Mississippi
How Broccoli Guy joined Mississippi State’s magical ride to WCWS and is ready for more
Jim Stewart Allen, also known as Broccoli Guy, is still trying to wrap his head around the last two weeks.
What started as a short trip from his home state of Washington to support Oregon in the Eugene Regional of the NCAA softball Tournament has turned into a trip to the Women’s College World Series as Mississippi State softball’s unofficial mascot.
“I’ve dreamed about going to a softball World Series,” Allen told the Clarion Ledger. “I didn’t know when it was going to happen. And so, to be able to finally go is one thing, but to be able to go with such a meaningful connection with one of the teams, with Mississippi State, it just means the world to me.”
Allen plans to be in Oklahoma City for every step of the Bulldogs’ WCWS journey, beginning with their opening game against No. 11 seed Texas Tech (57-7) on May 28 (11 a.m. CT, ESPN) at Devon Park. It will be the first WCWS game in MSU (43-19) program history.
Broccoli Guy surprised Mississippi State at super regionals
Allen has brought broccoli to games for nearly every Seattle professional sports team. It’s about more than just being a fun way to support the teams. It’s also about maintaining a fun environment and encouraging unity.
After watching Mississippi State use broccoli as a rally prop in its regional final win, Allen knew he had to travel to Oklahoma for super regionals. He surprised the Bulldogs in Norman and saw them hand Oklahoma its first super regional loss since 2015.
“It was very exciting,” Allen said of watching Game 1, which Mississippi State won 11-9. “It was just very clear during that whole game that Mississippi State came to play. They had the energy and they had the hunger.”
All weekend, Allen got to see firsthand how much his presence was appreciated by supporting and opposing fans alike.
“The environment was incredible,” Allen said. “I was nervous about how I would be received by Oklahoma fans. … I didn’t really know what to expect, but I got so much love from Oklahoma fans.”
Anytime they needed a boost, the Bulldogs held broccoli in the dugout for good luck. After losing Game 2, MSU leaned on broccoli to power past the Sooners in Game 3, posting pregame pictures and videos highlighting the vegetable.
Allen didn’t need to see the overflow of broccoli content to know that MSU had what it took.
“I woke up that morning on Sunday thinking, ‘I’m going to have to stay here probably because they’re going to win this game,’” Allen said. “… And then I saw pictures on Instagram of … someone holding a bag of broccoli on the bus and I went, ‘Yeah, I’m staying in Oklahoma.’”
What Mississippi State softball means to Broccoli Guy
As the Bulldogs secured the final out in Game 3, the ESPN broadcast showed Allen in the stands with tears in his eyes.
He joked that this was a result of the exhaustion of dancing in the hot sun and his tired acceptance of a trip to the WCWS. In reality, it was an outpouring of joy for the team he’d come to love.
“That’s just been two weeks of following this team at a pretty intense level, game by game, seeing them work” Allen said. “… I think right after that, the team ran over to me, and we had our own moment, which is so, so humbling.”
For as much as Allen enjoys watching the Bulldogs play, the players enjoy having him in the stands. Infielder Nadia Barbary said seeing him dancing during the games helps them remember to have fun and stay loose in tough moments.
This relaxed style of play is what helped them get past Oklahoma. The Bulldogs even thanked Allen for his contributions by letting him hold their super regional trophy.
“It’s just been great,” pitcher Alyssa Faircloth said. “He’s such a sweet guy, so just the fact that we can bring him along and celebrate him with our broccoli in our dugout and just make him feel a little bit special has been great.”
The wider MSU community has also embraced Allen. Leila Ammon’s dad, Charles, started a GoFundMe to help cover Allen’s WCWS travel expenses. It had received $4,165 in donations as of May 26.
Unsurprisingly, Allen believes the Bulldogs have a good shot to win the title, noting it would be a fantastic finish to his and their journey.
“For them to even get this far is just incredible,” Allen said. “… Mississippi State is representing what it means to be a hungry, energetic softball underdog and they’re doing it so well. … Anything they do, I’m going to be super proud of, and I’m not surprised if they win it all.”
Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at treid@usatodayco.com and follow her on X @tiareid65.
A 1-year-old boy was fatally shot by a Mississippi cop who fired at a car the tot’s mother and aunt were fleeing in through a Walmart parking lot after allegedly stealing diapers.
Kohen Wiley, 1, was killed and another woman in their car was critically injured when a cop opened fire at their vehicle in a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia, Mississippi.
Kohen’s family told WREG that his mother was holding him in the front passenger seat while his aunt drove. It’s not clear if Kohen’s mother or aunt was the woman critically injured.
Officers from the Senatobia Police Department and the Tate County Sheriff’s Department were responding to a reported shoplifting at the Walmart when they spotted the suspects’ car driving away, according to a statement from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety obtained by Mississippi Today.
The DPS claimed that the driver sped in the officers’ direction and almost hit one cop while they were trying to stop the car. It was at that moment that an officer fired at the car, according to the statement.
Video footage obtained by WREG showed at least one bullet hole in the front windshield of the car. The passenger-side window was also severely damaged.
The family drove themselves to a nearby hospital, where little Kohen died.
The tot’s surviving family is demanding answers for how a shoplifting response could turn so violent. They also disputed speculations that Kohen’s mother and aunt were stealing diapers from the megastore.
“We don’t really know anything, why it happened or whatever. All we know is that car was shot up and a one-year-old baby was killed,” Carolyn Stokes, Kohen’s great-grandmother, told WREG.
“I’m just at a loss for words, to be honest. Somebody needs to held accountable for it,” Carlos Haynes, Kohen’s grandfather, added.
A woman who witnessed the shooting told the outlet that she heard gunshots echo across the parking lot as cops chased the car, but assumed officers hadn’t opened fire in broad daylight, since “this is Walmart.”
A separate witness told the outlet that he saw law enforcement waiting in the parking lot before Kohen’s mother and aunt exited the store, one holding a box of diapers while the other cradled the toddler.
The Senatobia Police Department turns its investigation over to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
Tate County Sheriff Luke Shepherd told Mississippi Today that the department is also doing an independent investigation to determine if any of the deputies involved in the shooting will be placed on leave.
Eight Mississippi public schools are being recognized for their support of military families and children of those who serve in the U.S. armed forces.
The Mississippi Department of Education acknowledged the following educational facilities as new Military Star Schools for 2026-28:
- Hattiesburg High School
- Callaway High School
- Jim Hill High School
- Baxterville School
- Lumberton Elementary
- Sumrall High School
- New Hope Lower Elementary
- Ocean Springs High School
According to the department, Military Star Schools must meet specific requirements that address the unique needs of military students and families. These include appointing a dedicated school liaison for military families, providing student-led transition services and peer support, ensuring professional development for staff to respond to the needs of military students and families, and publicly recognizing service members and their families.
Gov. Tate Reeves established the Military Star School program in February 2022, making Mississippi one of 31 states at that time with a formal program to recognize schools that support military families. In 2025, 18 schools earned the designation for 2025-27.
The Military Star School program is designed to help schools respond to the educational and social-emotional challenges military-connected children face during their transition to a new school and keep them on track to be college, workforce and life-ready. “Military-connected” refers to children of service members on active duty and in the National Guard and Reserves.
The Military Star School designation remains in effect for two years. Schools can reapply to maintain the designation. New schools can apply to receive the designation between Dec. 1, 2026, and Feb. 15, 2027. There are now 103 Military Star Schools in Mississippi. The full list can be found here.
East Nashville defensive back Ke’Vontae Pitts committed to Mississippi State football after his official visit on June 14, he announced on X.
Pitts, a 6-foot, 175-pound junior, picked the Bulldogs over offers that included Memphis, Arkansas State, East Carolina, Charlotte and Austin Peay.
It was a swift recruitment from Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby’s staff, which had just offered Pitts on June 9.
Pitts does not have a ranking with 247Sports but has 12 offers from FBS and FCS programs.
Pitts intercepted four passes in 2025 while helping East Nashville reach the TSSAA football Class 2A state quarterfinals. He also had 60 tackles and three punt returns for touchdowns.
He was scheduled to take an official visit to Memphis on June 19.
Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, @tpalmateer83.
He also contributes to The Tennessean’s high school sports newsletter, The Bootleg. Subscribe to The Bootleg here.
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