STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State baseball has a lot riding on their final regular season series with Missouri. Earlier this season, the thought of this team playing for a hosting spot on the final weekend was far-fetched.
However, this team’s resiliency has prevailed all year long, and they have an opportunity to bring postseason baseball back to Dudy Noble Field for the first time since 2021. While State controls its destiny regarding hosting, its non-conference slip-ups have made the road more challenging.
MSU sits at 15-12 in the conference; typically, a 17-13 record is enough to feel confident about being a host site. Still, it would be cutting it close if that is their record going into Memorial Day.
Luckily for the Bulldogs, Missouri is one of the worst teams in the conference with an 8-19 conference record, and they are coming off a series loss to the only team below them in the standings, Auburn. MSU swept Auburn at Dudy Noble Field less than a month ago, but the story is reminiscent for Bulldog fans.
Advertisement
In 2021, before winning a national title, State was in the thick of the SEC regular season title race as it welcomed Missouri to Starkville for its final home conference series. Much like this year, the Tigers were at the bottom of the SEC, but that did not matter as they took the series from the eventual national champions.
Missouri is still playing for a spot in the SEC tournament, and a sweep over the Bulldogs would help them get to Hoover. Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis understands his team must focus on the task at hand.
“They are still playing for a lot… I have been that team,” Lemonis said. “It is about us.”
State seems to be piecing together its roster as guys such as Joe Powell and Logan Kohler are finding more consistency. Both guys struggled early in the season but have found their stride, especially Powell, who hit three home runs in the Bulldogs’ 8-4 win over North Alabama.
Although the series loss to Arkansas in Fayetteville was frustrating, it may have shown the rest of the country how good this State team is.
Advertisement
“The series at Arkansas did not go the way we wanted, but we showed that we are one of the top teams in the country,” Powell said.
The win over North Alabama also saw the return of former MSU ace Nate Dohm. The Indiana native tossed two perfect innings and showed great control with his 92-94 MPH fastball.
Dohm’s role on this team is still up in the air, but having him back in any capacity can only be positive for State. This team has all of its goals in front of it, and they seem to be hitting their stride at the perfect time. However, if they want to ensure that the Road to Omaha starts in Starkville, they must take care of business against Missouri.
“I have told them all week, I don’t care about scenarios or tournaments; all we can control is what is between the white lines,” Lemonis said. “Our job is to prove to the committe that we are one of the top 16 teams in the country.”
Kentucky basketball fans have seemed to have finally gotten their wish. After receiving a lot of pushback for not making a change to the starting lineup, more specifically not starting Jaland Lowe since returning from injury, Mark Pope is making a change. According to KSR’s Jack Pilgrim, both Lowe and Jayden Quaintance will start in Kentucky’s game against Missouri. Pilgrim reports the two will replace Collin Chandler and Malachi Moreno as starters against Missouri, which will make the lineup Jaland Lowe, Denzel Aberdeen, Otega Oweh, Mo Dioubate and Jayden Quaintance.
It’s a long-time coming for Kentucky fans, as since Jaland Lowe has been back from injury on Dec. 5, he hasn’t started a single game. Even in the games before he wasn’t included in Kentucky’s starting lineup. That’s seven games played with zero starts to show for it, with fans constantly wondering why Lowe has continued to come into the games following the first media timeout after Kentucky has already fallen behind. He’s not the only one being included in the lineup change, with Quaintance starting as well. Quaintance made his debut against St. John’s and has since been working to get acclimated after spending nine months returning from an injury. Now, he’s getting the start, too. We haven’t seen the two on the floor together since Kentucky’s second-half surge to beat St. John’s on Dec. 20.
The chatter around the starting lineup questions has mainly centered around Lowe, as he is clearly the engine of this team. When he’s not in, Kentucky sturggles to have any flow, or identity for that matter. Now, the Wildcats have the opportunity to start the game off fresh instead of it being like the last game where Kentucky fell behind 9-5 before Lowe came in. Mark Pope hinted on his radio show Monday that this development with Lowe was coming, saying “starting is in his future” while also noting that they’re continuing to ‘nurse’ him along. Before that, though, during Kentucky’s 10-day break between the Bellarmine and Alabama games, Pope discussed the reason why Jaland Lowe had not been starting:
Advertisement
“We’re trying to limit his contact and exposure so much in practice that, the thinking behind that is like, let’s protect the integrity of the group that we have getting most of the reps in practice to actually be able to go perform on the court, just to give some continuity.” At the time, Pope wasn’t sure if that was the right way to go about it, but it’s something he said they would continue to be thinking about moving forward. “That might not be the right answer. We’re going to kind of explore that as we go. It also gives you a chance to maybe extend his healthy window, which we’re hoping is going to be the entire season, by not being the headline guy at the beginning of a scout.”
Advertisement
Well, those comments from Pope combined with the pushback from fans has now led to Jaland Lowe finally making his first start as a Kentucky Wildcat. Mark Pope now has real chance for his team to build some momentum with two players on the floor together in Lowe and Quaintance who will hopefully be staying on the floor together and consistently moving forward. This development is going to be what Kentucky fans focus on most against Missouri.
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 6, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from Jan. 6 drawing
09-39-47-58-68, Mega Ball: 24
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 6 drawing
Midday: 3-4-8
Advertisement
Midday Wild: 8
Evening: 8-5-7
Evening Wild: 4
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 6 drawing
Midday: 2-0-4-4
Advertisement
Midday Wild: 8
Evening: 1-5-2-7
Evening Wild: 4
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash4Life numbers from Jan. 6 drawing
23-24-32-57-58, Cash Ball: 02
Advertisement
Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from Jan. 6 drawing
Early Bird: 05
Morning: 10
Matinee: 01
Prime Time: 06
Advertisement
Night Owl: 05
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Jan. 6 drawing
02-12-26-29-30
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Advertisement
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Advertisement
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Damon Wilson II is reportedly set to transfer again after a nine-sack season at Missouri. Ed Zurga / Getty Images
Damon Wilson II, the player at the center of a lawsuit showdown with Georgia over his transfer to Missouri last year, is planning to re-enter the portal, a source briefed on the decision said.
Wilson figures to be a premium target for teams that need an edge rusher: He led Missouri with nine sacks this season, which was tied for third in the SEC. The news of his plans was reported by On3 on Tuesday afternoon. But his decision to enter is more intriguing given his ongoing legal dispute with Georgia over his exit from that program last year.
Wilson spent his first two seasons in Athens. He transferred to Missouri last January. In October, Georgia sued him, seeking $390,000 in damages from Wilson for leaving the team after the program said he signed an agreement to return for the 2025 season. Georgia filed to compel Wilson to arbitration.
Advertisement
Wilson answered on Dec. 23 by filing a lawsuit against Georgia in Boone County, Mo. Wilson’s attorneys alleged a civil conspiracy by Georgia’s athletic department and collective to “penalize Wilson for his decision to transfer.” The lawsuit also alleged the agreement Wilson signed with Georgia in December 2024 was not a contract.
This was believed to be the first time a player and a school took each other to court over a transfer decision and figures to be closely watched. Wilson leaving Missouri would not end the court proceedings.
Wilson’s legal representatives did not offer immediate comment on Tuesday afternoon.
