Mississippi

Mississippi State baseball playing much better, but history also big at Tallahassee Regional

Published

10 months ago

May 28, 2025

Mississippi State baseball playing much better, but history also big at Tallahassee Regional

STARKVILLE — Noah Sullivan had just wrapped up his news conference on April 29.

It was one day after Mississippi State baseball fired coach Chris Lemonis in his seventh season. The Bulldogs dismantled Memphis 18-5 in seven innings at Dudy Noble Field the next day. The focus of the news conference with one of MSU’s leaders, instead of the actual game, was centered on the previous 24 hours during which Lemonis was out of his job and Justin Parker named the interim coach.

As Sullivan, the designated hitter, began to stand up to leave the room, he added one last message.

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“Don’t let the Dawgs get hot,” he said.

Mississippi State did just that.

The Bulldogs (34-21) are 9-2 since firing Lemonis. They won SEC series against Kentucky, Ole Miss and Missouri to play themselves into an NCAA tournament at-large bid.

MSU is the No. 3 seed in the Tallahassee Regional — a familiar postseason place. Mississippi State hasn’t played any other opponent more in the postseason than Florida State (38-14), the No. 9 national seed that’s matched up with No. 4 Bethune-Cookman (37-21). First MSU must play No. 2 Northeastern (48-9) on May 30 (6:30 p.m. CT, ESPN+) before possibly facing the Seminoles. But as history shows, playing Florida State has been a good omen for Mississippi State in the NCAA tournament.

“We hope history repeats itself,” Parker said. “And this time of year, even starting with Hoover, this is the time of the year where baseball can be magical and the moments can be special. We’ve talked a lot about that as a group.”

Why Mississippi State can use past for success at Tallahassee Regional

Outfielder Bryce Chance, a Ridgeland native, grew up a Mississippi State fan. The senior said he remembers well what happened the last time MSU was sent to the Tallahassee Regional.

It was 2018 when MSU also had an interim coach, Gary Henderson. The Bulldogs lost the first game of the regional and were down to their final strike against Florida State in an elimination game. Elijah MacNamee blasted a three-run, walk-off home run to keep the season alive. It sparked a run all the way to the College World Series.

Mississippi State also played in the Tallahassee Regional in 2007, which it won and later made the College World Series. The Bulldogs are 7-4 all-time against Florida State in the NCAA tournament, their most wins against any opponent in the tournament.

MSU assistant coach Jake Gautreau was on the 2018 staff. Chance said he asked Gautreau about that game in the dugout during practice on May 26.

“It was cool story, and obviously that radio call is stuck in your head from Jim Ellis every time I even think about Florida State,” Chance said. “It’s really cool growing up a Mississippi State fan. That’s a memory that sticks with you a lot.”

Why Mississippi State could be on the same path with Justin Parker

Mississippi State was projected outside of the NCAA tournament field at the time of Lemonis’ firing. It wasn’t by much, though. With three weeks remaining in the regular season, there was still time to salvage what was left.

After run-ruling Memphis, MSU also run-ruled Kentucky on the way to a sweep. It then lost the first game of the series to Ole Miss, but won the next two games to take the series. MSU closed the regular season with a blowout sweep of Missouri before losing 9-0 to Texas A&M in the first round of the SEC tournament.

“I wouldn’t say it’s much different,” shortstop Sawyer Reeves said. “I know that we all trust Parker in the same way. I’d say it’s business as usual. We know what the plan was at the start of the year. It’s kind of the same thing is to get to postseason ball, play the best ball we can and see how far we can go.”

The sample size is small, but Mississippi State has made marginal improvements in many places since Parker took over:

Batting average improved from .300 to .307
Slugging percentage is up from .521 to .537
On-base percentage rose from .402 to .407
Team ERA is down from 4.59 to 4.44
Batting average against dropped from .231 to .228
Fielding percentage is the same at .972

“As much as we’re preparing for other people there, they got their eye on us, too,” Parker said. “I’m not sure there’s anybody thrilled about seeing us in their regional.”

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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Mississippi

What channel is Mississippi State baseball vs Ole Miss on today? Time, TV schedule to watch college baseball game

Published

11 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

What channel is Mississippi State baseball vs Ole Miss on today? Time, TV schedule to watch college baseball game

Mississippi State baseball, coming off a sweep of Vanderbilt, travels to Ole Miss for a three-game series, starting on March 27.

The Bulldogs (21-4, 4-2 SEC) swept Vandy last weekend in Starkville to move above .500 in league play after two weeks.

Ole Miss (19-7, 3-3) took two of three games from Kentucky last weekend in Oxford.

Mississippi State and Ole Miss will also play on April 28 in Pearl.

Here’s how you can watch Mississippi State baseball vs Ole Miss:

Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss on March 27 will be televised via streaming on SEC Network+, which is housed on the ESPN app and can be accessed via a SEC Network subscription. If you are subscribed to SEC Network, you can access SEC Network+ online.

Game 1 start time: 6:30 p.m on March 27, SEC Network+
Game 2 start time: 1:30 p.m. on March 28, SEC Network+
Game 3 start time: 3 p.m on March 29, SEC Network

Feb. 13: Hofstra, W 6-5
Feb. 14: Hofstra, W 6-1
Feb. 14: Hofstra, W 7-5
Feb. 17: Troy, W 13-7
Feb. 18: Alcorn State, W 19-0 (7 innings)
Feb. 20: Delaware, W 9-2
Feb. 21: Delaware, W 10-0 (8 innings)
Feb. 22: Delaware, W 7-3
Feb. 24: Austin Peay, W 16-3 (7 innings)
Feb. 27: vs. Arizona State in Arlington, Texas, W 8-4
Feb. 28: vs. Virginia Tech in Arlington, Texas, W 15-8
March 1: vs. UCLA in Arlington, Texas, L 8-7 (10 innings)
March 3: at Southern Miss, L 7-6
March 5: Lipscomb, W 8-3
March 6: Lipscomb, W 9-4
March 7: Lipscomb, W 26-0 (7 innings)
March 10: vs. Tulane in Biloxi, W 11-7
March 13: at Arkansas, L 5-4
March 14: at Arkansas, W 7-2
March 15: at Arkansas, L 7-3
March 17: Jackson State, W 17-1 (7 innings)
March 20: Vanderbilt, W 4-2
March 21: Vanderbilt, W 7-2
March 22: Vanderbilt, W 17-7 (7)
March 24: Southern Miss, W 12-0 (7)
March 27: at Ole Miss, 6:30 p.m on SEC Network+
March 28: at Ole Miss, 1:30 p.m on SEC Network+
March 29: at Ole Miss, 3 p.m on SEC Network
March 31: Grambling
April 2-4: Georgia
April 7: UAB
April 10-12: Tennessee
April 14: at Samford
April 17-19: at South Carolina
April 21: Memphis
April 24-26: LSU
April 28: vs. Ole Miss in Pearl, Miss.
May 1-3: at Texas
May 5: Nicholls
May 7-9: Auburn
May 14-16: at Texas A&M

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Mississippi

Diamond Dawgs Set For Top 20 Showdown In Oxford – Mississippi State

Published

24 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Diamond Dawgs Set For Top 20 Showdown In Oxford – Mississippi State

OXFORD – No. 6 Mississippi State carries momentum and confidence into one of college baseball’s fiercest rivalries this weekend, traveling to face No. 18 Ole Miss in a three-game Southeastern Conference series at Swayze Field.

The Diamond Dawgs arrive in Oxford riding a five-game winning streak and carrying plenty of momentum into one of the league’s premier matchups. MSU sits at 21-4 overall and 4-2 in conference play, while the Rebels enter at 19-6 and 3-3 in the SEC.

Mississippi State has been one of the most complete teams in the country through the first half of the season. The Bulldogs are hitting .347 as a team with a .452 on-base percentage and 39 home runs, consistently putting pressure on opposing pitching staffs. Ole Miss counters with plenty of power of its own, already launching 46 homers while posting a .500 slugging percentage.

The engine for State’s offense has been graduate outfielder Bryce Chance, who leads the SEC with a .452 batting average and has struck out just three times all season. All-American infielder Ace Reese continues to anchor the middle of the lineup with a team-high seven home runs and 34 RBIs, while Noah Sullivan and Aidan Teel provide consistent production around them to give the Diamond Dawgs one of the deepest lineups in the league.

Mississippi State will lean on its weekend rotation that has begun to separate itself as a strength. Left-hander Charlie Foster is expected to get the ball in Friday’s opener. The Bulldogs will then turn to sophomore standout Tomas Valincius on Saturday. The southpaw has been dominant, going 5-0 with a 1.04 ERA and 47 strikeouts, highlighted by a 14-strikeout performance in his last outing. Right-hander Duke Stone is slated for Sunday and brings a 4-0 record with him into the series.

Ole Miss is expected to counter with left-hander Hunter Elliott in the opener, a veteran arm with a 3-0 record and 44 strikeouts, followed by right-hander Hudson Calhoun on Saturday. The Rebels have yet to announce a starter for the series finale. As a staff, Ole Miss owns a 3.56 ERA with 293 strikeouts, setting up a matchup between two pitching groups capable of missing bats at a high level.

While the Bulldogs have dominated at home — winning 19 straight games at Dudy Noble Field dating back to last season — this weekend presents another opportunity for State to prove itself away from Starkville. MSU is 1-3 in true road games this year but has shown the ability to compete against elite competition throughout the early part of the schedule.

The rivalry history leans in Mississippi State’s favor, with the Bulldogs holding a 268-213-5 advantage in the all-time series. State has also won two straight meetings between the programs, adding another layer of confidence heading into the weekend.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the baseball program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching ‘HailStateBB’ on X, Facebook and Instagram.Top of Form

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Mississippi

MS turkey hunter who thought hunt was ruined bags bird of a lifetime

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

MS turkey hunter who thought hunt was ruined bags bird of a lifetime

‘I would call him a hybrid between a smoke phase and a red phase. He’s not a true smoke phase because of all the red in him.’

A Mississippi hunter bagged a rare, reddish-colored turkey after a frustrating start to his hunting season.
The turkey’s unique coloration is described as a hybrid between a smoke phase and a red phase.
According to a wildlife official, this genetic mutation is exceedingly rare, especially in male turkeys.

A Mississippi turkey hunter’s season wasn’t off to a good start, but with a change in plans, a little scouting, some luck thrown in, he bagged a rare reddish-colored turkey and it’s considered a bird of a lifetime.

“I’d been hunting the same bird since opening day,” said Barrett Clark of Strong, which is located near West Point. “He finally frustrated me enough to where I just needed to go look for another bird.”

Clark wasn’t able to connect with the gobbler he was after. So, on Friday, March 20, he decided to check another property. He located a few gobblers that afternoon, but one looked different. It appeared to have a lighter color than normal, but Clark figured it was just the way the sunlight was hitting the bird.

The following morning, Clark and his father, Larry Clark, returned to the area in hopes of getting a shot at one of the birds.

A turkey hunt that was almost ruined

“We met and went in early Saturday morning,” Clark said. “We were probably 300 yards away from him when he started gobbling. It was right at sunrise. He was gobbling off the roost.”

The gobbler flew off the roost and continued to gobble. Clark said he lightly called the bird. Then, a gunshot rang out from a nearby property and the gobbling stopped. To make matters worse, minutes later a coyote appeared and it looked like he was after the turkey that had been gobbling.

“That coyote came within 15 feet of my dad and ran straight to where the turkey had been gobbling,” Clark said. “We thought our hunt was boogered up.”

MS hunter shoots turkey with strange colors

The hunt wasn’t over, though. About 10 or 15 minutes later the gobbling resumed and Clark lightly called back. A little later, Clark saw a turkey through the trees in the neighborhood of 100 yards away.

“I was really just seeing his head move,” Clark said. “I would see his fan occasionally, but it was mostly just his head. I could tell he was lighter, but I really wasn’t focused on that. I was trying to stay still and make a good shot.”

Clark said he was hunting in pines that were maybe 10 years old, and the understory was thick. The bird came within 50 yards of him, but there was no shot. The bird began to walk away but stepped into an opening, and Clark pulled the trigger of his 20-gauge shotgun.

Clark still didn’t understand what he’d shot. He said it was only when he and his father got closer that they realized how unusual it was.

“We could tell it was something that neither of us had ever seen,” Clark said.

What is it, and how rare is this turkey?

The bird is a light rust or cinnamon color and lacks any normal coloration, but putting a label on it isn’t easy.

“I would call him a hybrid between a smoke phase and a red phase,” said Caleb Hinton, Wild Turkey Program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. “He’s not a true smoke phase because of all the red in him.”

Hinton couldn’t put a number on it, but he said a genetic trait like this is very rare.

“Like all the genetic mutations, it’s exceedingly rare in the wild,” Hinton said.

And for a gobbler to express such a genetic trait is even more rare. Hinton said that upwards of 95% of the turkeys that express such traits will be hens, not gobblers.

“It’s just a once-in-a-lifetime trophy for the hunter,” Hinton said.

A lifelong outdoorsman and wildlife enthusiast, Brian Broom has been writing about hunting, fishing and Mississippi’s outdoors for the Clarion Ledger for more than 14 years. He can be reached at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com.

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