COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 17 Mississippi State hits the road this weekend looking to regain its footing in Southeastern Conference play, as the Diamond Dawgs travel to Columbia for a three-game series against South Carolina at Founders Park.

MSU (27-10, 7-8 SEC) enters the weekend having snapped its recent skid with a decisive midweek victory at Samford, offering a potential spark after a stretch that saw State drop six of eight contests. The win provided a needed reset as the Bulldogs turn their focus back to conference play.

Friday’s opener is set for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch on SEC Network+. The series continues Saturday at noon on SEC Network and concludes Sunday with a 12:30 p.m. first pitch streaming on SEC Network+.

The Bulldogs bring one of the SEC’s most potent offenses into the series, hitting .319 as a team with a .542 slugging percentage and a .422 on-base percentage. The lineup has produced 88 doubles, tops in the conference, along with 60 home runs and nearly 200 walks, combining power with plate discipline.

All-American third baseman Ace Reese continues to pace the attack, leading the SEC in doubles while serving as the centerpiece of a deep and experienced lineup. He’s joined by a veteran core that includes Noah Sullivan, Gehrig Frei and Bryce Chance, giving Mississippi State production up and down the order.

On the mound, MSU has been equally formidable. The staff owns a 3.60 ERA and ranks among the national leaders in strikeout-to-walk ratio and strikeouts per nine innings, reflecting its ability to consistently control hitters.

Sophomore left-hander Tomas Valincius will take the ball in Friday’s opener and has emerged as one of the league’s top arms. He enters with a 6-1 record, a 1.53 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 53 innings, highlighted by multiple dominant outings this spring.

Right-hander Duke Stone is set to start Saturday after posting a 5-1 mark with 58 strikeouts, while lefty Charlie Foster is expected to close out the weekend on Sunday as the Bulldogs aim to secure the series.

South Carolina (19-19, 15-9 SEC) will counter with a pair of experienced right-handers at the front of its rotation. Brandon Stone is slated for Friday night and has been one of the Gamecocks’ most reliable arms, carrying a 4-1 record with a 2.89 ERA and 43 strikeouts. Amp Phillips is expected to start Saturday and has been equally effective, posting a 3-4 record with a 2.17 ERA and 56 strikeouts. The Gamecocks have yet to announce a starter for Sunday’s finale.

The all-time series between the programs has been tightly contested, with South Carolina holding a slight 43-40 edge. Mississippi State has had recent success against the Gamecocks, including a series win in Starkville last season.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the baseball program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching ‘HailStateBB’ on X, Facebook and Instagram.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – The latest effort to ban abortion in South Carolina will go before a full Senate committee on Thursday.

The South Carolina Senate Medical Affairs Committee will take up S.1095, a day after it was approved by a subcommittee. That vote came following a two-hour hearing on Tuesday.

The latest proposal, known as the “Unborn Child Protection Act,” would effectively replace the state’s current ban on abortion after six weeks.

The bill would prohibit abortions once a pregnancy is clinically diagnosable and eliminate existing exceptions for rape, incest and fatal fetal anomalies. Abortions would be permitted only in cases of medical emergencies to prevent a woman’s death or a “substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.”

The current law allows for abortions up to 12 weeks in cases of rape or incest.

Supporters of the new bill argue that those exceptions do not go far enough. Sen. Richard Cash, a Republican from Anderson County and a sponsor, said he has pushed for stricter abortion laws since taking office in 2017.

“The right to life is an unalienable right that comes from God, and the state needs to recognize that and codify that in law,” Cash said Tuesday.

Under the proposal, doctors who illegally perform abortions could face felony charges punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Pregnant women could also face misdemeanor charges, carrying a potential sentence of up to two years in prison. Both parties’ would face hefty fines.

Opponents say the bill goes too far and would have serious consequences for patients and medical providers. Outside the committee room, advocates for abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights rallied outside the South Carolina State House on Tuesday.

Carey Shofner with the Palmetto State Abortion Fund emphasized the existing six‑week ban has not satisfied some lawmakers.

“Even with that six‑week ban in place, that’s never going to be good enough for some people,” Shofner said. “Some people today were testifying that they didn’t think this total abortion ban was extreme enough because women couldn’t be charged with the death penalty.”

Back inside the committee room, Ashlyn Preaux, also with the Palmetto State Abortion Fund, said criminalizing women would harm families.

“You’re not protecting families by passing this bill,” she said. “You’re actually tearing them apart, because when you criminalize a mom, you’re not just punishing her — you’re punishing her children.”

The bill would also classify abortion medications such as Mifepristone as Schedule IV controlled substances under state law.

“Last year, this subcommittee rejected a bill just like this one because they saw it for what it was: disgraceful government overreach and abject cruelty,” Vicki Ringer, Director of Public Affairs at Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, said in a statement after Wednesday’s vote. “And yet today they voted to advance the same total abortion ban that criminalizes doctors and patients, threatening to throw a woman who has an abortion in prison. We have to meet this assault on our rights. Keep calling, keep emailing, keep speaking out — let your legislator know that you’re watching, and your rights are not for the taking.”

Some argued the bill is a step in the right direction, but said it does not go far enough. Mark Corral with Equal Protection South Carolina said abortion should be treated as homicide under state law.

“Would you want your death to be treated as a mere misdemeanor?” Corral said. “Failing to treat the willful killing of a preborn child as homicide violates God’s law.”

Gov. Henry McMaster has previously said he believes South Carolina’s six‑week abortion ban reflects the views of most residents.

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — An ageing bridge in your neighborhood could soon be replaced in a proposed project from the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT).

SCDOT’s Bridge Package 24 project is looking to replace 18 bridges across Aiken, Bamberg, Kershaw, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland, and Sumter counties that have one or more components in poor condition.

The bridges will either be replaced on existing alignment with a signed detour rerouting traffic during construction, or replaced adjacent to the existing alignment, allowing through traffic during construction.

Officials say the following bridges make up Package 24 and are part of the SCDOT’s Closed and Load Restricted Bridge (CLRB) Program:

AIKEN COUNTY

• Old Dibble Road over Wise Hollow Creek.
• Old Sudlow Lake Road over Mims Branch.
• Banks Mill Road SE over Cedar Creek West.
• Marshall Street over Horse Creek.
• Ascauga Lake Road over Gregg Canal.

BAMBERG COUNTY

• Cannon Bridge Road over the South Edisto River.

KERSHAW COUNTY

• Cherokee Boulevard over Twenty Five Mile Creek #1.
• Flat Rock Road over Little Flat Rock Creek.
• Old Stagecoach Road over Lynches River.
• Cherokee Boulevard over Twenty Five Mile Creek #2.
• York Street over Big Pine Tree Creek.

LEXINGTON COUNTY

• Corley Mill Road over Twelve Mile Creek.

ORANGEBURG COUNTY

• Riverbank Drive over Caw Caw Creek.
• Riverside Drive over Sunnyside Canal.
• Red Bank Road over a tributary to Caw Caw Swamp.

RICHLAND COUNTY

• Shorebrook Drive over Jackson Creek.

SUMTER COUNTY

• Wise Drive over the Green Swamp.
• S Saint Paul’s Church Road over Cane Savannah Creek.

Detour routes and updates can be found on the project’s webpage.

Construction start dates are to be determined.