| Friday, May 17, 2019 |
| MSU Research & Technology Corp. closes deal on Cadence Bank building | |
 | A key downtown landmark will soon fit in to plans for expansion of the Thad Cochran Research and Technology Park after a Mississippi State University corporation closed the deal on the Cadence Bank building on Starkville's Main Street. The announcement was made via press release on Wednesday as the MSU Research and Technology Corporation closed on a primary property that clears the way for planned expansion. MSU said in the release that the purchase of the Main Street office in downtown Starkville allows the university to move forward with Phase II of the park, which will provide additional space for expanding companies wanting to remain in this market and also attracting startup businesses. MSU Research and Technology Corporation President David Shaw, who also serves at the university's vice president for research and economic development, said MSU is pleased to see the transaction between Cadence and the university come to fruition. |
| MSU corporation purchases Cadence Bank | |
 | Mississippi State University will have a new downtown presence in Starkville after its affiliate Research and Technology Corporation closed on a deal to purchase Cadence Bank. The university announced on Wednesday the MSU Research and Technology Corporation -- a 501(c)3 organized to facilitate relationships between MSU and its industrial affiliates -- purchased the bank branch at the corner of Main Street and Jackson Street. MSU will use the 33,000 square-foot property as a space to expand the Thad Cochran Research and Technology Park. "This is essentially Phase II of the Cochran Research Park," said MSU Chief Communications Officer Sid Salter. "It provides an urban setting for entities that want to be able to operate with restaurants nearby, or in a location where their employees can bike to work -- that sort of stuff." |
| MSU-Meridian's Master of Physician Assistant Studies program works toward accreditation, anticipates first students in January | |
 | A new Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree program at Mississippi State University-Meridian is on track toward accreditation, and MSU leaders anticipate the first PA students will enroll in January 2020. MSU will be the state's only public institution to offer a PA studies master's degree. PAs are nationally certified and state-licensed medical professionals who practice medicine on healthcare teams with physicians and other providers. They perform a broad range of diagnostic, therapeutic, preventative and health maintenance services. "We're excited to launch a program aimed at meeting critical healthcare needs of our state," said Terry Dale Cruse, MSU-Meridian administrative director and head of campus. "I'm extremely grateful for the support of our local medical centers, physicians, excellent faculty, and university leadership through this intensive process." |
| FARMtastic offers Lauderdale County children a hands-on look at agriculture | |
| Nina Hay stands in the Lauderdale County Agriculture Center, describing the difference between beef and dairy cattle to a group of curious young people, many of whom have never seen a farm animal in real life. "I like watching their faces light up," the 15-year old says. "They get so happy when they see all the farm animals." As a way to expose children to agriculture, the Mississippi State University Extension Service is holding an event called FARMtastic this week. The program is an agricultural experiential learning activity for students in the second, third and fourth grades. Shani Hay, an agent with the extension service and Nina Hay's mother, said that because Mississippi is an agricultural state, it's important for young people to learn about its role in our economy. Without agriculture, people would not have access to food, milk, or many other things, she said. Nina Hay, sees that disconnect, noting that some of the students she's met at the event think eggs and milk come from the grocery store, not from animals. "It just shows you how much they don't know about farms," she said. |
| Excessive rain delays planting | |
 | Rain has been a constant presence in the Delta in 2019, forcing farmers to adjust planting and harvesting schedules, sometimes having to replant crops altogether. Craig Hankins, an Extension agent in Mississippi State University's Extension Office in Bolivar County, said it represents an unfortunate trend. "Last couple of years it's been kind of hard getting field work and stuff done. Farmers are getting pushed back because of weather," Hankins said. For farmers in the Delta, the chance for relief is simply hoping that the harsh weather subsides. "We're in a little better shape than some of our guys south of us with the backwater flooding that's going on in the south Delta," Hankins said. "You've got your crop insurance and stuff like that, but that's stuff you don't want to be leaning on. Optimally, we'd have a pretty mild spring to be able to get things into the ground. |
| Mississippi governor leads trade trip to Uzbekistan | |
 | Mississippi Republican Gov. Phil Bryant is on a trade mission to the central Asian country of Uzbekistan. Bryant spokesman Bobby Morgan says the governor and others left Sunday and will return Saturday. The delegation includes Mississippi National Guard Adjutant Gen. Durr Boyles, Mississippi Development Authority director Glenn McCullough and others from state government and the private sector. In February, Mississippi State University established an agreement for research collaboration with Tashkent State Agrarian University in Uzbekistan. |
| Freds closing five more stores in Northeast Mississippi, including Starkville | |
 | In addition to announcements of store closings last month, Memphis-based discount chain Fred's will close another 104 stores by the end of June. A total of 18 locations in Mississippi will cease operations with the latest round of closings. This comes as Fred's seeks to "rationalize its store footprint." Northeast Mississippi locations that will close include: Amory, Corinth, Oxford, Starkville and the lone remaining location in Tupelo. In early April, Fred's said it was liquidating 159 stores, a process which should be finished by the end of this month. Thirty-one of the stores are in Mississippi, including seven in Northeast Mississippi (two in Tupelo, both locations in Columbus, as well as the stores in Holly Springs, Aberdeen and West Point. |
| Jim Hood has strong Jackson-area Dem support, but Robert Shuler Smith prosecutions concern some | |
| Attorney General Jim Hood might not have to win Hinds, the state's most populous county, to capture the Democratic nomination for governor, but doing so would make his path to victory much easier. Trying to stand in the way of that victory is Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith, who appears to be running as a foil to Hood and has accused Hood's office of committing "a modern day lynching" against him. Hood's office unsuccessfully tried Smith three times -- once in Rankin County for aggravated stalking stemming from a domestic incident involving his ex-girlfriend and twice in Hinds County for conspiracy to hinder prosecution. Those trials concluded in 2018. Earlier this year Smith shocked most observers by qualifying to run for governor instead of seeking re-election. Despite the AG's numerous criminal probes of a prominent Hinds County elected official, many members of the Hinds County Democratic legislative delegation contacted by Mississippi Today said they are supporting Hood, who has won four statewide races for attorney general. |
| Bill Waller, Jr. speaks to Republican women Thursday | |
 | Republican candidate for governor, Bill Waller, Jr., spoke to the Lauderdale County Republican Women Thursday in Meridian. The former Mississippi Supreme Court chief justice is one of three GOP candidates running for the post. Waller, a conservative who served more than two decades on the Supreme Court, talked about his campaign platform, ideas and beliefs. Those include healthcare reform, improving state infrastructure and strengthening education. "People from Lauderdale County should be able to teach school here with better pay as they get in Alabama. Finally roads and bridges. We have a real crisis in this state with our transportation system. We got bridges out, bridges posted, and roads needed repaired," said Waller. Waller will face Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and State Rep. Robert Foster in the Aug. 6 primary. |
| Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker to renew push for regs on self-driving vehicles | |
 | Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) announced Thursday that his panel plans to "deal with autonomous vehicles" during this Congress, and that he will specifically push for previously failed legislation that would create a federal framework for the safety and security of self-driving cars. "We are also going to deal with autonomous vehicles, the AV START Act, and the way we think about how people and goods are transported around the country," Wicker said during a speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "Congress got close on this last year ... we will see how far we get this time, there are wrinkles that need to be ironed out, but I think we can get there." The Mississippi Republican said his main motivation in pushing for the bill was the potential for self-driving cars to "save thousands of lives around the country" due to computer systems, and not humans, being in control. |
| Senate Republicans running away from Alabama abortion law | |
| Senate Republicans are scrambling to distance themselves from a harsh new Alabama law that bans nearly all abortions, even in cases of rape and incest, and carries a penalty of up to 99 years in prison for anyone performing the procedure. Most GOP senators are trying their best to steer clear of the firestorm, arguing it's a state-level issue that doesn't involve Congress. But the controversial law will undoubtedly stoke the abortion debate heading into the 2020 elections. Sen. Richard Shelby, Alabama's senior Republican senator, also distanced himself from his state's hard-line law. "I'm not down there," he said Thursday. "All I know is what I've read." Shelby instead expressed his support for the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for abortions except when the life of the mother is at risk or in cases of rape and incest. "I've always supported the Hyde Amendment," he said. When asked if that meant he supported exceptions in cases of rape and incest, Shelby gave an affirmative response. |
| President Trump Delays Tariffs On Auto Imports For 6 Months | |
 | The Trump administration will delay tariffs on cars and auto parts imports for six months while it negotiates trade deals with Japan and the European Union, the White House announced Friday. President Trump said that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has concluded "that the present quantities and circumstances of automobile and certain automobile parts imports threaten to impair" national security. Trump cited the same "Section 232" authority that he used to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum. The industry opposes the tariffs, which would raise costs for automakers and their suppliers. An industry analysis estimates hundreds of thousands of jobs would be lost -- and that's without factoring in retaliatory tariffs, NPR's Camila Domonoske reported. |
| Robots Take the Wheel as Autonomous Farm Machines Hit the Field | |
| Robots are taking over farms faster than anyone saw coming. The first fully autonomous farm equipment is becoming commercially available, which means machines will be able to completely take over a multitude of tasks. Tractors will drive with no farmer in the cab, and specialized equipment will be able to spray, plant, plow and weed cropland. And it's all happening well before many analysts had predicted thanks to small startups in Canada and Australia. While industry leaders Deere & Co. and CNH Industrial NV haven't said when they'll release similar offerings, Saskatchewan's Dot Technology Corp. has already sold some so-called power platforms for fully mechanized spring planting. In Australia, SwarmFarm Robotics is leasing weed-killing robots that can also do tasks like mow and spread. The companies say their machines are smaller and smarter than the gigantic machinery they aim to replace. |
| IHL Board begins formal search for new chancellor at U. of Mississippi | |
 | The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning has launched its search for a new chancellor. The board issued a call for nominations for members of the University of Mississippi Campus Search Advisory Committee as well as naming trustee Dr. Ford Dye of Oxford as the chair of the Board Search Committee. Trustee Hal Parker, President of the IHL Board of Trustees, named all trustees to the Board Search Committee for the University of Mississippi chancellor search in Jackson, according to a statement released by the university. Searching for a new chancellor usually takes about six months to a year from when the board is named, Caron Blanton, the director of communications for the IHL, said. After the board and committee members are named, there will be listening sessions on campus, as well as recruiting and interviewing candidates for the position, she said. Dr. Ford Dye was appointed to the IHL Board by Gov. Phil Bryant in 2012 to represent the Third (Northern) Supreme Court District for a term to expire in 2021. Dye is a board-certified otolaryngologist in practice in Oxford. |
| UM professor granted tenure after concern over past social media posts delays process | |
| James Thomas, a sociology professor with a history of controversial social media posts, was granted tenure by the IHL Board of Trustees on Thursday. Thomas's name was pulled from a list of 77 tenure approvals in Mississippi's eight public universities, and the decision to approve or deny his tenure was debated in a two-hour closed session. The board said in a statement that it considered "the candidate's effectiveness in interpersonal relationships" in its decision. The decision was made "with dissent," but "ultimately it was the recommendation of the professor's institution, the University of Mississippi, that carried the greatest weight in the majority of the Board's decision to grant tenure to the professor," according to a statement released by the board on Thursday. |
| Governing board at U. of Mississippi debates professor's tweets | |
 | Governing boards typically rubber-stamp tenure bids for professors whose colleagues and administrators have already recommended them for promotion. But the tenure bid of one University of Mississippi sociologist hung in the balance Thursday as the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning debated his record for two hours in a closed-door session. None of the other dozens of professors up for promotion triggered such a discussion. James M. Thomas, the sociologist, was ultimately granted tenure -- with dissent, the board said in an announcement. The public notice didn't refer to Thomas by name but made clear it was him in citing "recent concerns regarding certain statements by the professor on social media." The board said in its announcement that it examined whether "those statements were in keeping with the requirements for tenure" set by university policy. The board said it was also mindful of the university's Statement Concerning Academic Freedom. |
| USM hosts book exhibit honoring 50th anniversary of King Award | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi is celebrating the 50th anniversary of a prestigious children's book award by showcasing many of the award winners in a special exhibit. The gallery of the De Grummond Children's Literature Collection is hosting an exhibit of dozens of winners of the Coretta Scott King Award. It is presented annually by the American Library Association and it is named in honor of the widow of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The exhibit features books, as well as manuscripts and original artwork. "That award is unique in that it honors and awards an African-American artist, an African-American illustrator for all ages in children's literature, picture books, middle-grade books, young adult novels," said Ellen Ruffin, curator of the De Grummond Children's Literature Collection. |
| 'Blood Was Spilled On These Grounds': JSU Remembers Philip Gibbs and James Green | |
| James Green was a comedian who always kept everybody laughing. He worked hours after school to help support his mother and eight siblings, and he talked about going to the University of California, Los Angeles, once he graduated from Jim Hill High School in Jackson. "Out of all my mother's kids, she said he was the best child, as far as more disciplined, honorable," Gloria Green-McCray told the Jackson Free Press on Wednesday as she described who he was. "He was just a wonderful brother, wonderful son. They just don't make them like that anymore." Unfortunately, Green never got to attend UCLA, or for that matter, graduate from high school, as a stray bullet cut his life short. On May 14, 1970, city and state police surrounded a group of students outside Alexander Hall, a women's dormitory on the Jackson State University campus, after reports that some of them were pelting rocks at traffic and starting fires. Mississippi Highway Patrol cars joined 75 Jackson Police Department units. Tensions escalated, and just minutes after midnight, police advanced toward the dormitory building and opened fire, injuring 12 students and killing two others: James Green and Philip Gibbs. |
| Business brief: Rhoades named director of Eudora Welty House and Garden | |
| Mississippi University for Women student Lauren Rhoades has been named the new director of the Eudora Welty House and Garden in Jackson. She previously served as the public assistance specialist at the Welty House. Rhoades earned bachelor of arts degrees in English literature, Spanish, and political science from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is currently working on her MFA in creative writing at MUW. |
| Man shot and killed near Millsaps College in Jackson, police say | |
 | A man who was shot multiple times near Millsaps College in Jackson has died, according to the Jackson Police Department. Police said the shooting happened just before 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the 300 block of Millsaps Avenue, less than a block away from the college's campus. The victim, who has not yet been publicly identified, reportedly struggled with another man inside his home just before the shooting, police said. The investigation is ongoing. |
| U. of Alabama gets $1.4M grant to boost business development | |
 | The Alabama Power Foundation has awarded the University of Alabama a $1.4 million grant to support innovation, entrepreneurship, small-business growth and talent retention in the state. "Through this partnership between the Alabama Power Foundation and the University of Alabama, UA will continue impacting business development and growth opportunities that benefit all Alabamians," said UA President Stuart R. Bell. The university will use the gift to establish the Alabama Power Endowed Innovation and Talent Retention Fund, which will be used to business innovation and entrepreneurship programs and resources, such as the Edge incubator and business accelerator, the Cube technology labs, and the Bama Technology Incubator. The fund will be managed through UA's Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development. |
| Army Futures Command hosts autonomous vehicle demonstrations at Texas A&M's RELLIS | |
 | As part of ongoing efforts to modernize its operations, tactics and technologies, the United States Army's Austin-based Futures Command is holding demonstrations of existing technology and equipment this week at the Texas A&M University System's RELLIS Campus. Six weapons and defense industry vendors showcased seven autonomous combat vehicles Thursday morning. Numerous Army officials and area media members watched from the top of a hill as the vehicles took on a muddy course with twists, turns, a mud pit and a rock pile. On his visit to the Texas A&M University campus last week, Army Secretary Mark T. Esper called Army Futures Command, announced on July 13, the "most significant reorganization effort since 1973." Col. Patrick Seiber, communications director for Army Futures Command, described the demonstrations as the Army's "first swing of the bat" in looking at what vendors have to offer in terms of robotic and other autonomous or semiautonomous vehicles. |
| U. of Missouri graduate reflects on her father's sacrifice | |
 | When Natalie Kukulka receives her medical doctor degree on Saturday, it will be her father who places the symbolic hood on her shoulders. Her dad, Peter Kukulka, isn't on the University of Missouri faculty. He's a plumber in the Chicago area. In Poland he was a doctor. Natalie Kukulka will be one of 94 graduates receiving degrees from the MU School of Medicine and one of 5,411 students on campus receiving degrees this weekend. Commencement ceremonies begin Friday and continue through Sunday. The biggest commencement is for the College of Arts and Science at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Mizzou Arena. Virginia U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, a 2016 Democratic vice presidential candidate and 1979 MU alumnus, will deliver that commencement address. "My father is an incredibly humble and hardworking individual who has sacrificed his passion and medical profession for his family," Natalie Kukulka wrote in her letter. "If possible, I would like to honor him as my father, the doctor, who has inspired me to be a physician and has enabled me to get where I am today. It is because of his sacrifice that my whole life has been made possible and it is because of him that I strive for excellence." |
| U.S. lawmakers want to tighten visas for Chinese students, researchers | |
| A group of President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress introduced legislation on Tuesday intended to prohibit anyone employed or sponsored by the Chinese military from receiving student or research visas to the United States. The bill would require the U.S. government to create a list of scientific and engineering institutions affiliated with the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and prohibit anyone employed or sponsored by those institutions from receiving the visas. It also comes as some U.S. officials have expressed concern about the possibility of the theft of intellectual property or even espionage by Chinese nationals at U.S. universities and other institutions. Many U.S. and university officials also warn about overreacting, however, arguing it is important to acknowledge the important role Chinese scholars and students play at U.S. institutions while being aware of security risks. |
| College Board will add adversity score for everyone taking the SAT | |
| The College Board has for several years been testing an "adversity index" designed to place students' SAT scores in the context of their socioeconomic advantages or disadvantages. The system has been used by about 50 colleges and universities. On Thursday, the College Board said it would be expanded to about 150 colleges later this year and be made available to all colleges in 2020. The SAT has been criticized for years because wealthy students earn higher scores, on average, than do those who are middle class, who in turn earn higher scores, on average, than do those who are from low-income families. In the United States, a disproportionate share of low-income families -- generally without access to the best public schools -- are black or Latinx. These patterns have been cited by the growing number of colleges that have dropped requirements that all applicants submit SAT or ACT scores. And many admissions experts expect that number to grow if the current lawsuit against Harvard University's affirmative action policies leads to new legal limits on the right of colleges to consider race in admissions. |
| Alabama facing prison crisis. We're next. | |
| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: The federal Department of Justice (DOJ) just released a scathing report on Alabama's prisons. The same could be said of Mississippi's prisons. The Alabama governor and legislature are taking rapid action to deal with their prison crisis to avoid a federal takeover. ... News stories on this year's Alabama legislative session rated prison conditions as the number one issue to be addressed. Meanwhile, here in Mississippi, prison conditions didn't even make the bottom of the list in legislative priorities. A big factor explaining this discrepancy involves two federal judges: Alabama district judge Myron Thompson and Mississippi district judge William Barbour. |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs blow out South Carolina, 24-7 | |
| A 24-7 score is usually more befitting for a Southeastern Conference football game but that sport is still a few months away from kicking off. Instead it was No. 5 Mississippi State baseball team that defeated South Carolina by that margin on Thursday night to open the final series of the regular season. The Bulldogs fell behind 2-0 but scored 16 unanswered runs between the third, fourth and fifth innings. "Being able to separate that game was huge," said MSU coach Chris Lemonis. "(South Carolina) is down on some arms over there so it gets to a point where you have to decide are we going to pitch for today or for tomorrow? I think that's a little bit of what happened so we were able to get going." It was the most runs the Diamond Dogs have scored in SEC play since plating 25 at Vanderbilt on April 6, 1997. Game 2 is scheduled for a 6:30 start tonight with freshman right-hander JT Ginn (8-3, 3.13 ERA) going for Mississippi State and junior righty Reid Morgan (4-5, 3.79) taking the mound for the Gamecocks. |
| 'A hit party': Mississippi State baseball blasts South Carolina | |
| Thursday night, Mississippi State showed exactly why it is a virtual lock to host a regional and a super regional at Dudy Noble Field in a few weeks. Effective pitching. Relentless hitting. Rinse, repeat. Especially the relentless hitting. The No. 5 Bulldogs (44-10, 19-9 SEC) looked every bit like a national seed in their 24-7 win over South Carolina (27-26, 7-21 SEC) in the opening game of their final SEC series of the season. South Carolina is a struggling squad, but scoring 24 runs and recording 22 hits against any SEC team is never a bad thing. Those figures are both season-highs for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs hadn't scored 21 or more runs in an SEC game since 1997. "It's awesome when everyone is going up there confident," freshman infielder Landon Jordan said. "I told Jake Mangum, 'It's a hit party.' He said, 'You need to save some for me. I only have one night.'" Mississippi State didn't need the SEC's hit king to have any more than than to have its best offensive performance of the year. The batting order produced four home runs which was, yes, a season-high. |
| Mississippi State drops 24 runs on Gamecocks in series-opening smackdown | |
 | In desperate need of a strong showing over its next three games against No. 5 Mississippi State, South Carolina baseball got the opposite of that Thursday night, dropping its series opener 24-7. The 17-run margin of defeat and 22 hits allowed are both season-worst marks for the Gamecocks (27-26, 7-21 SEC), exceeding a 22-11 loss to Vanderbilt two weeks ago. And it came after they led 2-0 after two and a half innings at Dudy-Noble Field --- MSU scored 16 unanswered runs at one point. "What I told them after the game was, as bad as this was and as ugly as it is, it still only counts as one against you," coach Mark Kingston said. "They don't get extra credit for how many runs they scored, so it's one that didn't go our way." The loss does not drop South Carolina out of a tie with Alabama and Kentucky for 12th place in the conference -- only one will exit their final series with a spot in Hoover and the SEC tournament. Alabama lost its series opener to Georgia, and Kentucky lost to Vanderbilt. Read more here: https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-baseball/article230427474.html#storylink=cpy |
| Egg Bowl hot topic at Road Dawgs Tour | |
| In a lot of ways, Joe Moorhead could have done no wrong in his first season as head football coach at Mississippi State as long as he brought the Egg Bowl trophy back to Starkville. As it turns out, Moorhead did a lot of right in that first season and still brought the Egg Bowl trophy back to Starkville. Yesterday, Coach Moorhead took the coveted hardware south to Biloxi for the tenth annual Road Dawgs Tour at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino. Anyone that says it's "just one game" doesn't know college football in the Magnolia State where thanksgiving is a meal that comes second to a brawl at the end of the third quarter. All that for the Egg Bowl trophy which belongs to the Bulldogs for another six months minimum much to the delight of Coach Moorhead and all those that came before him. "It means everything. For such a great rivalry where there's a ton of passion and familiarity between the fan bases, for us to win that game up in Oxford and bring that thing home to Starkville, I know there's a lot of people happy about it starting with President Keenum so always good to keep him happy." |
| Mississippi wildlife commission passes new deer regulations due to CWD | |
| New deer hunting regulations, designed to keep chronic wasting disease in check, were adopted this month by the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. In the coming season, hunters will be able to harvest more antlerless deer, have more antlerless hunting opportunities on public lands and harvest yearling bucks. Plans for the operation of Phil Bryant Wildlife management area also were approved. Acquired in 2018 and originally named Steele Bayou WMA, the 18,000-acre tract in Issaquena and Warren counties will be different from all other public land in the state. The WMA will be broken into four units named after hunting camps that once existed on the land; Backwoods, Buck Bayou, Ten Point and Goose Lake. Each unit will offer a unique experience and hunters will be permitted to hunt through drawings. |
| Southern Miss stumbles against UAB, 3-2 | |
| With a Conference USA regular-season championship on the line and postseason positioning at stake this weekend, the University of Southern Mississippi bumbled and stumbled its way Thursday night to a 3-2 loss in 10 innings to the University of Alabama-Birmingham. UAB second baseman Tyler Tolbert slipped a two-out single into center field on a full count, pushing across the Blazers' second unearned run of the game for the go-ahead score. USM threatened in the bottom of the inning, with pinch runner Fred Franklin reaching third base with two outs. But UAB's Jess Davis tracked down a fly ball by Hunter Slater at the warning track in left-center field. UAB (26-28, 11-17) came into Hattiesburg in last place in the C-USA standings, but the Blazers still had a mathematical path into next week's postseason tournament. The teams will play game two of the three game series at 6 p.m. Friday. |
| Ole Miss baseball's losing streak continues as Rebels are shut out at Tennessee | |
| The Ole Miss offense had no answer for Tennessee pitcher Garrett Stallings on Thursday night and the Rebels dropped their fifth-straight game. Ole Miss lost the first game of its three-game series at Tennessee on Thursday night, losing 7-0 to fall to 32-22 on the season and 15-13 in SEC play. The loss was Ole Miss' fourth straight SEC loss after being swept by Mississippi State last weekend. Stallings dominated Ole Miss' batters, throwing a complete game shutout while allowing just four hits and striking out seven batters. Through the first seven innings of the game, the only Ole Miss player who had a hit against Stallings was designated hitter Cole Zabowski, who was 2-for-3. Rebels shortstop Grae Kessinger went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, marking the first SEC game this season where Kessinger did not reach base. Ole Miss will return to action on Friday night at 5:30 p.m. for Game 2 against Tennessee in an attempt to end its losing streak. |
| Arkansas tops Texas A&M in opener, inches closer to title | |
| Arkansas took another step toward a regular-season championship Thursday night. The No. 4 Razorbacks hit five home runs and defeated No. 19 Texas A&M 7-3 in the opening game of the three-game series at Blue Bell Park. Arkansas (40-13, 20-8 SEC) maintained a one-game lead over Mississippi State in the SEC West standings. The Bulldogs defeated South Carolina 24-7 on Thursday. The Razorbacks can clinch a share of the division Friday with a win or a Mississippi State loss. Arkansas remains one game behind Vanderbilt in the SEC race. The No. 2 Commodores defeated Kentucky 16-10 on Thursday by scoring seven runs in the final two innings following a lengthy rain delay. Arkansas starter Isaiah Campbell allowed 2 runs - 1 earned - in 6 innings to earn his 10th win in 14 starts. Campbell, who was named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award on Wednesday, struck out 6 batters. |
| No. 19 Texas A&M baseball team drops series opener to No. 4 Arkansas | |
| Against one of the best offenses the Southeastern Conference has to offer, freshman starter Chris Weber proved why Texas A&M head baseball coach Rob Childress handed him the ball for his first conference start by setting a career high in strikeouts with 10. But it was three mistakes resulting in three home runs that ultimately sunk the No. 19 Aggies in a 7-3 loss to No. 4 Arkansas on Thursday at Blue Bell Park. "I couldn't be more proud of him and the job that he did tonight when we needed it most," Childress said. Weber (4-1) filled the rotation void left by sophomore Asa Lacy, who is serving a four-game suspension after an ejection during the second game of the Alabama series. All seven Razorback (40-13, 20-8) runs came from home runs, including three off pitches from Weber. Arkansas entered Thursday's series opener ranked 12th in the nation in home runs. |
| Saul Garza sparks 4-run inning, leads LSU baseball to series-opening win over Auburn | |
 | Catcher Saul Garza's legs churned as he rounded third base Thursday night. Garza had singled with two outs. Now he barreled toward home plate as LSU third-base coach Nolan Cain frantically waved his arms. Run home, the motion told Garza. Run home. "I don't have the best wheels on the team," Garza said, "so when he gave me that sign to go, I tried to take advantage of it." An errant throw from left field didn't come close as Garza -- 6-foot-3 and 229 pounds -- slid head-first, tying Auburn at Alex Box Stadium. "Belly flop," Garza said. "But I touched home plate." Garza had sparked a four-run inning, and LSU won 7-1. He scored LSU's first run, and his single began a flurry of hits. With two outs in the third inning, the Tigers hit five straight singles to take the lead. With the win, LSU (33-21, 16-12 Southeastern Conference) moved into sole possession of fifth place in the conference. LSU began the day in a tie with Ole Miss, which lost at Tennessee. |
| Auburn falls to LSU in series opener | |
 | Auburn fell to No. 20 LSU, 7-1, in the series opener at Alex Box Stadium Thursday night. The Tigers (31-22, 13-15 SEC) jumped out to a lead on a run in the top of the second, but LSU (33-21, 16-12 SEC) scored seven unanswered runs en route to the win. "The second time through the lineup, they sent all the guys to the plate," head coach Butch Thompson said on the Auburn Sports Network. "Disadvantaged counts, and they were never off the fastball. We just couldn't do much." Elliott Anderson (5-2, 4.13) suffered the loss in his second career start while LSU's Eric Walker (5-4, 4.86) picked up the win and Todd Peterson earned the save. |
| UGA notches 40-win regular season, down Tide in opener | |
 | Georgia's ascendant baseball program reached a milestone Thursday night for the first time in 18 years: a 40-win regular season. Hard-throwing freshman right-hander Cole Wilcox notched his third victory of the season and the No. 7 Bulldogs sprayed 15 hits around Foley Field---their most this year in an SEC game -- en route to a 9-4 decision over Alabama before a crowd of 3,006. This year's team joined the 1990 national champions and the 2001 SEC champions that reached the College World Series to win 40 regular season games. "That's pretty special," coach Scott Stricklin said. "It wasn't necessarily a goal but getting 40 wins is kind of a benchmark in college baseball. For these guys to get that done, it's pretty cool." Georgia (40-14, 19-9 SEC) locked up a top four seed at the SEC tournament. It will have a bye and open play on Wednesday in Hoover, Ala. More importantly, they can move closer to sewing up a top eight national seed and the right to host an NCAA regional and Super Regional if they advance. |
| Tempers flare as No. 21 Mizzou drops series opener | |
| Emotions were running high Thursday night for the No. 21 Missouri baseball team. The stakes have never been higher all year, as the Tigers entered their regular season series finale against Florida needing at least two victories to feel confident about earning the team's first NCAA Regional appearance since 2012. The series opener saw a benches-clearing skirmish, a wild pitch yielding the eventual winning run from second base, a failure by Missouri to ignite its offense against the statistically worst pitching staff in the Southeastern Conference and the largest Taylor Stadium crowd of the season with 2,310 fans. After its 5-4 loss to the Gators, Missouri has its work cut out for it the next two days. "We have to be more aggressive," Missouri coach Steve Bieser said. "Offensively, whenever we get a strike in the zone, we need to let it fly and trust our preparation will be good enough." The loss was just the Tigers' fourth at home this season in 25 games and their 10th straight defeat at the hands of the Gators. |
| Florida fights through for 5-4 win at Missouri | |
| Let's face it. Florida needs to go on a nice winning streak in order to receive an invitation to the NCAA baseball tournament. Thursday's 5-4 win at No. 24 Missouri is a good start. Florida (31-23, 11-17 SEC) edged Missouri (34-19-1, 13-14-1) to open the final regular-season series of the season. It's Florida's 10th consecutive win over Missouri. "We fought tonight," UF coach Kevin O'Sullivan said. "We haven't had a whole lot of success on the road in the league this year, and this was hopefully a step in the right direction in the development of some of our younger guys. This is one of the better Missouri teams that they've had over the last few years. This team needed something good to happen and this was one we needed to pull out. It would have been deflating to lose this ballgame, and say 'Here we go again.' The same thing that's happened throughout the year. They battled and they fought." |
| Naz Reid: 'There was no deal' that brought him to LSU | |
 | For the first time since news broke about an alleged $300,000 deal that brought him to LSU, Naz Reid spoke to the media on Thursday afternoon at the NBA Combine. At the NCAA corruption trial in late April, a video was aired showing then-Arizona assistant coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson discussing a conversation he had with LSU coach Will Wade about a deal Wade had in place to get Reid. On Thursday, Reid denied the deal. "In the basketball world, people are going to say anything," Reid said. "It is what it is. If you know the truth, you know the truth. I'm not gonna let that phase me... I know the truth. It just is what it is." And when asked to clarify what the truth was, Reid said simply, "It didn't happen. There was no deal." Reid was then asked if there were any types of financial offers from any coaches during the recruiting process. "Honestly, there wasn't," Reid said. |
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