Missouri

What we learned from Mississippi State baseball’s series sweep vs Missouri State

Published

1 year ago

February 24, 2025

Press Room

What we learned from Mississippi State baseball’s series sweep vs Missouri State

Mississippi State is still trying to figure out who its starting second baseman will be.
Freshman Lukas Buckner has impressed with his composure and hitting ability.

This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball swept Missouri State this weekend, but it didn’t mean there was no sweat in the final inning.

The No. 19 Bulldogs (6-1) entered Sunday’s ninth inning leading 6-1 in a combined no-hitter. That was until William Zareh blasted a three-run homer. The Bears (2-4) brought the go-ahead run to the plate, but Virginia transfer Chase Hungate came to the rescue with two game-ending outs for the 6-4 win.

“I know we had a no-hitter into the ninth, but that’s a really good offensive lineup,” MSU coach Chris Lemonis said. “There’s pros inside that lineup. You are going to look up at the end of the year and you’ll probably see Missouri State in a regional like we had last year with Evansville heading to a Super Regional.”

The win meant MSU has swept both of its weekend series to begin the season. Its only loss so far was at Southern Miss on Tuesday, and the 6-1 record is the program’s best since 2019.

Here are three things we learned about Mississippi State from the series.

Mississippi State has depth, but Chris Lemonis isn’t satisfied yet

The Bulldogs scored 18 runs in the series with lots of flex in the lineup. Only five players — Ace Reese, Ross Highfill, Noah Sullivan, Hunter Hines and Bryce Chance — started all three games.

Different players came through in big moments throughout the weekend.

Sullivan, a USC-Upstate transfer, hit a go-ahead RBI double with two outs in the eighth inning on Friday. Reese, a Houston transfer, slashed a triple that drove in three runs the next day. Four players hit home runs on Sunday, when each starter had at least one hit.

“We’re still not maximizing our offensive opportunities, and I think that’s something we got to keep (working on),” Lemonis said. “We’re having, like, a good at-bat, a good at-bat and then a really bad one. You don’t need to have a great one. You just need to have an average one and move the inning along. We’ll get up there and have a couple big hits and then strike out, strike out, which we got to correct.”

Mississippi State still figuring out second base

Mississippi State started three players at second base against Missouri State.

Sawyer Reeves, a transfer from The Citadel, started the first four games of the season but has slumped to 1-for-13 start at the plate. He also committed two costly errors against Southern Miss. The redshirt senior did not start any games this weekend.

Lukas Buckner started at second base on Friday and Saturday and Gehrig Frei in the finale.

Frei committed an error in the first inning of Sunday’s game, the only error by the Bulldogs all weekend, but redeemed himself when he launched a home run on the first pitch in the bottom of the inning.

“I think one thing is we’re all aware that we have great depth, position player-wise,” Frei, a North Alabama transfer, said. “We got guys who can go in there and make an impact right away. It’s a good thing about our ball club.”

Lukas Buckner impressing as a freshman

Buckner didn’t start the first four games of the season but did start at shortstop on Friday and second base on Saturday.

The Knoxville, Tennessee native has been one of the most impressive freshmen on the team.

He pinch-hit on Tuesday at Southern Miss and slapped two of MSU’s hits in the game. Buckner followed it with his first career start on Friday, adding two more hits at shortstop and the leadoff batter. He reached base twice again on Saturday.

“I think the biggest thing is just how composed he is,” Sullivan said of Buckner. “It’s like he’s been here like two, three years already. He knows how to work, he knows how to play and he’s about as good as it gets.”

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.

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Missouri

10 pounds of meth found during I-70 traffic stop, Callaway County Sheriff’s Office says

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1 hour ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

10 pounds of meth found during I-70 traffic stop, Callaway County Sheriff’s Office says

Callaway County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested two Mexico, Missouri, residents on suspicion of possession of 10 pounds of methamphetamine, according to a social media post from the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office.

Around 10:18 p.m. on Wednesday, deputies conducted traffic stops on Interstate 70 regarding an ongoing narcotics investigation by the Sheriff’s Office investigators assigned to the MUSTANG Drug Task Force, according to the social media post.

Deputies made contact with Louetta Dorsey, 43, and Brian Wilson, 41, of Mexico, in their vehicles during the investigation, according to the social media post. The two suspects were in separate vehicles, and one was allegedly acting as a decoy vehicle for the other, according to court documents.

During the traffic stops, deputies located approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine. Dorsey and Wilson were arrested and taken to the Callaway County Jail, according to the social media post.

Dorsey has been charged with second-degree drug trafficking and possession of a controlled substance, according to court records. Charges for Wilson were not appearing in Missouri’s online court record system as of Friday afternoon.

A probable cause statement filed in Dorsey’s case indicates that both she and Wilson were under investigation on suspicion of distributing large amounts of methamphetamine throughout Audrain, Boone and Callaway counties.

Members of the MUSTANG Drug Task Force worked with the Audrain County Sheriff’s Office, East Central Drug Task Force and the Boone County Sheriff’s Office-MO to execute additional narcotics related search warrants, according to the social media post.

The results of the search warrants revealed firearms and drug paraphernalia commonly used for drug trafficking, according to the social media post.

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Missouri

What’s closed on Juneteenth in Missouri? Check trash, libraries, banks

Published

11 hours ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

What’s closed on Juneteenth in Missouri? Check trash, libraries, banks

Juneteenth is marking five years since it was officially recognized as a federal holiday.

Given the holiday’s relatively recent federal designation, it may not be clear to many what will be open/closed on Juneteenth. Will the post office be open? Will my trash get collected? Can I go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to renew my license?

Here’s a guide to what is open and closed on Juneteenth in Missouri.

When is Juneteenth 2026?

This year, Juneteenth will be celebrated on Friday, June 19. The holiday is also often celebrated on the third Saturday of June, with many events taking place on that day.

Communities use this day to honor resilience, culture and progress through various events, gatherings and activities. These can include church services, picnics, barbecues, parades and festivals, to name a few.

Are federal or Missouri state offices open on Juneteenth?

Given that Juneteenth is a federal holiday, non-essential federal offices will be closed.

It’s also a state holiday in Missouri, so all local governments and state offices will be closed, as well.

Will major retailers be open on Juneteenth?

Most major retailers, grocery stores, warehouse clubs and restaurants should be open on Juneteenth, but you may want to check with your local stores to confirm business hours, as they can vary by location.

Is the post office open on Juneteenth? Will mail be delivered?

All post offices will be closed, and mail will not be delivered on Juneteenth, according to the U.S. Postal Service’s website.

FedEx and UPS will operate more or less as usual, and their stores will be open.

Are banks open on Juneteenth?

Most banks will be closed on Juneteenth, as most follow the Federal Reserve’s holiday schedule.

Is the stock market open on Juneteenth?

Both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market will be closed on Juneteenth.

Will trash pickup happen on Juneteenth?

Trash pickup on Juneteenth varies from city to city, so it’s best to check with your local waste management service to see whether they observe the holiday.

Trash pickup can be delayed by one day if the scheduled pickup falls on a federal holiday.

Columbia will have normal trash pickup on Friday, according to the city’s website. Each hauler in Springfield sets its own holiday schedule. Ozark Refuse, Republic Services and Waste Management are not delayed for the holiday.

Are libraries and DMV offices open on Juneteenth?

Holiday hours can vary among Missouri’s libraries, so it’s best to check whether the ones in your area will be open on Juneteenth.

The Daniel Boone Regional Library network in Columbia and Springfield-Greene County Library District branches will be closed.

All Missouri Department of Revenue offices will be closed on Juneteenth, including driver examination stations. With that being said, some license offices will be operating during the holiday, so check the Missouri License Office Locator to see if your local office is open.

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Missouri

Missouri judge strikes down nearly all state abortion regulations

Published

21 hours ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

Missouri judge strikes down nearly all state abortion regulations

Nearly all of Missouri’s abortion regulations, including laws that Planned Parenthood said made it impossible for providers to prescribe medication abortion, were struck down in a ruling Thursday by a Jackson County judge. One of the regulations most widely condemned by abortion rights supporters, a 72-hour waiting period between an initial consultation and an abortion, […]

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