Mississippi
Mississippi State enters postseason play after best SEC finish in 17 years
After finishing .500 or better in Southeastern Conference play for the first time since 2007, Mississippi State is ready for the postseason. And the Bulldogs have a lot to play for this week at Auburn’s Jane B. Moore Field.
The only SEC team to miss the NCAA Tournament in 2023, MSU is all but assured of a return to the tournament this year, but the Bulldogs (33-17, 12-12 SEC) are hoping for more than that. Despite hitting a rough patch in late April, MSU rebounded to win two out of three against Georgia to close the regular season and still has a shot to host a regional for the first time in program history.
The No. 6 seed Bulldogs arrived in Auburn on Monday, giving them plenty of time to prepare for their first SEC Tournament game Wednesday night against 11th-seed South Carolina. A win over the Gamecocks may not move the needle much, but it would send MSU to the quarterfinals against No. 3 seed Texas A&M, and if the Bulldogs can knock off the Aggies, it may just be enough to sneak in and earn a top-16 national seed.
“We’re just really excited,” fifth-year senior pitcher Aspen Wesley said. “As long as we have fun, keep doing what we’re doing and try not to get ahead of ourselves, we’re going to do just fine.”
As of Tuesday, MSU’s RPI was back up to No. 20, but the Bulldogs still have work to do to climb into the hosting conversation — the worst RPI of a team that ended up hosting in the last five tournaments was 18. Some of the peripheral metrics should help, though. MSU is an impressive 11-11 against the top 25 and has 19 wins against the top 50, more than any of the other teams around them in the latest RPI.
The road starts with South Carolina (33-21, 8-16), a team the Bulldogs already took a series from in Columbia back in early April. The Gamecocks have the SEC’s worst team batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage and have hit just 32 home runs, the fewest in the conference. South Carolina’s pitching, though, is among the SEC’s best.
Led by Stanford transfer Alana Vawter, the Gamecocks’ team ERA of 2.02 is behind only conference champion Tennessee, and they keep the ball in the park better than any other SEC team, yielding just 18 homers in the regular season. Sage Mardjetko and Jori Heard complement Vawter to form one of the strongest pitching staffs in the conference.
Texas A&M (39-12, 15-9) took two out of three at Nusz Park in mid-March, but enters the postseason trending in the wrong direction after being swept at Florida. The Aggies, once considered a lock to host, are now down to No. 16 in the RPI, so a potential MSU-A&M quarterfinal matchup could have major implications for Selection Sunday.
With Trinity Cannon, Allie Enright and Jazmine Hill leading the way, the Aggies are second to the Gators in team batting average in the SEC. Tall left-hander Emiley Kennedy is Texas A&M’s ace, with a 20-10 record and a 1.67 ERA in 168 innings pitched.
Wesley comes in pitching the best softball of her career, holding a deep Georgia lineup to one run over 14 innings in two wins last weekend. Sophomore Josey Marron has struggled of late, though, although she did throw a shutout against South Carolina last month.
The Bulldogs’ offense stumbled down the stretch and scored just four runs in the Georgia series despite winning two of three. In particular, MSU needs to get Madisyn Kennedy going again — the fifth-year senior hit 10 homers and drove in 34 runs in March, but was held to just one hit over her last eight games. That one hit was a go-ahead solo shot Friday night against Georgia, but teams are pitching her differently and she has not shown consistency in her adjustments.
The conference tournament is also a homecoming of sorts for Jessie Blaine, who transferred from Auburn last offseason and is batting .328 with a .543 slugging percentage in her first year as a Bulldog.
“She’s such a great team player, and she’s all in for the matchups and for doing whatever she can to help the team,” head coach Samantha Ricketts said. “Just another one who fits so well in our culture when she got here. It feels like she’s been here for three years. We’re excited to have her, taking her back to her original field, but I know she’s proud to be here in the maroon and white.”
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LSU baseball found itself Saturday night in almost an identical situation to the night before at Dudy Noble Field.
The Tigers held a multi-run lead over No. 11 Mississippi State. In the series opener Friday night, LSU led the Bulldogs 7-3 before giving it up and ultimately losing in extra innings.
During game two Saturday, the Tigers jumped out to a 7-2 lead over MSU by the fourth inning. LSU’s top bullpen arms couldn’t hold the lead against Mississippi State in game one. One night later, the Tigers’ bullpen gave up another big lead to the home team.
It was déjà vu for LSU as it lost to the Bulldogs, 9-8, to lose its third straight league series.
The Tigers (24-20, 6-14 SEC) have now lost eight straight SEC games, the longest conference losing streak in program history.
Sophomore reliever Cooper Williams gave up a grand slam to Mississippi State’s Jacob Parker in the seven inning that tied the game 7-7. Parker was the only batter he faced.
In the eighth, senior Tiger pitcher Grant Fontenot gave up multiple hits and the Bulldogs scored two runs to take the lead.
LSU chased Mississippi State starter Duke Stone early but reliever Jack Bauers proved to be unbreakable as he gave up just one run on three hits while striking out eight across 3⅔ innings into the ninth.
Sophomore designated hitter Cade Arrambide jumpstarted the Tigers with a two-run home run in the first. He also had an RBI double in the fifth and finished the game 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs. Freshmen Omar Serna Jr. had three hits, including the solo homer in the ninth to pull the Tigers within a run. Freshman Mason Braun reached base each of his first three plate appearances.
Grant Fontenot gives up the lead for LSU. Tigers are now three outs away from losing the series.
MSU’s Bauers is mowing LSU hitters down now, up to seven strikeouts.
Mississippi State’s Jacob Parker just hit a grand slam to tie this game up. It’s deja vu for Tiger fans.
Two reach but LSU can’t bring them home. Some insurance runs would be nice for the Tigers.
That’s the most emotion I’ve ever seen from Lachenmayer. MSU gets a runner to second but he got the big strikeout to end the threat.
Braun got a two-out but nothing else for the Tigers.
Danny Lachenmayer masterfully worked around a jam to get out of the fifth inning, preserving LSU’s 5-run lead.
Tigers have blown this game wide open. Arrambide with an RBI double before Eddie Yamin cranked a three-run home run. The question is still being begged though: Can LSU hold onto the lead?
Schmidt is doing a decent job of getting himself out of sticky situations. He gives a up run in the fourth but he limited the damage.
Jack Ruckert ripped a one-out double down the line left field line but William Patrick and Tanner Reaves flied out to end the threat.
Schmidt strikes out a pair and he’s up to 4 Ks so far tonight.
Nothing doing for the Tigers on offense.
Schmidt has looked good through the first couple of innings tonight. One mistake that led to the homer and the walk wasn’t really on him.
More baserunning blunders for the Tigers. I would say that can’t happen but it’s who this LSU team is this year.
William Schmidt gives up a solo home run to Ace Reese. But that was his only mistake in an otherwise good opening frame.
Another hot start for the Tigers in Starkville. They plate three runs in the first, highlighted by a two-run blast from Cade Arrambide. Now the question is can LSU hold a lead?
LSU baseball vs Mississippi State probable pitchers
- LSU – William Schmidt, RHP (4-4, 4.14 ERA)
- Mississippi State – Duke Stone, LHP (6-1, 3.78 ERA)
What time does LSU baseball vs Mississippi State start?
- Date: Saturday, April 24
- Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
- Where: Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Mississippi
What TV channel is LSU baseball vs Mississippi State on today?
- TV: ESPN2
- Streaming: Fubo
- How to watch online: Watch ESPN
LSU baseball 2026 schedule
| Date | Opponent |
| Feb. 13 | Milwaukee (W 15-5) |
| Feb. 14 | Milwaukee (W 5-3) |
| Feb. 15 | Milwaukee (W 21-7) |
| Feb. 16 | Kent State (W 10-7) |
| Feb. 18 | Nicholls State (W 12-1) |
| Feb. 20 | Indiana (Jacksonville, Florida) (W 14-7) |
| Feb. 21 | Notre Dame (Jacksonville, Florida) (W 9-4) |
| Feb. 22 | UCF (Jacksonville, Florida) (W 11-0) |
| Feb. 24 | McNeese State (L 7-6) |
| Feb. 27 | Dartmouth (W 5-2) |
| Feb. 28 | Northeastern (W 3-1) |
| March 1 | Dartmouth (W 3-0) |
| March 2 | Northeastern (L 13-10) |
| March 4 | at Louisiana (L 7-2) |
| March 6 | Sacramento State (W 15-4) |
| March 7 | Sacramento State (L 5-4) |
| March 8 | Sacramento State (L 6-1) |
| March 10 | Creighton (W 8-4) |
| March 13 | Vanderbilt* (L 13-12) |
| March 14 | at Vanderbilt* (L 11-3) |
| March 15 | at Vanderbilt* (W 16-9) |
| March 17 | at Grambling State (W 7-1) |
| March 19 | Oklahoma* (W 7-1) |
| March 20 | Oklahoma* (L 4-2) |
| March 21 | Oklahoma* (L 4-3) |
| March 24 | Louisiana Tech (W 15-5) |
| March 27 | Kentucky* (L 7-4) |
| March 28 | Kentucky* (W 7-0) |
| March 29 | Kentucky* (W 17-10) |
| March 31 | Southern (W 16-6) |
| April 3 | at Tennessee* (W 7-5) |
| April 4 | at Tennessee* (L 4-1) |
| April 5 | at Tennessee* (W 16-6) |
| April 7 | Bethune-Cookman (L 10-7) |
| April 10 | at Ole Miss* (L 6-3) |
| April 11 | at Ole Miss* (L 12-2) |
| April 12 | at Ole Miss* (L 8-7) |
| April 14 | Northwestern State (W 4-2) |
| April 17 | Texas A&M* (L 10-4_ |
| April 18 | Texas A&M* (L 7-2) |
| April 19 | Texas A&M* (L 5-2) |
| April 21 | New Orleans (W 10-4) |
| April 24 | at Mississippi State* (L 10-8) |
| April 25 | at Mississippi State* (L 9-8) |
| April 26 | at Mississippi State* |
| April 28 | Southeastern Louisiana |
| May 1 | South Carolina* |
| May 2 | South Carolina* |
| May 3 | South Carolina* |
| May 5 | Tulane |
| May 8 | at Georgia* |
| May 9 | at Georgia* |
| May 10 | at Georgia* |
| May 14 | Florida* |
| May 15 | Florida* |
| May 16 | Florida* |
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.
EL SEGUNDO — The Chargers used the first of their three fourth-round draft picks to take Mississippi State wide receiver Brenen Thompson 105th overall in the NFL draft Saturday morning. General Manager Joe Hortiz then traded up to take Memphis tackle Travis Burke at No. 117 with the second of his three fourth-round picks.
Hortiz sent the Houston Texans picks in the fourth (123rd) and sixth rounds (204th) to select Burke in the fourth round (117th), his third trade in two days. The Chargers began the day with seven picks in the final four rounds of the three-day draft in Pittsburgh.
In addition, the Chargers have one pick in the fifth round (145th) and two in the sixth (202nd and 206th). They didn’t have a seventh-round selection, however. They entered the draft with only five picks, but trades with the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns netted an additional four.
The Chargers had only picks on the final day, but ended up with seven.
Thompson clocked a 4.26-second time in the 40-yard dash at the draft combine in Indianapolis in February, said to be the third-fastest time recorded by a wide receiver. Burke was officially listed at 6-foot-8¾ and 325 pounds at the combine.
“It’s God-given,” Thompson said of his speed. “I’ve always been fast my whole life. I’m so excited. It’s a perfect fit I’m excited to get with (Chargers offensive coordinator Mike) McDaniel and get to work. I’d say I’m explosive as a route runner. I think I’m going to fit in perfectly.”
The Chargers completed their fourth-round selections by taking University of Arizona safety Genesis Smith with the 131st overall pick. They used their lone pick in the fifth round to pick South Carolina defensive tackle Nick Barrett (145th), ending a run of four consecutive offensive players.
More to come on this story.
Mississippi
Mississippi will reexamine judicial redistricts after US Supreme Court rules in voting rights case
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Friday announced he will call a special session for judicial redistricting once the U.S. Supreme Court rules on a Voting Rights Act case that has broad implications for minority representation throughout the country.
During oral arguments last fall, the Supreme Court appeared poised to strike down Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which has been used to counter racially discriminatory election practices. A decision in the case, Louisiana v. Callais, is expected before the court’s term ends in June.
Overturning Section 2 would give state legislatures and local governments the opportunity to redraw maps while preventing minority voters from challenging ones that dilute their influence.. A decision wiping out a pillar of the 1965 Voting Rights Act could help Republicans gain seats in the U.S. House by eliminating Democratic-leaning districts that are majority Black or Latino, especially in the South. Most of those redraws would not happen in time for this year’s midterm elections.
The special session proclamation, signed by Reeves on Thursday, relates to a specific case involving judicial districts for the Mississippi Supreme Court. Last August, a federal judge ordered Mississippi to redraw its Supreme Court electoral map after finding it violated Section 2 by diluting the power of Black voters.
In his proclamation, Reeves wrote that the lack of a ruling in the Louisiana case “deprived the Mississippi Legislature of its undisputed federally recognized right’ to remedy the Section 2 violation.
The governor in a social media post said he hoped the Supreme Court “will reaffirm the animating principle that all Americans are created equal.” He said the Legislature will convene the special session 21 days after the Supreme Court issues its ruling in the Louisiana case.
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