Mississippi
Mississippi State, Ole Miss Win Big To Open SEC Play, Highlight College Baseball Roundup — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects – Baseball America
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Hunter Hines (Danny Parker/Four Seam Images)
Mississippi and Mississippi State, the 2022 and 2021 national champions, are both trying to dig out from dismal seasons a year ago. The Bulldogs and Rebels finished 13th and 14th, respectively, in the SEC in 2023, missing not just the NCAA Tournament but also the SEC Tournament. The disappointment was especially acute for Mississippi State, which also missed the postseason entirely in 2022.
Both teams this spring started slowly: Ole Miss was 2-4, Mississippi State was 3-4. But both the Rebels and Bulldogs righted themselves and came into the start of SEC play with identical 13-5 records. With the conference season beginning this weekend and both teams hosting high-level opponents – No. 12 South Carolina for Ole Miss and No. 2 LSU for Mississippi State – it was time to find out the Rebels and Bulldogs had truly turned a corner or if their records were more a product of soft schedules.
On Friday night, both Ole Miss and Mississippi State passed their tests. The Rebels edged past the Gamecocks, 5-4, thanks to a two-run double from shortstop Luke Hill and a strong night on the mound. The Bulldogs knocked off the Tigers, 10-4, thanks to the best offensive performance any team has had this season against LSU.
Mississippi State can especially feel good after Friday’s victory. The Bulldogs beat LSU righthander Luke Holman, who came into the day having not allowed a run in 24 innings to start the season, the best mark in the country. They scored five runs (two earned) on 10 hits, including a Hunter Hines home run, against the junior.
Mississippi State kept up the pressure against the LSU (16-3) bullpen. It got a run against righthander Gavin Guidry and four more against lefthander Justin Loer. It finished the game with 16 hits, the most the Tigers have surrendered in a game this season.
Hines led the way, going 2-for-5 with two home runs. Center fielder Connor Hujsak added three hits and seven starters collected multiple hits.
Ole Miss, meanwhile, found itself in a more traditional, low-scoring Friday night game. Lefthander Gunnar Dennis threw five solid innings, holding the Gamecocks (14-4) to three runs, and kept the Rebels in the game.
Hill provided the big hit, as his two-run double in the sixth inning was the only one of Ole Miss’ nine hits that went for extra bases. But the Rebels did a good job of putting pressure on the Gamecocks, as they drew seven walks against just three strikeouts and stole three bases. With the South Carolina offense still not hitting on all cylinders – its top four hitters combined to go 0-for-16 with seven strikeouts and one walk – it was enough on Friday.
One impressive Friday night is not going to carry Ole Miss and Mississippi State back to contention in the SEC or the top of the sport. But it’s a start and a strong one at that.
For good measure, the good times in the Magnolia State carried over to Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles (12-6) opened Sun Belt play with an 8-4 victory against Marshall (6-11).
Ace Watch
Friday night is for the aces. Here we highlight some of the best pitching performances of the day.
Colin Atkinson, RHP, Sam Houston State: Atkinson threw an eight-inning shutout in Sam Houston’s 10-0, run-rule shortened victory at New Mexico State. He struck out nine batters, walked three and held the Aggies to two hits. Atkinson is 3-1, 1.76 with 30 strikeouts and nine walks in 30.2 innings. He now has 203 career strikeouts, ninth most in program history.
Jake Brink, RHP, Charleston: Brink threw eight scoreless innings to lead Charleston to a 4-0 victory against Wofford. The sophomore retired the final 14 batters he faced and finished the game with four strike outs, working around three hits and two walks. Brink improved to 3-0, 2.03 with 21 strikeouts and 13 walks in 31 innings.
Nick Pinto, LHP, UC Irvine: Pinto threw eight scoreless innings and No. 19 UCI defeated UC Davis, 1-0. He struck out seven batters and scattered three hits and two walks. Pinto is 3-1, 2.08 with 30 strikeouts and nine walks in 30.1 innings.
Kyle Robinson, RHP, Texas Tech: After a tough start last week against Texas, Robinson bounced back with seven scoreless innings to help No. 24 Texas Tech to a 2-0 victory at Baylor. He struck out eight batters and scattered three hits and two walks. Robinson is 3-2, 5.76 with 31 strikeouts and 13 walks in 25 innings this season.
Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas: Smith was dominant again for No. 1 Arkansas, throwing six scoreless innings in an 8-0 victory against Missouri. He struck out 10 batters, walked one and held the Tigers to two hits. He extended his scoreless innings streak to 15. Smith this season is 3-0, 1.57 with 50 strikeouts and eight walks in 23 innings.
Gage Ziehl, RHP, Miami: Ziehl helped Miami to a 14-1 upset against No. 14 North Carolina, as he threw a seven-inning complete game in the run-rule shortened game. He struck out six and held the Tar Heels to one run on five hits and two walks. Ziehl is 1-1, 5.04 with 29 strikeouts and 10 walks in 30.1 innings.
Around The Horn
- No. 3 Duke defeated No. 9 Clemson, 5-2, to open a top-10 showdown in Durham. The Blue Devils (15-3, 3-1) got a bounce-back start from ace Jonathan Santucci, who last week got knocked out in the third inning against Wake Forest but on Friday held the Tigers to two runs (one earned) in five innings and struck out 11. Clemson loaded the bases in the ninth inning but closer Charlie Beilenson (2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K) wriggled out of the jam to earn his eighth save of the season. It’s early, but Beilenson is on pace to break the Division I single-season saves record of 24, set in 2013 by UCLA’s David Berg.
- No. 10 Florida defeated No. 5 Texas A&M, 8-6, to open SEC play and hand the Aggies (17-1) their first loss of the season. The Gators (11-6) hit five home runs, including two from Jac Caglianone, and all-SEC closer Brandon Neely had a get-right game, throwing three scoreless innings for his first save of the season.
- No. 21 Florida State defeated Notre Dame, 8-4, to open ACC play and improve to 16-0 on the season. The win, combined with Texas A&M’s loss at Florida, leaves the Seminoles as the last undefeated team in the nation. Third baseman Cam Smith led the way for Florida State, going 3-for-3 with a double and a home run. He is now hitting .507/.573/.789 with five home runs.
- Oklahoma went on the road to defeat No. 11 TCU, 7-3. The Sooners (11-6, 4-0) fell behind early and trailed, 3-2, after six innings. But between the five scoreless innings they got out of the bullpen from righthander Kyson Witherspoon (5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K) and a four-run seventh inning, they were able to mount a comeback. As big of a win as it was for Oklahoma, the loss for TCU (15-3, 1-3) is at least as significant. The Horned Frogs were the runaway preseason Big 12 favorites and now have lost three of their first four conference games after last weekend dropping a series at Kansas.
- This weekend provides a showdown of the Volunteer State against the Yellowhammer State, as No. 17 Auburn travels to No. 8 Vanderbilt and No. 6 Tennessee visits No. 18 Alabama. On Friday night, the Tennessee schools got the better of the Alabama schools. Vanderbilt routed Auburn, 11-1, and Tennessee rolled to an 11-3 victory at Alabama. Tennessee’s A.J. Causey (6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K) and Vanderbilt’s Carter Holton (7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 K) both delivered quality starts.
- No. 15 Virginia used two big innings to beat No. 7 Wake Forest, 16-10. The Cavaliers scored seven runs in the second inning and eight runs in the sixth inning, showing just how deep and powerful their lineup is as they collected 14 hits and seven walks. The most important development of the game, however, was Virginia righthander Jack O’Connor, who threw three scoreless innings to finish the game. The Cavaliers need someone to step up in the bullpen and O’Connor, who started the year in the rotation, could be that emergent reliever.
Mississippi
GPS data tracks boat Mississippi teen Nolan Wells was on before he went missing
GPS data from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, obtained by CBS News, tracks the movements of the boat that carried Nolan Wells to Horn Island on July 4. Wells was found dead after going missing following an outing on the island.
The vessel left a dock at approximately 9:56 a.m. that morning and arrived at Horn Island at 11:14 a.m. CBS News has previously reported that Wells was not on the boat when it departed the island.
According to the GPS data, the boat left Horn Island at 4:31 p.m. and returned to its original departure dock. It then traveled into Fort Bayou around 5:52 p.m. before returning to the dock at 6:06 p.m.
Later that evening, the boat went to the Fort Bayou boat launch at 7:19 p.m., according to the MSDMR report. From there, it traveled over land — presumably towed by a vehicle — to the Biloxi, Mississippi, residence of the boat’s owners.
The MSDMR report indicates that the boat’s owner, his mother and one other individual who was reportedly with Wells on the day of the incident have cooperated with the investigation.
The department’s report ends on July 5, following notification that the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office would take over as the lead investigative agency.
Wells, 18, was last seen on July 4 on Horn Island, where he had taken a boat trip with friends to celebrate the holiday, officials said. Wells traveled to the island with his friends but did not return to the mainland with them that afternoon, Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter has said.
He was last seen on the island at 3 p.m., according to attorney Ben Crump’s office. His mother reported him missing later that night and a search began.
His body was discovered July 6 off the coast of the island, which is about 10 miles south of the Mississippi mainland, following a search that involved the U.S. Coast Guard, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the National Park Service.
Dental records confirmed the body was Wells, Jackson County coroner Bruce Lynd told CBS News. An autopsy took place on July 7, Lynd said, but the results were not immediately made public. Wells’ body was flown to Washington, D.C., for an independent autopsy, according to Crump.
Wells’ parents have said they don’t believe their son would’ve stayed behind on the island by choice when his friends left by boat.
“No, he wouldn’t. Nolan always stays with the group,” Elmore Wonsley, Nolan’s father, told “CBS Mornings” last week. “If you be with me, you come back with me. So that I don’t understand, and with me being a parent, if I was in that situation, I would have told them, ‘You’re going to get back on this boat with me because I don’t want to answer to your parents if something happens to you.’”
When directly asked if he believed Nolan was left behind on the island, his father responded, “Yes. I don’t believe he decided to stay on the island by himself. It just doesn’t — that’s not his character.”
Wells went to Ocean Springs High School and was a rising sophomore on Southwest Mississippi Community College’s football team. Crump said Wells was a good swimmer.
Mississippi
How permanent daylight saving time would impact Mississippi
Permanent daylight saving time in New Jersey
House approves permanent DST: NJ gets later sunsets year-round but darker winter mornings; sunrise could be ~8:25 a.m.
Are Americans finally done changing the clocks twice a year? Congress moved a step closer to ending the ritual after the U.S. House passed legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent.
It hasn’t been approved by the Senate yet, but it did pass the House with broad support (308-117). If it passes the Senate, it could be signed by President Donald Trump or become law without his signature, unless he vetoes it.
Trump has previously backed ending twice-a-year time changes.
“I am going to work very hard to see The Sunshine Protection Act signed into Law. It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’” he wrote in a May Truth Social post.
A few versions of the Sunshine Protection Act were introduced in Congress. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida, introduced the one that’s gaining ground last year.
Here’s what to know about daylight saving time and the move to change it.
What is daylight saving time and why do we use it?
Daylight saving time is the practice of setting clocks forward an hour from March until November in an effort to gain more sunlight during the summer months.
According to the Library of Congress, it was first enacted in 1918 as a fuel cost-saving measure during World War I.
Daylight saving time became federal law under the Uniform Time Act of 1966. Under the law, some states can opt to exempt themselves from daylight saving time.
Would Mississippi keep daylight saving time year-round?
In 2021, the Mississippi Legislature passed a law saying the state plans to stick with daylight saving time year-round. But that only takes effect if Congress changes the federal law to let states adopt it all the time. A bill updating the effective date died in committee in the 2026 session.
Nineteen states, including Mississippi, are ready to make daylight saving time permanent if Congress changes the law to make the twice-a-year time shift optional, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
How later sunrises would affect Mississippi
Sunrise and sunset times in summer would look the same.
But the period from November to March would be different. The amount of daylight would be the same, just shifted an hour later than usual.
Mississippi could expect the latest winter sunrises around 7:59 a.m. in mid-January. The earliest sunsets would shift from about 4:46 p.m. in early December to 5:46 p.m., according to timeanddate.com.
Why permanent daylight saving time failed before
Yes. Congress did drop Daylight Saving Time before.
The move failed in 1974 after parents worried about kids going to school before dawn, risking more vehicle crashes.
Some parts of the country, like Michigan or Indiana, don’t see sunrise until after 9 a.m. with the permanent daylight saving time.
When clocks fall back in 2026
Clocks will “fall back” from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, unless Congress changes the law.
Daylight saving time ends on the first Sunday in November each year, under current law. That’s when we get back that missing hour of sleep from the spring time change.
Does Mississippi change clocks twice a year?
Yes. Mississippi, which is in the Central time zone, observes daylight saving time.
What time is it in Mississippi?
Visit timeanddate.com to see the current time in Jackson.
Which states don’t observe daylight saving time?
Most of the U.S. participates in daylight saving time except for Hawaii and most of Arizona. The Navajo Nation in the northeast corner of the state does participate.
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with USA TODAY Network. Email her at bbolden@usatodayco.com.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.
Mississippi
Mississippi teen accused of killing elderly couple had worked for them before shooting: family
A teenager in Mississippi knew the elderly couple he’s accused of killing before sparking a standoff with law enforcement, according to new testimony in court.
Cordarius Hobbs, 17, is charged with killing 74-year-old Billy Blair and his 71-year-old wife Virginia Carol Blair during a home break-in on June 3 in Mendenhall, Mississippi.
Family members of Hobbs testified during the Thursday preliminary hearing that he knew the couple.
Family members testified that Hobbs did work for the Blairs for things like cleaning around the house before the alleged shooting, according to WAPT.
Billy Newsome, Hobbs’ grandfather, said he believes his grandson was called to work on the day of the alleged shooting but believes he’s innocent.
“My grandson used to work for the man, why you gone rob a man that you work for,” Newsome said. “Why you gone stay there that long and you know the police out there, and then you gone wait until everybody gets there to run, it just ain’t adding up, something just ain’t right here.”
On June 3, three contractors installing a generator at the Blairs’ home discovered Carol Blair’s car door open with several guns on the seats around 10 a.m., prompting them to call the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department for a welfare check at 11:30 a.m, according to a Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigator.
By noon, the investigator said that officers arrived and were met with shots fired at them, starting a nearly two-hour-long standoff.
Hobbs was captured after trying to run away from officers, the official said, adding that the teen was unarmed when he was caught.
Carol Blair was found in a bedroom curled in the fetal position and had three gunshots to the back of her head. Bill Blair was found lying on his back in the kitchen with three gunshot wounds to his face.
The state investigator said three firearms were found inside the home as well as 280 shell casings, all owned by Bill Blair.
Hobbs’ defense attorney, Zachary Vaugh, argued that there’s a lack of direct forensic evidence connecting the teenager to the shooting.
“There was nothing to say he’s a principal, he’s the one that pulled the trigger on these things,” Vaugh said. “One of the things alone was, one of the victims was shot twice on one side of the head and once on the other. I think that’s pretty compelling that somebody else may have been in there. There’s a lot of things that are possible, just a tremendous amount of things.”
“When you have an officer say there’s no one that can identify him at the time of the shooting, I just don’t see how that adds up,” he said.
Hobbs is charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of burglary, in addition to 10 other charges. He was denied bond.
In a statement on Facebook, the couple’s family previously said, “We are crushed in spirit, bruised, and brokenhearted, but we are not alone.”
Jason Busby, who was friends with the couple, remembered them as being extremely selfless when speaking with WLBT.
“The man would’ve given you the shirt off his back, his wife is the same, and they’re just great people. It’s just a tragedy,” Busby said. “Everybody around here is still in shock. They were just good people.”
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