Mississippi
Why new coach Brian O’Connor embraces Mississippi State baseball’s lofty preseason rankings: ‘Bring it on’
STARKVILLE — If you attended a Mississippi State baseball fall scrimmage at Dudy Noble Field, you likely did so with a couple hundred fans.
That’s the standard for Mississippi State fans who love their baseball. Even the October exhibition in Pensacola, Florida, against Florida State was played in front of a sellout crowd at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
For new Bulldogs coach Brian O’Connor, hired in June after 22 seasons at Virginia, it wasn’t a surprise, but it was a different experience.
“It’s part of what makes Mississippi State baseball so special is the passion with everybody involved,” O’Connor said Jan. 21 in an exclusive interview with the Clarion Ledger. “I fully anticipated that it would be that way. I think it’s great that people care so much and are so into it.”
Those fans were eager to get a first-hand look at MSU in what’s perhaps the most highly anticipated season in program history.
O’Connor spoke in a nearly 30-minute interview to about Mississippi State’s 2026 season. The interview was conducted three weeks before opening day when Mississippi State hosts Hofstra on Feb. 13.
O’Connor addressed what a successful first season would be, how the Bulldogs view their high rankings in the preseason polls and what questions still remain with the team.
What Brian O’Connor said about Mississippi State preseason rankings
Previous coach Chris Lemonis was clear with his goal for 2025. Mississippi State needed to host a regional in order to get back to the College World Series. Lemonis was fired in April before a late-season surge got the Bulldogs in the NCAA tournament, but not as a hosting seed.
O’Connor said he does not project what a tangible level of success is for Mississippi State in 2026, whether that’s hosting a regional or making it to the CWS.
“I don’t ever set out in a season to say, ‘If we don’t make Omaha, then it’s an unsuccessful season,’” O’Connor said. “… I have never and will not here focus on the end. Winning and those kind of accomplishments and those kind of opportunities are a byproduct of how they work, our team culture and do they stay together during challenging times?”
Outside expectations are that Mississippi State will be one of the top teams in the nation given the talent on the roster. Preseason polls from D1Baseball, Baseball America and Perfect Game all have the Bulldogs in the top six.
The Bulldogs haven’t hosted a postseason game at Dudy Noble Field since 2021 when they won the national championship.
“We ain’t ever going to shy away from that,” O’Connor said of the preseason polls. “Bring it on. That’s how we feel.
“That said, it’s noise. I share with our entire program that there’s going to be distractions and noise all the time when you play in a program like this. Manage it.”
Brian O’Connor’s biggest unanswered questions for Mississippi State baseball
It’s a challenging exercise to project who will be Mississippi State’s starters because of the influx of talent on the roster.
MSU returns five of its top seven batters in terms of 2025 OPS: Ace Reese, Noah Sullivan, Gehrig Frei, Bryce Chance and Gatlin Sanders. Reese, the third baseman, was named a preseason All-American by D1Baseball and Perfect Game.
Joining those returners are some of Virginia’s best players like outfielder Aidan Teel and pitcher Tomas Valincius, plus 24 other newcomers, including freshmen such as Jacob Parker and Jack Bauer.
O’Connor said figuring out the best starting lineup is a question that still remains. He specifically pointed to catcher, shortstop and starting pitcher because of lack of SEC playing experience at those positions.
Only 147 innings pitched out of 496⅔ returned in 2026.
“You’re talking about roles, catcher, shortstop and starting pitching, that they just haven’t done it under the bright lights on the weekend yet,” O’Connor said. “You don’t know. You see talent, but we all know that there’s always been guys that have talent and then the lights come on.
“That said, I believe in this team and how it’s being built that they will be ready to fill those roles and do the job because I believe that this team is starving. A lot of people say hungry, but there’s a difference between hungry and starving. I’m exited to see them come together and grow and become a great ball club.”
Some of those lineup decisions could linger into the start of the season. MSU’s first two series are against Hofstra and Delaware before the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series in Arlington, Texas, against Arizona State, Virginia Tech and UCLA.
“As you move through the first two weekends, you have options, right?” O’Connor said. “Who can you bring off the bench in certain roles? Who are the guys that you’re going to count on coming out of the bullpen in certain situations? There’s still a lot to figure out, but it’s starting to take shape. I’m excited about that. I’m excited about, as the leader, making those decisions.”
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
‘We’re doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We’re trying to move that pressure on into later in the season.’
Bobcat stalks and strikes at Wisconsin turkey hunter
Turkey hunter Carson Bender of Wisconsin Rapids recorded a video of a bobcat that stalked and lunged at him as he hunted April 18, 2026 near Nekoosa, Wis.
Carson Bender
If a proposal made in the April meeting of the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is finalized, nonresident turkey hunters will see big changes in the 2027 spring turkey season.
“We’re doing this in a way to impact how hunting pressure occurs and how the harvest happens in the early season,” said Caleb Hinton, Wild Turkey Program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. “We’re doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We’re trying to move that pressure on into later in the season.”
Turkey hunters enjoy a three-bird bag limit and a little more than six weeks of hunting in spring, which is similar to some other states. What is at issue is when it opens. March 15 is the typical opening date for the regular season, making it one of the earliest in the nation.
That early opening date combined with a growing trend among turkey hunters is where the problem lies.
Mississippi is a destination for early season, nonresident hunters
Possibly more than any other group of hunters, turkey hunters like to travel. For some, it may be a matter of seeing a different landscape and hunting birds under condions they don’t encounter in their home state. For others it may be a quest to harvest each of the subspecies in North America.
For yet another group, it’s the challenge of harvesting a gobbler in each of the 49 states that have turkeys.
“It seems to be getting more and more popular every year,” Hinton said.
Regardless of why a turkey hunter chooses to travel, it puts a target on Mississippi’s back because for the first few weeks of the season, it’s almost the only game in town, so hunters flock to the state.
In an effort to curb the amount of hunting pressure in those first weeks of turkey season, MDWFP proposed limiting nonresident hunters to two legal gobblers per season and only one of those can be harvested before April 1.
“Hopefully, it will help curb the massive influx of pressure we get the first week or two of the season,” Hinton said.
When will turkey season changes for nonresidents be voted on?
The proposed changes aren’t the first that have been geared toward alleviating pressure on turkeys in the early part of the season by nonresidents. In 2022, the commission passed a rule requiring nonresident hunters to enter a drawing for a hunt on public land during the first two weeks of turkey season. Currently, the number of hunters drawn is limited to 800.
Like that change, the current proposal will pass or fail by a vote of the wildlife commission. In the April commission meeting, the proposal passed an initial vote. It is now in a 30-day public comment period and a final vote will be taken in the May meeting.
Public comments may be submitted at https://www.mdwfp.com/proposed-rules-regulations.
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.
Mississippi
Mississippi high school addresses social media post, says it won’t tolerate racism or harassment
LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Miss. (WLBT) – A Mississippi high school has made a statement after a social media post involving a student surfaced.
Northeast Lauderdale High School officials say they’re reviewing a social media post involving a student.
In a statement, the school said administrators are aware of the post and are “reviewing the situation.”
The school said it is committed to maintaining a safe, orderly and respectful environment for students and staff.
“Neither our district nor our school accept or condone racism, discrimination, harassment, or behavior that is inconsistent with the expectations of our school community,” the statement said.
Officials said they are working with the appropriate parties and will address the matter in accordance with district policies and procedures.
The school added that it cannot share additional details because of student privacy laws.
Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.
Copyright 2026 WLBT. All rights reserved.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball starting pitcher Ryan McPherson exited his May 9 return against Auburn with an ankle injury, according to coach Brian O’Connor.
McPherson tripped behind home plate while backing up a potential throw in the second inning and limped back to the mound. The MSU coaches and trainer examined McPherson before pulling him.
McPherson was making his first start since March 20 after suffering a forearm strain.
The No. 11 Bulldogs (38-14, 15-12 SEC) trailed the No. 6 Tigers (35-15, 16-11) by one run with one out in the inning before getting run-ruled 13-2 in seven innings at Dudy Noble Field.
McPherson threw 34 pitches in 1⅓ innings with one earned and one unearned run allowed, two hits, no walks and no strikeouts.
He did not throw a practice pitch while being examined, and he didn’t limp as he walked into the dugout, either.
Ryan McPherson injury update from Brian O’Connor
O’Connor revealed after the game that McPherson was on a 40-pitch limit, so he was likely going to get pulled soon anyway.
“I would hate for the young man to have a setback because he goes out there and tries to throw to another batter or two and changes this delivery because of an ankle (injury),” O’Connor said. “So that’s what went into that decision. It’s unfortunate, but it was good to get him back out there.”
McPherson, a sophomore, missed six straight starts with his forearm injury. He took Charlie Foster’s spot in the pitching rotation for the Auburn series.
One series remains at Texas A&M before the SEC Tournament.
“We’ll see how he recovers from this and then to see what his availability will be for next weekend,” O’Connor said.
Ryan McPherson stats
McPherson was charged with the loss, dropping his record to 3-1 with a 2.62 ERA.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
-
Washington, D.C3 minutes agoK-9 Knox to be honored at ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Monday
-
Cleveland, OH9 minutes agoWhat’s it like being a news anchor at Cleveland’s ABC Channel 5
-
Austin, TX15 minutes agoAntisemitic incidents in Rhode Island fell by half in 2025, ADL says
-
Alabama21 minutes agoKevin Turner Prattville YMCA Golf Tournament welcomes Auburn, Alabama players as guest hosts
-
Alaska27 minutes agoHantavirus outbreak, climate risks from microplastics and Alaska’s surprise tsunami
-
Arizona33 minutes agoWhere to watch Arizona Diamondbacks vs Texas Rangers: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 11
-
Arkansas39 minutes agoA 21-year-old Arkansas man, formerly from Newaygo, died after crashing dirt bike into tree
-
Colorado51 minutes agoContamination, climate change and political drama stall clean water for Colorado’s Arkansas Valley – High Country News