Mississippi

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

Published

8 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

Lady Vols basketball vs Mississippi State live updates, score, start time, TV channel

Published

5 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Lady Vols basketball vs Mississippi State live updates, score, start time, TV channel

Lady Vols basketball will play a second straight road game with a matchup against Mississippi State.

No. 22 Tennessee (10-3, 2-0 SEC) faces the Bulldogs (14-2, 1-1) at Humphrey Coliseum on Jan. 8 (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+) in Starkville, Mississippi.

The Lady Vols started SEC play with wins over Florida and Auburn, and Mississippi State opened conference play with a win over Auburn before falling to Oklahoma on the road.

The matchup is the first of two with the Bulldogs this season with MSU being Tennessee’s lone home and home opponent in SEC play this season.

Both Mississippi State’s losses were on the road, the first at Texas Tech in November before it fell 95-47 to the Sooners on Jan. 4. Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell called the Bulldogs an athletic team and pointed out they ranked in the top 10 nationally in rebounding. MSU averages 45.6 rebounds, which ranks No. 9 in the country.

“We have to go and play in a tough environment with a team that is undefeated at home, plays very well at home,” Caldwell said Jan. 7. “I think that they are a different team at home than they are on the road. So it’s tough to have to go to their place, but it’s tough to go anywhere. And so just got to make sure that we play our game and we box them out and we do what we need to do.”

Lady Vols basketball vs. Mississippi State: Live score updates

When does Lady Vols basketball vs. Mississippi State start?

Date: Thursday, Jan. 8
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Mississippi

What TV channel is Lady Vols vs. Mississippi State on today?

Lady Vols basketball 2025-26 schedule, TV times

Nov. 4: NC State 80, Tennessee 77
Nov. 7: Tennessee 97, ETSU 47
Nov. 9: Tennessee 72, UT Martin 61
Nov. 13: Tennessee 68, Belmont 58
Nov. 20: Tennessee 85, MTSU 41
Nov. 23: Tennessee 88, Coppin State 35
Nov. 30: UCLA 99, Tennessee 77
Dec. 3: Tennessee 65, Stanford 62
Dec. 14: Tennessee 112, Winthrop 40
Dec. 20: Louisville 89, Tennessee 65
Dec. 22: Tennessee 89, Southern Indiana 44
Jan. 1: Tennessee 76, Florida 65
Jan. 4: Tennessee 73, Auburn 56
Jan. 8: at Mississippi State (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+)
Jan. 11: vs. Arkansas (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network+)
Jan. 18: at Alabama (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
Jan. 22: vs. Kentucky (6:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
Jan. 26: at Ole Miss (7 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
Jan. 29: vs. Mississippi State (6:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+)
Feb. 1: at UConn (noon ET, FOX)
Feb. 5: at Georgia (6:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+)
Feb. 8: at South Carolina (3 p.m. ET, ABC)
Feb. 12: vs. Missouri (6:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+)
Feb. 15: vs. Texas (3 p.m. ET, ABC)
Feb. 19: vs. Texas A&M (6:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+)
Feb. 22: at Oklahoma (2 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2)
Feb. 26: at LSU (6 p.m. ET, ESPN)
March 1: vs. Vanderbilt (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: subscribe.knoxnews.com/offers

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Mississippi

No. 15 Arkansas uses balanced scoring to beat Mississippi 94-87 in SEC matchup

Published

17 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

No. 15 Arkansas uses balanced scoring to beat Mississippi 94-87 in SEC matchup

OXFORD, Miss. — Darius Acuff, Jr. had 26 points and nine assists, and No. 15 Arkansas got double-figure scoring from five players in a 94-87 win over Mississippi on Wednesday night.

Arkansas (12-3, 2-0 SEC) used a decisive 14-6 run midway through the second half to build an insurmountable 76-61 lead. The win snapped a three-game losing streak to Ole Miss (8-7, 0-2).

The Rebels pulled within 91-87 in the final minute, but Acuff converted a short jumper and Trevon Brazile added a free throw to help seal the win. Arkansas finished 22 of 30 (73%) from the free throw line, including 11 of 12 by Acuff.

Brazile scored 18 points, Billy Richmond III and Meleek Thomas added 13 points apiece, and Karter Knox scored 10 in the balanced Arkansas performance.

Ole Miss was led by Ilias Kamardine and Malik Dia with 16 points apiece. AJ Storr scored 12 points, Eduardo Klafke had 11 in the second half and Patton Pinkins added 10.

Arkansas used a 10-2 surge in the final two minutes of the first half for a 42-32 lead at the break. Brazile and Thomas had 10 points apiece in the first half, as the Razorbacks never trailed after the opening five minutes.

The Arkansas win is a sharp contrast to last season when John Calipari’s club started 0-5 in SEC play. The Razorbacks rallied to finish 7-3 with a berth in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.

Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. (5) steps back to take a shot at the basket while guarded by Mississippi guard Travis Perry (11) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Oxford, Miss. Credit: AP/Rogelio V. Solis

Ole Miss, after a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament, has struggled to replace four starters and three other significant contributors from last season’s nine-player rotation.

Up next

Arkansas: Completes a two-game trip at Auburn on Saturday.

Ole Miss: Hosts Missouri on Saturday.

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Mississippi

Vote: Who is the Mississippi High School Football Quarterback of the Year?

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Vote: Who is the Mississippi High School Football Quarterback of the Year?

Today, we take a look at some of the best signal callers in the state of Mississippi from the 2025 season.

This season was one to remember in the state of Mississippi, and part of that is due to the terrific play from the quarterback position. Our nominees include a mixture of gunslingers and dual-threat quarterbacks who put on a show every single week, and because of that each nominee is worthy of a vote.

However, we will leave that up to you, the fan, to decide who is the High School on SI Mississippi high school quarterback of the year for 2025.

Voting will close on January 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Here are the nominations:

Chancelor comes in as our first nominee as he led the Magnolia State in passing yards this season. He completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,419 yards and 28 touchdowns. Chancelor also added two more scores on the ground.

This season, Mayes completed nearly 67 percent of his passes for 2,934 yards and 40 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. He also showed that he was one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the state this season. He rushed for 1,195 yards and 17 touchdowns on 122 carries.

Craft led the Oilers to an appearance to the Class 2A state championship after a terrific season as the signal-caller. He completed nearly 72 percent of his passes for 2,912 yards and 35 touchdowns with eight interceptions. Like Mayes, Craft was one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the state this season. He rushed for 1,027 yards and 17 touchdowns on 117 carries.

Stockett completed nearly 66 percent of his passes this season for 2,905 yards and 23 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He also rushed for one touchdown.

Wilcox was another outstanding quarterback from the MAIS this season. He completed 58 percent of his passes for 2,868 yards and 34 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He also rushed for 272 yards and eight touchdowns on 72 carries

Stringer completed just shy of 61 percent of his passes this season for 2,783 yards and 37 touchdowns to seven interceptions. He added 144 yards on the ground with two touchdowns.

As the leader on the offense, and one of the leaders on the entire team, Nettles was outstanding all season long as he helped led the Admirals to the Class 7A state championship. He finished 2025 with a 66 percent completion percentage and 2,750 yards with 23 touchdowns. He added two more scores on the ground.

This season, Shettles completed nearly 62 percent of his passes for 2,730 yards and 28 touchdowns with only one interception. He also rushed for 325 yards and nine touchdowns on 67 carries.

Hall took the momentum he had from his sophomore season and carried it over to this season. He completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,709 yards and 34 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He added 189 more yards on the ground with one touchdown.

Trivillion helped led the Pirates to 11 wins this season which is a school record thanks in part to his play from the quarterback position. He completed nearly 53 percent of his passes for 2,570 yards and 34 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. Trivillion also rushed for 1,120 yards and 15 touchdowns on 105 carries this season.

This season, Ducksworth completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,581 yards with 27 touchdowns to only five interceptions.

Davis was one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the state this season. He completed nearly 64 percent of his passes for 2,547 yards with 27 touchdowns and nine interceptions. On the ground, he rushed for 650 yards and seven touchdowns on 96 carries.

Edwards showed that he was one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the state this season with a 73 percent completion percentage. On top of completing nearly three-fourths of his passes, he passed for 2,534 yards with 20 touchdowns and just one interceptions. He also added 170 yards on the ground with three touchdowns.

Johnson completed over 50 percent of his passes for 2,510 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 488 yards and eight touchdowns on 104 carries.

Wade is our final quarterback of the year nominee for the 2025 season in the state of Mississippi. He completed 60 percent of his passes for 2,402 yards and 22 touchdowns with three interceptions. Wade also rushed for 407 yards and 12 touchdowns on 107 carries.

Editor’s note: Our corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. This poll is specifically for fans to vote on the players that have been nominated and in no way discredits any other player that may not be mentioned in our poll.

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