CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WLBT) – Sunday morning, Mississippi State baseball bounced back to keep their NCAA tournament dreams alive.

The Bulldogs took on #3-seeded St. John’s in an elimination game, and MSU’s offense stepped up and showed out. At the top of the third inning, Amani Larry got things going for the Bulldogs with a hit into right field that would bring home Aaron Downs to put Mississippi State on the board first.

Once Larry opened the “RBI door”, the rest of the Bulldogs busted it down. MSU went on to finish the game with 12 RBIs and a season-high of 19 hits.

MRA grad, Bryce Chance was on that RBI list and went 3 for 5 in the box. Then, Jackson Academy grad, Dakota Jordan led the offense and was perfect at the plate going 5 for 5. He also rounded off the top of the ninth inning with a three-run home run that helped take the Bulldogs to a 13-5 win over the St. John’s Red Storm.

Mississippi State will now face the host and #1-seed Virginia on Sunday at 5 pm. The Bulldogs will need to win to force a decisive game on Monday.

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NEW ALBANY, Miss. (WTVA) – An inmate being held at Union County Jail was found dead in his cell Saturday afternoon.

Union County Sheriff Jimmy Edwards says 36-year-old Kenneth Bennett of Blue Springs, Miss. died of an apparent suicide. A detention officer found him at around 4 p.m.

Bennett was being held in Union County for MDOC on a charge of commercial burglary and grand larceny.

MBI is now investigating the death.

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The Miss Mississippi competition is part of an almost century-long history of the Miss America Competition. Each year, dozens of hopefuls compete in various categories to win scholarships and the chance to compete on the national level.

This year’s Miss Mississippi competition will take place in Vicksburg in early June and will include three days worth of preliminary competitions leading up to the big finale.

The lucky winner will serve as Miss Mississippi for the next year, taking over the crown from last year’s winner Vivian O’Neal.

More on O’Neal: Vivian O’Neal competes for Miss America crown. Here’s how to watch

The preliminaries

Many are familiar with the extravagant final competition held on a summer night in Vicksburg. However, in the days leading up to the final event, there are several preliminary competitions in which contestants compete in various categories, including evening wear, talent and health and fitness.

The categories are not separated by the three nights. Instead, each preliminary competition will include a full show of each of those categories. Each contestant will compete in all preliminary categories on one of the three nights. For example, one contestant may compete in talent on one night and then in evening wear the next.

Here is a schedule of the 2024 Miss Mississippi preliminary competitions. Each of the competitions will take place in the Vicksburg Convention Center.

• 7 p.m., June 5
• 7 p.m., June 6
• 7 p.m., June 7

The final competition

Months of anticipation from the contestants and the audience will come to a head Saturday night, June 8, in the Vicksburg Competition Center.

The top ten contestants from the preliminary rounds will compete for the crown.

Here’s how to watch the final night:

• Final Competition: 8 p.m., June 8

The final competition will livestream on missmisslive.com.

Ticket packages including all three preliminary competitions and the final competition are $155 each and are sold on the Miss Mississippi website.

How to watch

Ticket packages including all three preliminary competitions and the final competition are $155 each and are sold on the Miss Mississippi website.

The three preliminary competitions and the final competition will livestream on missmisslive.com.

Here’s a list of channels that will air the competitions:

• WDAM Hattiesburg
• WLBT Jackson
• WLOX Biloxi
• WMC Bounce Memphis
• WTVA Tupelo
• WTOK Meridian

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More events to attend

Leading up to the competitions, Miss Mississippi has planned several events to engage the contestants and the audience.

Here are some events to attend this year in advance of the competition:

• Miss Mississippi Parade and Autograph Party: 7 p.m., June 3, downtown Vicksburg
• Kirk Chevrolet Autograph Party: 10 a.m., June 5, 2330 North Frontage Rd., Vicksburg
• Downtown Vicksburg Autograph Party: 10 a.m., June 6, shops in downtown Vicksburg

Got a news tip? Contact Mary Boyte at mboyte@jackson.gannett.com