically weakened the Voting Rights Act, making it much harder for racial minorities to win voting discrimination lawsuits.

The decision further intensified a mid-decade redistricting war that’s been spreading across the country ahead of the congressional elections in the fall. But the decision affects politics beyond the federal level. The now-upended court battle about Mississippi’s judicial elections will serve as an early test of whether voting rights plaintiffs can still mount a convincing case in some circumstances.

Earlier this month, a federal appeals court vacated Aycock’s ruling from last year after the plaintiffs and defendants agreed that the Callais decision had dramatically changed the legal landscape.

That removed the state’s obligation to draw a new court map. It also eliminated the possibility that the state would hold special elections for its Supreme Court seats this fall, ending Black voters’ hope that 2026 may yield fairer representation at the top of the state’s judiciary. The case will now head back to Aycock’s court for new arguments under the higher standard created by the Callais decision.

The plaintiffs still see a path forward to win new maps. Attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center argue on behalf of White and her fellow plaintiffs that they can still prevail under that new standard.

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Looking to the court battles ahead, White is also looking back. She is from the tiny town of Edwards, a rural community near the state’s capital city region, and she recites its history of Black resistance to oppression, from the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement and beyond.

“It’s an area that is resilient,” White said. “The people I grew up around, they were all fighters.”

Dyamone White with Reuben Anderson, the first Black justice on the Mississippi Supreme Court, in 2024.

The Voting Rights Act, passed in 1965, was a key tool in dismantling the Jim Crow regime of White supremacy that blocked Black residents from ballot box access in Mississippi and across the South.

Among other provisions, the law prohibited states from diluting the voting power of racial minorities and required that those voters have an opportunity to elect candidates of their choosing.

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So, with Callais decided, what’s changed?

When plaintiffs filed suit over the Mississippi Supreme Court voting districts in 2022, they had to show a violation of the law only by pointing to discriminatory effects of the voting districts in use, regardless of what the original architects of those districts may have intended.

Those effects? Black people make up about 38% of Mississippi’s population, but the state has just one Black justice currently sitting on its nine-member Supreme Court. Only four Black justices have ever been on the court, all serving since 1985 and never more than one at a time. All four first reached the court through a gubernatorial appointment to fill a vacancy.

That has meant very little Black representation on a body that interprets state laws and the state constitution, hears appeals in criminal and civil cases and has some control over the operations of lower courts.

With no need to delve into the intention of the legislators who created the current districts in the late 1980s, Aycock, a George W. Bush appointee, ruled that the Mississippi Supreme Court districts as drawn have the effect of diluting Black voting power, violating the Voting Rights Act.

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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s majority opinion in the Callais case, however, sets a higher standard. A Voting Rights Act violation may now be found “only when circumstances give rise to a strong inference that intentional discrimination occurred.”

Legal experts have said that proving intentional discrimination is challenging — made even more difficult by the Alito opinion’s endorsement of partisan gerrymandering as a legitimate purpose of redistricting. The conservative justice wrote that states can now defend themselves against race dilution claims by arguing that Black districts are being eliminated not because of racist motivations but partisan ones since Black voters have typically supported Democratic candidates.

States like Louisiana and Tennessee have moved to quickly eliminate Black-majority Congressional districts. They will likely defend their new maps as partisan gerrymanders, not racially motivated ones.

“It’s going to be just lightning-strike rare for a Voting Rights Act claim to work where partisanship is permitted,” said Justin Levitt, a former Department of Justice official and election law expert who teaches at Loyola Marymount University Law School.

However, Mississippi Supreme Court elections are nonpartisan, and that may make a meaningful difference in the current litigation, said Amir Badat, a civil rights lawyer who has argued a number of voting rights claims in the state.

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Badat said that even under Callais, lawmakers may not be able to hide behind partisan intent to shield themselves from judicial scrutiny.

“In this kind of narrow circumstance, you still have viable Section 2 claims,” said Badat, referencing the section of the Voting Rights Act that bans discriminatory election practices.

Levitt agrees that voting rights cases in nonpartisan elections may still be possible to win under Callais, though he added that the overall impact of the decision likely makes even those cases quite difficult.

While the legal standard may have changed, White, the lawsuit’s lead plaintiff, says one thing has not: The reality faced by Black voters who want to see a fair state Supreme Court map.

“We laid out the facts of representation in the state. You can’t deny that, “ White said. “We can go back to court again, and the facts remain the same. Representation is not equal.”

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This article was produced in collaboration with Bolts, a nonprofit publication that covers criminal justice and voting rights in local governments; sign up for their newsletter.



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