| Thursday, March 19, 2015 |
| Mississippi State Hosts Annual Manufacturing Summit | |
 | Hundreds of business leaders gathered at Mississippi State University to "Focus on the Future", the theme for this year's Manufacturing Summit. Gov. Phil Bryant announced that Mississippi is now one of the top manufacturing states in the nation. Bryant says there's one important component needed to create more economic growth in the state. "It's the work force. Just now before the Legislature, we're asking for $50 million, not out of the general fund but the reserve of the unemployment account we have. Demand on unemployment is down 24 percent. If we can take that $50 million, put in our community colleges and our institutions of higher learning for a work force," says Bryant. |
| Training essential for the future workforce | |
 | Gov. Phil Bryant says now is the time to tackle the No. 1 issue in the local manufacturing world -- workforce training. "We do a very good job at our community colleges, but if you look at advanced manufacturing where we're at now, we've got to re-tool our workforce training programs and make sure we've got more integration with technology," said Bryant. "One of the biggest things that we're facing in the future is having the qualified workforce that will support growth in manufacturing," said MSU Manufacturing Summit coordinator and Franklin Furniture Institute Director Bill Martin. And it's growing. Former MSU President Malcolm Portera told those in attendance that workforce training is looking good for the next two years, but it is vital to invest in workforce training opportunities in the future. |
| Mississippi State sophomore in documentary about first generation college students | |
 | Last summer, first-generation college student Jenny Rogers took the trip of a lifetime. A Mississippi State University student, Rogers traveled with the filmmaking group "Roadtrip Nation," which films a documentary of college students on a road trip across the country every summer. The students drive an RV and interview successful professionals around the country. Most of the people Rogers would interview on her trip were, like her, first generation college students. Rogers is from Vancleave, though she moved around while growing up. Though no one in her immediate family completed college, Rogers' mother taught her to read before Rogers started elementary school. "I think my mom instilled that love of learning in me, and I carried that with me throughout high school," Rogers said. |
| African-American History Exhibit To Be Displayed at Mississippi State | |
| An exhibit of African-American history at Mississippi State University promises facts you may not have learned in your high school history class. "African-American Treasures: The Kinsey Collection" will be on display in the John Grisham room at Mitchell Memorial Library. The exhibit includes more than seventy items like documents, books and art covering history from the early 1500s to present. The exhibit owners, Bernard and Shirley Kinsey of Los Angeles, will give a presentation and virtual tour Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Bettersworth Auditorium in Lee Hall. |
| Wynn, Wiseman tangle over work ethic | |
| Ward 3 Alderman David Little and Ward 5 Alderman Scott Maynard distanced themselves from Ward 2 Alderman Lisa Wynn after the first-term representative accused Mayor Parker Wiseman of maintaining a minor day-to-day role as Starkville's chief executive. Wynn's attack came during a debate on implementing a 3 percent raise for city employees in the next fiscal year and a 33 percent pay increase -- from $15,000 to $20,000 annually -- for aldermen in 2017. Wynn read aloud a prepared statement that attacked the mayor for a number of issues: his work as a Mississippi University for Women instructor keeps him out of the office during business hours; he almost missed a meeting with a developer because he first checked to see if his wife needed help with their infant son; and he skipped town in December for Mississippi State University's bowl game. In his defense, Wiseman rattled off a list of his administration's accomplishments as Wynn briefly exited the board room. |
| State Farm set to begin using drones | |
 | Mississippi's largest home insurer could soon provide assistance from above. State Farm is the first insurer in the United States to receive FAA permission to test Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for commercial use. The decision provides the insurer the opportunity to research this new technology and potentially deploy it in ways that could benefit customers. State Farm plans to explore the use of unmanned aircraft to assess potential roof damage during the claims process and respond to natural disasters. |
| Emmett Till Center to open in Sumner this weekend | |
 | The Emmett Till Memorial Commission of Tallahatchie County will commemorate the March 21 opening of the newly restored Courthouse and Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Sumner, site of the nationally-covered trial that if often regarded as the beginning of the Civil Rights era. The restoration of the courthouse and opening of the Emmett Till interpretive Center is part of a larger vision that the Commission set in motion in 2007 to foster racial reconciliation. Thacker Mountain Radio will perform a special show in Sumner, starting at 2 p.m. on March 21 to commemorate the Courthouse and Interpretive Center's opening. Admission is free and the show will be recorded for airing statewide on Mississippi Public Broadcasting. |
| House Democrats block tax cut | |
 | House Democrats on Wednesday blocked the $555-million tax cut proposed by Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves after nearly three hours of debate. The bill would have divided tax cuts nearly equally between businesses and on individuals' personal income. The vote on the proposal was 67-52, but it needed a three-fifths majority or 72 votes to pass. The Republican leadership can revive the proposal later in the process. Republicans argued it's time to return some money to Mississippi taxpayers. But Democrats, who voted against the proposal in near unanimity, contended that it was not time to cut taxes when education, infrastructure and other vital services were not receiving adequate funding. |
| Democrats thwart Mississippi tax cuts | |
| House Democrats on Wednesday blocked a $555-million tax cut measure, and likely killed the GOP's push for tax cuts in this election-year legislative session. The House needed a 3/5 vote of 72 to send the tax cuts -- passed by the Senate on Tuesday -- to the governor for his signature. But the vote fell 67-52. Only one Democrat, Rep. Angela Cockerham of Magnolia, crossed the aisle in support of the measure. It would have cut taxes for corporations, small businesses and individuals over the next 15 years. While the measure could technically be revived, it would face both procedural and realpolitik problems, and Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn signaled defeat Wednesday. Opponents, including public education advocates, said large tax cuts would sap money from public schools and colleges, infrastructure and other government services that have faced recessionary budget shortfalls for years. |
| State could see more innovative public schools | |
| Mississippi could see more innovative public schools after the Senate approved changes today made by the House in its Public Schools Districts of Innovation bill. "It will allow schools to try innovative approaches," State Sen. Gray Tollison said of Senate Bill 2191. With the Senate concurring with changes made by the House, the bill now goes to the governor for his signature. Tollison said the Senate bill would allow for more programs, such as the proposed state's first early college high school for kids who show potential for academic success but need a different type of setting. The early college high school will be a partnership between the Mississippi Department of Education and East Mississippi Community College. It is expected to begin in the fall. |
| 'Districts of innovation' bill heads to governor | |
| Legislation initiated by the CREATE Foundation allowing school districts of innovation to be developed was sent to Gov. Phil Bryant on Wednesday. The Senate passed the proposal without a dissenting vote. It passed the House earlier in the session. The legislation is one of the recommendations of the CREATE Foundation's Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi. The districts still would be under the regulatory authority of the state Board of Education. Those districts would have to submit a plan and meet the same achievement levels required of local school districts. Senate Education Chair Gray Tollison, R-Oxford, said the hope is that the districts would exceed those requirements. |
| Holliday, Adcock enter 1st District field | |
| A Tupelo dentist and a Columbus businessman on Wednesday entered the race for the 1st Congressional District seat, both placing job creation and financial security as top issues of their campaigns. Ed Holliday, a Tupelo dentist, author and radio talk show host, announced his candidacy in front of a crowded Lee County Courthouse lawn saying Washington is sick and "Doc Holliday" has the cure. Later in the day, aerospace businessman Sam Adcock announced his candidacy saying that "North Mississippi needs a congressman who will stand up and fight against President Obama's reckless policies." Adcock also was legislative director for U.S. Sen. Trent Lott from 1990 to 1996 and director of defense and security policy for the Senate majority leader from 1996 to 1997. |
| Old nemeses Palazzo, Pelosi won't cross paths at Murtha christening at Ingalls | |
 | House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will be at Ingalls Shipbuilding on Saturday for a christening but don't expect to see any fur fly in a confrontation with her perennial critic, South Mississippi's own U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo. Palazzo's staff said he will be spending time with his family and won't be in Pascagoula when the late Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha's daughter, Donna, breaks a bottle of American champagne across the bow of the John P. Murtha LPD26. Murtha's widow, Joyce, also will be there. Pelosi will be the featured speaker. "(Palazzo) is very proud of the 11,000 shipbuilders at Ingalls on their achievement, and he is looking forward to attending the May 2 christening of the DDG-113," his spokeswoman, Jill Duckworth, said in an email. |
| Bennie Thompson seeks investigation into judge's conduct | |
 | Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson said he wants an investigation into Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Jeff Weill's courtroom conduct. Thompson is seeking the investigation after Weill kicked the lead public defender out of his courtroom Monday. He also found another public defender in contempt of court. Thompson said in a statement that "Weill's decision to transfer these defendants' cases to less-experienced private attorneys is a clear bias against the public defender service." |
| Fed Puts Interest-Rate Hikes in Play | |
 | The Federal Reserve opened a door to raising short-term interest rates by midyear, but signaled it's in no hurry to walk through it. The Fed, in a statement Wednesday after its two-day meeting, dropped an assurance that it would remain "patient" before acting on rates. In the odd parlance of central bankers, the shift meant the Fed would consider raising short-term rates at its June 16-17 meeting. Because the unemployment rate has fallen to 5.5 percent, many Fed officials believe the economy is getting closer to a point where it can manage without the fuel provided by historically low borrowing costs. That has them looking toward gradually nudging interest rates higher. Yet comments by Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen after the meeting and new central bank forecasts suggested the Fed intends to proceed cautiously. |
| Point Sur purchase boosts USM's marine science program | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi's marine sciences program is about to kick things up a notch this year with the acquisition of the Point Sur, a 135-foot research vessel, which is making its way to Gulfport from California by way of the Panama Canal. "The National Science Foundation is reploying the Point Sur to the Gulf of Mexico, where a lot of research is being done," said Gordon Cannon, vice president for research at Southern Miss. Owning a research vessel like the Point Sur means a lot, according to Cannon, and Monty Graham, interim director of Gulf Coast Research Lab and chairman of the USM Department of Marine Science. "For the university, it really moves us up an entire level in ocean science research," Cannon said. |
| Point Sur has much to offer USM | |
| The Point Sur -- the University of Southern Mississippi's new research vessel -- has already been around the block a time or two. It was built in 1980, and was owned by the National Science Foundation until it was sold to the university earlier this year. The university acquired the research vessel through a $1 million grant provided by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. The purchase agreement provides Southern Miss with a vessel that can be used by the university and other interested parties to explore the Gulf of Mexico, including further research on the BP oil spill of 2010. |
| Hub City teams with USM to aid area youth | |
| The City of Hattiesburg and the University of Southern Mississippi have teamed up to try to ensure every mother's child has a fighting chance at a full and meaningful life. Mayor Johnny DuPree unveiled the "Youth Master Plan Initiative" Wednesday afternoon at City Hall, an amalgamation of programs, processes and planning aimed at the physical and mental development of the area's youth. The city collaborated with Southern Miss' School of Social Work to "provide a blueprint of suggested, evidence-based-practice methods for program development through the identification of community needs and assets." |
| Jackson State Mulling Domed Stadium | |
| When it comes to scoring its long-sought domed multi-use stadium, it's hard to know whether Jackson State University is threatening in the red zone or looking at a Hail Mary scenario. Michael Thomas, the chief financial officer for Jackson State, said March 6 that while a stadium is still in the school's long-range plan, JSU's legislative priorities are to seek funding for two new schools, one of public health and another for social work. Initial plans are for a stadium is designed for football, basketball, concerts and special events. JSU had picked out a site near Battlefield Park, but that location met opposition from neighborhood associations. Now, Thomas says the school is looking at another site downtown, near the Jackson Convention Complex although he did not offer specifics. Funding is the big obstacle. |
| Toomer's Corner intersection revamp to start after A-Day at Auburn | |
 | Auburn downtown merchants and city officials have plans to make "lemonade out of lemons," as Assistant City Manager Kevin Cowper put it, regarding a construction project involving several improvements to Toomer's Corner that will cause the intersection to close for two months this summer. With a projected start date for construction set for April 20 following the A-Day game, the $1.6 million project is expected to be complete around Aug. 17. Throughout the course of the summer, construction will cause parts of Magnolia Avenue and College Street to be closed and drivers to seek alternate routes. |
| LSU students hold forum on threat of state budget cuts | |
 | LSU students had several questions about the state budget crisis and its potential impact on higher education during a campus forum Wednesday night. Will their degrees become less valuable if Louisiana's colleges and universities suffer the deep cuts that have been threatened? Are there campuses across the state at risk of closing? Will students sign up for classes next month, only to have them canceled in the fall? The uncertainty and confusion over what will happen as state lawmakers craft a spending plan for the coming year amid the state's $1.6 billion shortfall has hit LSU's campus. LSU President and Chancellor F. King Alexander, one of the panelists, said leaders are forced to face the worst-case scenario as they plan for the coming school year: a cut of up to $800 million, he said. |
| LSU could soon alter little-known program allowing system president, board members to grant scholarships | |
| LSU could soon alter a little-known program that gives its president and members of the system Board of Supervisors the ability to grant coveted scholarships to students. State legislators started eyeing the Board of Supervisors scholarship program after an audit last year found inconsistencies and other lapses in how the tuition-covering grants were doled out. Under a proposal that the LSU board is slated to take up during its meeting Friday, the number of scholarships offered will be gradually scaled back --- from 20 per member to 15. In addition, a new process will be implemented to formally evaluate and keep track of applications. LSU board members gave out 226 scholarships for the 2013-2014 school year, up nine from the year before. LSU's scholarship report for the 2013-2014 school year showed the total valued more than $1.9 million. That's up from $1.35 million in 2012-2013. |
| Stay in the Swamp career fair seeks to connect U. of Florida students, employers | |
 | Local business leaders have long bemoaned the "brain drain" of students who get their education at the University of Florida and take their talents elsewhere to find job opportunities. The Stay in the Swamp career fair was designed to try to bridge the gap between employers that need top talent and UF students and alumni who are not always aware of the jobs and internships available in the area. The third annual event is 5-7:30 p.m. Thursday at the UF Hough Graduate School of Business. Last year, more than 100 students and alumni from the business program and 30 companies participated. This year's event was opened up to all UF students and alumni, with 50 companies and community organizations signed up. |
| St. Simons forms committee to examine UGA student beach parties during Georgia-Florida weekend | |
 | The annual Frat Beach drinking party on St. Simons Island during Georgia-Florida football weekend in late October is a disaster waiting to happen, island businessman Cap Fendig said, and he is asking the Glynn County Commission to intervene. The event draws University of Georgia fraternity and sorority members and others to the beach on the Friday before the game is played in Jacksonville, and the party often gets out of control, Fendig said. "It's growing and the perception of students is you can come to St. Simons ... and blow it out with impunity," he said. "Locals perceive it as a day we set aside law enforcement and welcome students to St. Simons Island to engage in this activity." Fendig operates a trolley service during the busy weekend. He said drunkenness, underage drinking and illegal drug use are rampant during the event, which draws thousands to the beach. |
| Coroner: 'Suspicious' death of U. of South Carolina student under investigation | |
 | Columbia police and the Richland County Coroner's Office are investigating what the coroner is calling the "suspicious death" Wednesday of an 18-year-old University of South Carolina student. Coroner Gary Watts said his office received a call at 10:30 a.m. that an 18-year-old male USC student had been found dead inside a home at 2319 Lee St. There were no signs of trauma noted on the victim at the scene. Following news of the death, Justin True, a spokesman with the Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity, issued a statement saying the USC chapter of the fraternity has been put on administrative suspension and the chapter has ceased operations. |
| Bill that would scale back regents' ability to fire presidents may not affect Texas A&M | |
 | A bill that would scale back board of regents' ability at Texas universities to fire presidents may not change the way Texas A&M University System administrators already operate if signed into law, according to one current and one former regent. The Texas Senate Committee on Higher Education unanimously approved Senate Bill 177 Wednesday morning. The measure would require a board of regents to receive a recommendation from a university system's chancellor before regents can fire a university president, and will now go to the full Senate. When asked in a message if adoption of the bill would change how the A&M regents interact with Chancellor John Sharp in firing situations, Regent Tony Buzbee said communication lines would stay the same. |
| U. of Missouri chancellor suspends student over alleged harassing comments | |
 | A University of Missouri student accused of making harassing and hostile remarks toward another student about an "American Sniper" screening has been suspended, MU Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin said in a statement. The chancellor's statement came after a news release Wednesday afternoon from MU police saying police identified the student, who was escorted to the Student Conduct Office. The university didn't release the student's name. The negative remarks were made online in response to another student's letter to the editor in the MU student newspaper. It isn't clear where online the remarks appeared. |
| Students criticize Missouri chancellor at forum on race | |
| More than 200 students, faculty, staff and administrators filled an auditorium Tuesday afternoon for an open forum on race and concerns that the University of Missouri campus is not a friendly place for minority students. MU Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin said though the room was full, the people who need to be there the most -- those who intentionally or unintentionally made hurtful or racist comments -- did not appear to be among the crowd in the Geology Building auditorium. Many speakers were critical of Loftin and his administration for not doing enough since December, when students presented the chancellor with a list of concerns they wanted addressed or changed. The list includes increasing faculty diversity and cultural competency training for university employees and students. Loftin said such major changes can't happen quickly. |
| Missouri's Loftin reflects after more than a year on the job | |
 | Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin isn't new to the challenges he's faced in his first year at the University of Missouri, but he said he's never encountered so many at once. Feb. 1 marked Loftin's one-year anniversary as chancellor. Among other things, he has become known for his bow ties and his personal connections with students and faculty via Twitter. But he also dealt with a number of profound issues that have confronted him, literally, since the week he began. He is no stranger to tumultuous events, he said, but not often so many at once. "I've dealt with issues where we had a catastrophic event that caused loss of life. I've dealt with that personally," the chancellor said on Wednesday during a two-hour meeting with members of the press. |
| House Would Cut Student Aid More Than Budget Blueprint Reveals | |
 | Turns out the budget outlook for student aid is even bleaker than it seemed. On Tuesday, Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives released a spending blueprint that would freeze the maximum Pell Grant for 10 years and roll back some recent expansions of the program. On Wednesday they revealed that their plan would also abolish the in-school interest subsidy on Stafford loans, reverse a recent expansion of income-based repayment, and end public-sector loan forgiveness. Those cuts in the federal student-loan programs don't appear in a budget document that the House Budget Committee released on Tuesday. But when Rep. Mark Pocan, Democrat of Wisconsin, asked during a markup session on Wednesday if such changes were assumed in the measure, a committee aide confirmed that they were. |
| Photo of black U.Va. student leader, bloodied, renews debate about police and race | |
 | A black student group at the University of Virginia on Wednesday released a photograph of one of its members, bloodied by state police. The incident has renewed the debate about how law enforcement treats black people and, more specifically, about the experience of black students with campus and local police. By the end of Wednesday, Virginia's governor was calling for a full investigation of what happened, but many at U.Va. are not sure that's enough. The Black Student Alliance at Virginia posted the photograph on Facebook and elsewhere, with a statement that said Martese Johnson, the student, had received 10 stitches after he was "brutalized" by officers with Virginia's Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) division, which works extensively on student drinking. |
| Sensing a Moment, Diversity Officers Swap Tips on Improving Campus Climate | |
| Put 300 campus diversity officers in a room, and they'll have no shortage of topics to discuss. But this week, when the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education held its annual conference here, one issue came up frequently: the racial climate on college campuses. That topic has claimed the national spotlight, most recently after a video surfaced of several University of Oklahoma fraternity members' singing a racist anthem. (Two of the students were expelled.) In North Carolina, the recent killings of three young Muslims and a backlash against the call to prayer at Duke University shocked students. And the Black Lives Matter movement, fueled by a recent wave of African-American men's deaths at the hands of white police officers, also has found a place on campuses. |
| Is the U. of Oklahoma doing enough for the state's American Indian population? | |
| University of Oklahoma President David L. Boren drew praise last week when he swiftly moved to punish members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon caught singing a racist song -- much like he did when members of the same fraternity in 1996 stole a tepee and placed it on a sorority house lawn. But since the university's scattered student services offices in the 1990's merged into a reorganized Center for Student Life, critics of Boren's leadership say the communities for American Indian students that flourished during the late 80's and early 90's have "dwindled to almost nothing." Amid national attention to the challenges facing black students at Oklahoma, American Indians -- one of the largest minority groups in the state -- have questioned key decisions at the institution. The university declined to comment for this story. |
| Frats are finding themselves under fire for bad behavior | |
 | Racist chants. Nude photos of unconscious women. A criminal investigation into hazing. Fraternities around the country seem to be coming under fire as never before over behavior that would shock the frat boys of "Animal House." Despite a major national push to reduce drinking and sexual assault on campus and increase diversity, some fraternity chapters have failed to clean up their acts. Universities and the fraternities' national offices are quickly punishing the offenders amid more promises of reform. Defenders of fraternities say they do a lot of good work on campus and the focus on their misconduct is misguided. But the incidents at the University of Oklahoma and Penn State, in particular, have stunned many and happened despite heavy scrutiny of misconduct at colleges. |
| BRIAN PERRY (OPINION): A crowded sprint in the 1st District | |
 | Jackson-based consultant and columnist Brian Perry writes: "A week out from the March 27 qualifying deadline for the special election in Mississippi's First Congressional District and the ballot is already packed to replace the late Alan Nunnelee. ...While current elected officials have some name identification advantage, the vast number of candidates will trim up some of the bases they would turn to and this race will depend greatly on who can raise money the most and quickest with an added advantage to anyone who can self-fund some of their campaign. I've not read reports on whether any outside political action committees and organizations ... have announced their intentions to engage. But we're still more than a week out from the qualifying deadline with campaigns a thousand signatures away from qualifying before we have a better idea of how the ballot will look, how the geography of the district is divided, and how well fundraising for the various candidates look. Still, the race is on." |
| BOBBY HARRISON (OPINION): Money rule constricts what can be done with funding | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Bobby Harrison writes: "Time will tell if the Legislature ever eliminates the rule it passed during the opening days of term in 2012 to essentially remove any input the average member has in the budgeting process. House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, and Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves pushed through the rules change during the opening day of their tenure to prohibit any member from trying to increase the budget of any agency without stating from what agency the increase in funding would be taken. On the surface, the rules changes seem reasonable. If you want to increase the budget, say from where the money is being taken. But in reality, the rule gives Reeves and Gunn, and their appropriations lieutenants, more control over the budgeting process than perhaps any Mississippi Legislature's presiding officers have had in recent memory." |
| SID SALTER (OPINION): Is Native American marijuana new tribal gaming? | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "The political viability of the pro-marijuana initiative is sketchy at best here in Mississippi -- the veritable gold buckle of the Bible Belt. Should the petition drive succeed and the referendum actually be placed on the ballot, Mississippians would witness essentially the world's largest local option election with the state's churches on one side and the would-be pot sellers and consumers on the other. But the little known Justice Department decision that empowers Native Americans to get in the pot business does make the possibilities interesting -- especially when one takes a little trip down memory lane on the issue of casino gaming in Mississippi. Mississippi Choctaws have said not a word about the recent federal ruling. But as Fordice and Barbour learned, there are at times two sets of rules when it comes to sovereign tribal nations." |
SPORTS
| AP names Mississippi State's Schaefer SEC Coach of the Year | |
| A day after the Mississippi State women's basketball team celebrated its first NCAA tournament berth since 2010, Vic Schaefer was named The Associated Press' Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year, while freshman Victoria Vivians was named second-team All-SEC. Tuesday's honor comes after Schaefer was named SEC co-Coach of the Year by league coaches. "This is an award I share with my staff because you can't do it by yourself," Schaefer said. "I told Scott (Stricklin) when I came here, 'I'll come to Mississippi State but you have to help me get the right staff in here,' and he did. I also share this honor with my players. It has been a tremendous year and we're not done. I'm very humbled and very honored. I appreciate the confidence and trust, and I look forward to the rest of the season." |
| Rea backs Laster's complete game with big hit for Bulldogs | |
| Senior left-hander Lucas Laster threw Mississippi State's second complete game in three games Tuesday night to lead MSU to a 5-2 victory against Eastern Illinois at Dudy Noble Field. Laster (3-0), who threw his first career complete game, allowed eight hits and two runs (both earned) while matching a season high with seven strikeouts and no walks. The Bulldogs have recorded three quality starts in their past four games. MSU starting pitchers have thrown six or more innings in each of the past four games, the longest streak since Feb. 25-March 1, 2011, when Devin Jones, Chris Stratton, Evan Mitchell, and Kendall Graveman accomplished the feat. The Bulldogs completed their season-opening 23-game homestand with a 17-6 record. |
| Mississippi State softball celebrates national ranking with victory | |
| The Mississippi State softball team celebrated its return to the national rankings Tuesday with a season-high for runs and hits in a 16-1 victory against Southeastern Louisiana at North Oak Park. Playing its first non-conference game in 13 days, MSU (21-6) used an 18-hit attack to cruise past Southeastern Louisiana (10-16). Earlier in the day, MSU was ranked No. 24 in this week's ESPN.com/USA Softball and USA Today/NFCA Division I polls. MSU is 4-4 against teams ranked in the top 25 at the time of competition this season, and has victories against No. 8 Georgia, No. 23 Notre Dame, and two against No. 19 Texas A&M. The ranking marks the first time head coach Vann Stuedeman has seen her team earn a top-25 rank after numerous appearances in the "also receiving votes" pool. |
| Bulldogs, Prescott searching for new center | |
| When Dak Prescott takes the field in the fall, the Mississippi State quarterback will be working with a new center who has yet to snap at the collegiate level. The Bulldogs lost all three of its centers from last season and are working to break in a new one this spring. Junior Jamaal Clayborn shifted from guard to center and took reps with the first team on Tuesday. Junior Jocquell Johnson also moved inside and worked with the second team while senior walk-on Nick Proby repped with the third string. "We're going to be experimenting there a bunch," said MSU coach Dan Mullen. |
| Plenty of questions for Mississippi State as spring practice begins | |
| After a topsy-turvy week filled with multiple arrests and a nationally publicized incident involving quarterback Dak Prescott, Mississippi State's football players went back to work Tuesday. They looked right at home. Originally scheduled to open spring practice today, MSU moved up the opening of its annual spring workouts due to expected inclement weather. The result was a picture-perfect 78-degree day that saw coach Dan Mullen and his Bulldogs return to the practice field for the first time since last year. "It's great to be out here," said Mullen, who led his team to a 10-3 record in 2014. |
| Top-seeded Gamecocks already No. 1 -- in attendance | |
| The South Carolina women's basketball program has ended Tennessee's stranglehold on the sport and reigns supreme over Connecticut. No, the Gamecocks can't touch the 17 national titles the Huskies and Lady Vols own, but South Carolina is No. 1 when it comes to fan support. While women's college basketball is plagued by empty arenas, interest in Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks has increased exponentially --- they averaged 12,540 fans in 14 home games this season. Staley said the two go hand in hand and are a big reason for the Gamecocks' turnaround. The atmosphere change is evident to everyone, particular Gamecock opponents. "Great crowd, great atmosphere," Texas A&M coach Gary Blair said. |
| When pool is NCAA's basketball fund, conferences have a lot riding on games | |
 | The payout rules are complicated but enticing. Even if your college basketball team doesn't win a game, you win $1.67 million. A round-of-16 appearance rakes in almost $5 million. A Final Four run? $8.3 million. What sounds like the country's most lucrative office pool is actually how the NCAA splits up much of the $700-plus million dollars its men's basketball tournament makes each year. The competitors in this pool are collegiate sports conferences, and this month a large chunk of money -- nearly $220 million, according to NCAA projections -- is up for grabs. The "basketball fund," as it's simply labeled, is the largest pool of money the NCAA doles out to schools and the only one allocated according to competitive sports success. A closer look at where the money goes illuminates the stratified economic landscape of college sports, where the rich schools get richer and the players remain amateurs. |
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