| Tuesday, March 11, 2025 |
| MSU breaks ground on seafood testing facility | |
 | Mississippi State University officially broke ground March 10 on the Northern Gulf Aquatic Food Research Center, a first-of-its kind facility in Mississippi dedicated to aquatic food safety, quality assessment, processing and product development. The ceremony, hosted by the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation, or JCEDF, recognized more than five years of collaborative work with MSU on the multimillion-dollar facility. Construction of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, or MAFES, research center is a combined investment of $3 million from the federal RESTORE Act and $865,000 from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, or GOMESA, as well as $4 million from the state to cover fixed equipment including walk-in coolers and freezers and fume hoods for the laboratory. "Mississippi State University is uniquely charged with serving the entire state of Mississippi, and we are very proud of the work we are doing on the Coast," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. "We are grateful for the investments and the outstanding partners who have made the Northern Gulf Aquatic Food Research Center possible. It's a great example of what we can accomplish by working together to sustain and grow economic opportunities in our state and nation while being good stewards of our abundant natural resources." |
| Groundbreaking held for new MSU Northern Gulf Aquatic Seafood Lab in Jackson County | |
 | A groundbreaking was held Monday morning for Mississippi State University's new Northern Gulf Aquatic Seafood Lab in Jackson County. It is a first-of-its-kind facility that will focus on aquatic food safety, quality assessment, and processing and product development. The new facility will be the first of three planned structures. It will house a biosafety laboratory for testing pathogens and toxins and an analytical chemistry lab for measuring chemical residues in water and aquatic food products. "A major limiting factor for aquatic foods safety testing here in Mississippi is that no such facility is available, so our local processors have to send samples as far away as Galveston, Texas," said James Henderson, professor and center head of MSU's Coastal Research and Extension Center, in a statement. "This new facility will allow us to expedite that process." Officials from the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation (JCEDF), Jackson County Board of Supervisors, Jackson County Port Authority, and Mississippi State participated in the ceremony located at Sunplex Light Industrial Complex on Highway 57 in Ocean Springs. |
| Ground broken on Mississippi State's seafood testing lab | |
| A groundbreaking was held Monday for Mississippi State University's Northern Gulf Aquatic Science Lab, a first-of-its-kind facility that will focus on aquatic food safety, quality assessment, and processing and product development. According to a press release from the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation, the investment to bring another academic lab to the area is part of JCEDF's "Industry 4.0" plan, which is focused on research and development as a driver of economic growth. "We believe in creating relationships with our partners, going beyond recruiting to work together to ensure long-term success," JCEDF Deputy Director Mary Matha Henson said. "Working with a flagship university like Mississippi State will continue to give Jackson County opportunities to diversify our economy and bring in high-skilled, high-paying jobs to support an industry that is an economic driver and an integral part of the Gulf Coast's fabric." With a statewide seafood industry that contributes more than $300 million to the economy, the Northern Gulf Aquatic Science Lab is expected to meet a critical need in testing seafood safety and paving the way for future innovation through research. |
| Mississippi State breaks ground on seafood testing facility | |
 | Mississippi State University (MSU) officially broke ground on Monday on the Northern Gulf Aquatic Food Research Center. The facility will be dedicated to aquatic food safety, quality assessment, processing and product development. The ceremony, hosted by the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation (JCEDF), recognized more than five years of collaborative work with MSU on the multimillion-dollar facility. Construction of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) research center is a combined investment of $3 million from the federal RESTORE Act and $865,000 from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, or GOMESA, as well as $4 million from the state to cover fixed equipment including walk-in coolers and freezers and fume hoods for the laboratory. Officials said the new research center will help Mississippi meet a critical need for one of its largest industries. It also will help the state's catfish producers, who manage 29,900 freshwater pond acres, with a total production value of $214 million in 2024. |
| Mississippi State University breaks ground on aquatic seafood lab in Jackson County | |
 | Video: The new research center will help Mississippi meet a critical need for one of its largest industries. |
| MSU state-of-the-art wind lab marks new era in national drone testing | |
 | A new wind-simulation system operating within a Mississippi State laboratory now enables researchers to measure gusts, turbulence and other environmental factors impacting drone flight safety. Installation of the state-of-the-art system further cements MSU's Raspet Flight Research Laboratory as a national leader in the research and development of uncrewed aircraft systems, or UAS, paving the way for safer, more efficient weather-resilient drone operations. "The WindShape system significantly enhances our ability to test and refine aircraft technologies under realistic wind conditions, helping to ensure the safety and reliability of future UAS missions," said Bryan Farrell, Raspet's interim director. Developed by Swiss-based WindShape Ltd., the system's 12-by-12 wind wall features nearly 1,300 individually controlled fans, enabling researchers to simulate various wind patterns with high precision. The system integrates with Raspet's OptiTrack system, allowing precise measurements of wind patterns and effects on aircraft. The project was made possible through a $1 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, secured with support from MSU's Office of Research and Economic Development and U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. |
| Price risk management paramount for cattle producers | |
| A livestock economist says now is a good time for cattle producers to explore risk management options. Josh Maples with Mississippi State University says, "I think it'll help you sleep better." He producers saw wide swings in some futures prices last week. "That May feeder cattle contract was trading near $265 at one point on Tuesday, and then by Friday, it was trading up near $279," he says. "That's a $14.00 swing in four days." Maples tells Brownfield risk management is necessary even when prices are higher. "If you're caught selling at a time when you're at the wrong end of a swing, then then you're leaving money on the table," he says. Maples says the back-and-forth announcements on tariffs are contributing to market volatility and wide price swings. "It's not just tariffs on cattle or beef or products like that," he says. "It's also tariffs on all the other things that then tie into our cattle and hog markets as well." |
| Choctaw Chief Ben tours MSU-Meridian, meets with students | |
 | Mississippi State University-Meridian celebrated its close-knit relationship with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Thursday with a campus visit by Chief Cyrus Ben. Ben, who is in his second term as tribal chief, met with MSU faculty, staff and students and toured the Rosenbaum Health Science Building and Riley Center. Initiated by faculty and students in the social work program, he spoke to students across multiple programs. Throughout his remarks, he commented on the importance of community and policy from a tribal perspective and participated in a question-and-answer session with his audience. "Chief Ben is a strong, compassionate leader who cares deeply about the Choctaw people, and it's extremely important to have our partners on campus to show our ongoing commitment to excellence in teaching, research and service," said David Buys, interim MSU-Meridian head of campus. "We discussed the strengths of our relationship and the opportunities we have to work together now and in the future, including exposing tribal youth to what we offer in terms of career possibilities in the health sciences and social work domains." |
| Community Profile: Bringing the world home | |
| When Joan Mylroie's mother immigrated to the United States from Norway at 9 years old, she was made fun of because she didn't speak English. But her family's choice and others of her own have given Mylroie a life full of adventure -- visiting 40 countries, contributing to scientific advancements, raising three children and developing a unique global perspective. "We're all the same," Mylroie said. "I don't care where you're from. We're all the same." It's no wonder that Mylroie has helped plan the International Fiesta at Mississippi State University since she started instructing there. The event is slated to return April 5 to the Drill Field for its 33rd year. "We're a global community, and it's nice for everyone to get to know each other," Myrloie said. "And you know, you have people walking up to these booths and saying, 'I've got a question about your country.'" Joan has always loved being a part of the festival since the beginning, she said, as a family friendly event that shares the university's global communities. The event includes a parade of 125 countries' flags, booths displaying different countries' cultures, international foods and costumes, about 30 performers and musical acts, and inflatables and face painting for children. |
| Road work happening during Spring Break in Starkville | |
 | Road work is happening in Starkville. The city said improvements are happening on East Lee Boulevard between Old Mayhew Road and Harned Road. Work started today, March 10, and is expected to continue through Wednesday, March 12. This is all happening during spring break for local schools and MSU. Drivers should expect minor traffic delays. People are also being asked to move parked cars off the street until the road work is complete. Crews will also be working on South Montgomery Street Tuesday, March 11. |
| Brood XIV cicadas will buzz in 13 states this summer: Will they emerge in Mississippi? | |
 | Millions of cicadas from Brood XIV are expected to emerge this spring after spending 17 years underground. Will we hear them in Mississippi? The songs of cicadas are an iconic part of summer in the Deep South. Looking ahead, the state should expect some massive broods in the next few years. Can the Magnolia State expect a heavy hatch this year? The short answer is no, but you'll likely hear plenty of others singing this summer and even more in coming years. "We should not expect to see Brood XIV in Mississippi," said Santos Portugal, Mississippi State University assistant extension professor of urban entomology. "This is a 17-year brood and will likely occur north of our state." Mississippi doesn't have 17-year cicadas, which are classified as periodical, but it has many others. There are three broods of 13-year cicadas in the U.S. and Mississippi has all three of them. The 2024 cicada hatch was historic, but for Mississippi, there's a bigger one on the horizon. According to MSU, there will be a periodic hatch in seven extreme southwest counties in 2027. That's Brood XXII. However, in 2028 a large portion of Mississippi, including Jackson and Central Mississippi, will experience a major hatch. Brood XXIII is expected to hatch in 2028 in 40 counties from Southwest Mississippi all the way to the northernmost counties of the state. |
| Friday afternoon gunshots lead to felony arrest | |
| Starkville police arrested a Texas man Friday after he started shooting a firearm within the city limits. Officers were dispatched to Tomlinson Drive to the report of gunshots March 7 at 1:20 p.m. Upon arrival, the responding officers set up a perimeter around the residence. Julian Monsibias-Perches, 25, Del Rio, Texas, walked out of the residence and surrendered to law enforcement without incident. No injuries were reported. Monsibias-Perches was transported to the Oktibbeha County Jail and charged with possession of a weapon by a felon and discharging a firearm in the city limits. He is on parole in Texas. |
| A new storm could spawn tornadoes in the South and whip up a blizzard in northern states | |
 | A potent storm system is expected to pour heavy rain on western states later this week before rumbling into the central United States, where it could spawn tornadoes in the South and dump heavy snow across the parts of the Great Plains and Upper Midwest, creating blizzard conditions. The ominous forecast comes as temperatures hit record highs in parts of the central U.S. after an active few days of weather across the nation. As the system moves east, a regional outbreak of severe thunderstorms is expected over large parts of several southern states beginning Friday and continuing into Saturday, according to the latest forecasts from the federal Storm Prediction Center. That means a variety of severe weather hazards, from thunderstorms to so-called supercells that can spawn destructive tornadoes. The worst weather could strike parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee on Friday, then move into Alabama by Saturday, though it was too early to say which areas could be hardest hit. |
| Many Americans expect their financial situation to deteriorate this year | |
| People are getting more pessimistic about their own financial outlook for the year ahead, according to the latest Survey of Consumer Expectations from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. More than a quarter of households surveyed are expecting their financial situation to deteriorate considerably in the coming year. A growing number expect to be spending more and believe it will get increasingly hard to access credit. Fewer Americans say they're likely to quit their job voluntarily this year, partly because they expect unemployment to rise. This latest survey from the New York Fed shows people are increasingly concerned about their own financial futures. Vicki Bogan, a professor of public policy at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, said that is worth watching. Because if people are worried about their own bills and job prospects? "They're less likely to spend ... they're more likely to save money. When they're reducing their spending and saving more, what is it going to do? It's going to reduce the demand for goods and services. When consumers reduce their demand for goods and services, business sales are going to decline," she said. |
| Wall Street Fears Trump Will Wreck the Soft Landing | |
 | For the past year, U.S. economic policymakers have been singularly focused on achieving a so-called soft landing that brings inflation down without a recession. Now, a new team of pilots are considering a course correction that, by their own acknowledgment, might tip the economy toward a hard landing. President Trump and his senior advisers in recent days have signaled indifference to rising risks that trade uncertainty chills private-sector investment. They have argued a "detox" might be needed in spending and hiring, that falling stock values aren't a big worry, and that inflation could rise in the short run. The administration has taken Washington and Wall Street by surprise in recent weeks with a double-barreled blitz to slash the federal workforce and to threaten huge tariffs on its largest trading partners. Trump has already imposed large tariff increases on China, hitting a range of goods such as consumer electronics and apparel that received exemptions six years ago. Risks abound. For example, efforts to shrink the federal workforce without a sustained rise in joblessness could rely on the private sector to absorb those workers. But are private-sector businesses prepared to do so when they don't know by what magnitude tariffs on goods and materials that they import are set to rise? |
| Former Mississippi governor Haley Barbour advocates for tax cuts as Legislature mulls proposals | |
 | Former Republican Gov. Haley Barbour on Monday opined on two of this legislative session's recent controversies: Tax cuts and now-failed efforts to push for a Jackson casino project. On Monday, Barbour told a group of reporters and others at Hal and Mal's in Downtown Jackson during a Capitol Press Corps luncheon that when it comes to tax cuts, a top issue this session, he thinks the idea has certainly benefited other states' economies, pointing to several income-tax-cut eliminations. "Florida, Texas and Tennessee have no individual income tax, and they are three of the fastest growing economies in the South, (and) in the country," Barbour said. "There's no doubt in my mind that it would help our economy if there wasn't an individual income tax." However, Barbour also said if lawmakers are to cut the income tax, they should consider the endeavor's cost and possibly weigh whether to cut the state's grocery sales tax, which is being pushed in both the Senate and House. "We have to figure out how to pay for it," Barbour said. |
| Former Gov. Haley Barbour on Republican politics, tariffs and the role of FEMA in Katrina recovery | |
 | A former Republican party operative who worked campaigns under both the Nixon and Reagan administrations, Haley Barbour's ascension to Mississippi's highest elected office in 2003 was a threshold moment in the state's politics. In defeating incumbent Ronnie Musgrove, Barbour became only the second Republican elected Governor of Mississippi since Reconstruction, and signaled the beginning of the state's shift toward Republican dominance in the legislature, statewide elected offices and in Congress. At the Stennis Capitol Press Forum on Monday, the former Governor reflected on the decades-long process of achieving that dominance, which he described as "evolutionary" and, at times, arduous. "We could win in federal offices, and we couldn't win in state and local offices. And even though most Mississippians agree with the Republicans on national offices, most Mississippians were comfortable having Democrat elected officials who they knew and who they felt comfortable with," said Barbour before a large crowd in downtown Jackson. But Barbour also spoke of the changing politics of the Republican National Committee, which he chaired from 1993 to 1997, and specifically on the topic of a flurry of tariffs and last-minute adjustments implemented by the Trump administration, triggering concerns of a looming economic recession and sharp drops on Wall Street. |
| Former Gov. Haley Barbour discusses tariff concerns and FEMA's role | |
| Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour believes concerns over President Donald Trump's tariff threats will eventually calm down, despite current economic unease. "Tariffs ought to be reciprocal," Barbour said. Barbour spoke at the Stennis Institute Press Forum on Monday, addressing the fluctuating stock markets and the potential long-term impact of the Trump administration's tariff talks. "I think the likelihood is that a lot of these things will be worked out in a relatively short period of time, but there is no doubt in my mind that a tariff is a form of taxation," Barbour said. Barbour acknowledged that the tariff discussions could affect the cost of living in the future. The former head of the National Republican Party also commented on the Trump administration's suggestion to dismantle the federal Department of Education and FEMA. "We probably did more with FEMA than any other state in history because of Katrina," Barbour said. Barbour compared the federal response to Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi to the recent response in the Carolinas, noting that while FEMA made mistakes, they ultimately succeeded with congressional help. |
| These states are the most dependent on federal revenue | |
 | Four southern states rank in the top five nationally for their dependence on federal dollars, according to a new report. And a very northern state, Alaska, is the most "federally dependent" in the union, according to WalletHub. Southern states rank second through fifth: Kentucky, West Virginia, Mississippi and South Carolina. WalletHub compiled the ranking "just to point out that not all states are equal when it comes to federal funding," said Chip Lupo, a writer and analyst at the personal finance site. The report has currency in light of the Trump administration's recent efforts to freeze federal funding to programs that do not align with the Republican agenda. Meanwhile, Congressional budget resolutions call for massive cuts in federal funding, potentially forcing states to make "incredibly hard decisions" about Medicaid and other programs, according to a report from the left-leaning Center for Law and Social Policy. Federal funding makes up 45% of state revenue in Mississippi. The state reaps $2.34 in federal funds for every dollar paid in federal taxes. In political terms, WalletHub found that red states are more federally dependent than blue states. The average Republican-leaning state ranks 21 among the 50 states, while the average Democrat-leaning state ranks 32. |
| Are House leaders rubber stamping some bills without apparent committee support? Legislative recap | |
| "Noooo!" the vast majority of House State Affairs Committee members shouted for voice votes on two controversial bills aimed at overhauling the state employee retirement system last week. Despite what sounded like no more than one or two of the 11 members present saying "Yes," Committee Chairman Hank Zuber, R-Ocean Springs, ruled each time that the yeses had it. The bills were moved forward. He ignored pleas from several members, including his committee Vice Chairman Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, calling for real vote counts. A similar "vote" transpired in the House Education Committee recently, with members' pleas to Chairman Rob Roberson, R-Starkville, for a real vote count being ignored on a hot-potato bill and a voice vote sounding uncertain. This has drawn criticism from some lawmakers and advocates and renewed questions of whether committee hearings and votes are just to rubber stamp what legislation the GOP leadership has decided it wants to move forward. In recent years, particularly in the House, publicly held committee hearings and votes have become pro forma. Real decisions appear to be hashed out, and straw polled, in closed door Republican Caucus meetings. |
| Advocates rally for legislation aimed at providing better care for rape victims that died in Senate | |
| There was outrage at the Mississippi Capitol on Monday when a group of elected officials, law enforcement officers, and advocates for sexual assault survivors gathered to urge lawmakers to revive a House bill that provides better care for rape victims. The bill, HB 928, would have required hospitals with an emergency room to have medical personnel on duty and able to collect evidence for rape kits during each shift. No hospital, the measure reads, could turn away or refuse to treat or examine sexual assault victims. The measure also required hospitals to maintain a sufficient supply of rape kits on hand. The measure died in the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee chaired by Senator Hob Bryan (D) earlier this month, after unanimously passing the House. State Rep. Dana McLean (R), the author of the legislation, said many of the state's hospitals send rape victims to another facility, particularly those in rural areas such as the Delta and North Mississippi. During the 20-minute press conference, speakers did express hope that Senate Bill 2211 will pass this session. That measure aims to ensure that law enforcement agencies investigating a sexual assault informs victims of where to locate a rape kit. |
| USDA cancels $1B in local food purchasing for schools, food banks | |
 | The Agriculture Department has axed two programs that gave schools and food banks money to buy food from local farms and ranchers, halting more than $1 billion in federal spending. Roughly $660 million that schools and child care facilities were counting on to purchase food from nearby farms through the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program in 2025 has been canceled, according to the School Nutrition Association. The Biden administration expanded the spending for both programs to build a more resilient food supply chain that didn't just rely on major food companies. Last year, USDA announced more than $1 billion in additional funding for the programs through the Commodity Credit Corporation, a New Deal-era USDA fund for buying agricultural commodities. The Trump administration's move to halt the programs comes as school nutrition officials are becoming increasingly anxious about affording healthy food with the current federal reimbursement rate for meals. As food costs have risen in the last few years, more people are turning to food banks and other feeding organizations to supplement their increased grocery bills. |
| States want to move funds pulled from green projects to hard infrastructure | |
 | As President Donald Trump pulls back on green funding, state officials are lobbying Congress to retain those dollars for other infrastructure projects that would be more palatable to the current administration and Republicans, like road and bridge repairs. Republicans negotiating the nation's next big infrastructure bill seem amenable to the idea, as long as it means they can move funding away from green projects and toward "traditional" ones. "That's laying asphalt, pouring concrete, building bridges and building roads," said House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Sam Graves, R-Mo., in an interview. "Not environmental justice and Green New Deal mandates and all of these other things" found in the 2021 infrastructure law that funded billions of dollars in Biden-era priorities. That bill, which expires in 2026, began as a typical surface transportation reauthorization bill but was greatly expanded by $550 billion in new spending. Graves has said that his upcoming version will be scaled back. State officials argue that there's a way to pull back in scope without cutting funding, which they say has been essential for projects in their areas. "Without [the infrastructure law], states would have had to scale back projects due to the rising cost of inflation," said Jim Tymon, executive director of nonprofit American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, in an interview. "A new surface transportation bill aligns with the administration's priorities as well as those of both chambers of Congress," with the prior bill establishing a "baseline" for future funding. |
| Senate GOP frets as Wall Street takes dip over tariffs, talk of recession | |
 | Senate Republicans expressed new worries about the economy Monday after Wall Street had one of its worst days in years amid a trade war and remarks from President Trump that did not rule out the possibility of a recession. Trump tossed new worries on the fire when he declined on Sunday to rule out the possibility of a recession. "I am concerned because of rising prices and paychecks not going as far as they used to go is very concerning," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of leadership. "There's definitely a lot of questions about the direction because the tariffs are off and on," Capito continued, adding that she believes that "indicates there's negotiations" ongoing and they will settle down eventually. "I'm concerned, but I'm not surprised," Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said, noting that businesses and the markets hate uncertainty. "If you're advising a client on risk, they got a wide spread right now, all the way from all of [the tariffs] being retracted to all of them being doubled. That has to settle down. I don't mind it for a brief period of time, but that can be very unsettling to business investment decisions, market decisions." |
| The government already knows a lot about you. DOGE is trying to access all of it | |
 | Elon Musk's team within the Trump administration has sought sweeping access to databases that store personal information on millions and millions of Americans. The data collected and maintained by the government isn't just your name, home address, and Social Security number. Some federal agencies store information that many people don't share even with their closest friends and family: Medical diagnoses and treatment. Notes from therapy sessions. Whether a person has filed for bankruptcy. Detailed income information. And now, Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has accessed heavily safeguarded databases that store such personal information, raising deep alarm among federal workers and privacy advocates. Musk says he is targeting waste and fraud. But Erie Meyer -- who resigned last month from her post as chief technologist at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after the change in administration -- doesn't trust DOGE. "Part of what is unnerving and is scary both to companies whose data is involved and also Americans whose most sensitive financial information is at risk, is that we don't know what they're doing," she says. |
| Republicans join bill to protect workers after DOGE firings | |
| A new bill to address the mass firings of probationary federal workers by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is picking up bipartisan support. First-term Republican Reps. Michael Baumgartner of Washington and Jeff Hurd of Colorado have signed onto legislation that would ensure that recently terminated probationary workers could reclaim the seniority they amassed in their previous positions if later rehired by the government. Their support for the Protect Our Probationary Employees Act -- to be formally introduced Tuesday by fellow first-term Rep. Sarah Elfreth, a Maryland Democrat -- marks the latest response from Republicans who are increasingly feeling political pressure to offer some response to DOGE's actions. The DOGE backlash has gotten so difficult for many members back home that the chair of the House GOP campaign operation instructed lawmakers last week not to hold in-person town halls to avoid scrutiny from constituents. "In the past month, we have seen an unprecedented attack on our federal workforce through the indiscriminate firings of probationary employees," Elfreth said in a statement. "These are patriots who serve our country, but instead of being thanked for their service, they were tossed to the curb and told not to let the door hit them on the way out." |
| Medical helicopter crash in Mississippi kills 3 | |
| A medical transport helicopter crashed in Mississippi on Monday, killing a pilot and two hospital workers on board, officials said. The helicopter was returning to Columbus from a patient transport when it crashed in Madison County at around 12:30 pm, killing everyone on board, the University of Mississippi Medical Center's vice chancellor for health affairs, Dr. LouAnn Woodward, said at a press conference. "The entire Medical Center family is heartbroken over this," Woodward said. This was the first crash in the 29 years that the AirCare emergency services have been operational, according to a statement from the university. The school did not offer a reason for the crash but said that the Federal Aviation Administration and other authorities were investigating. "It's a tragic reminder of the risks Mississippi's first responders take every day to keep us safe," Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said on Facebook. "Our state will never forget the sacrifice of these heroes." |
| Neshoba County nurse among 3 dead in medical helicopter crash | |
| A Neshoba County man is among the three who died in a medical helicopter crash on Monday northeast of Madison. Dustin Pope, a flight nurse from Neshoba County, was among those who perished, the Democrat has confirmed. The Madison County Sheriff's Office was on the scene of the crash with confirmed fatalities just south of the Natchez Trace Parkway, where the Pearl River turns into the Ross Barnett Reservoir, according to MCSO spokesman Heath Hall. There has been an outpouring of support and concern for Pope on social media. "In getting to know Dustin Pope I found him to be one of the most genuine people I ever met," his friend Michael Stokes wrote on Facebook. "He loved his family and he loved the Lord. He had a love for life and a way of making people smile and laugh. I consider it an honor to call him a friend the past few years. Keep his family in your prayers as they face an immeasurable loss." He is survived by his wife and three young children. |
| Nurse attacked and beaten in UMMC stadium parking lot after her shift | |
| A nurse is beaten in the parking lot of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and police say the hunt is on for the man responsible. The attack has students and employees hesitant to walk in the parking lot alone. Morgan Breanne posted that she almost lost her life after leaving work Sunday night at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She said a man asked for money in the parking lot, and even when she complied, he punched her in the head more than 10 times and choked her repeatedly. She said that he threatened to shoot her if she ran. The nurse posted pictures of a black left eye, bruises on her face and arms, and a bloody left ear. "It scares me a little bit because I'm constantly walking in and about of this parking lot," said Audrey Ivy. The UMMC nursing student is leery of walking in the parking lot after learning about the attack. "I don't see as many of the Campus Police I'd like to, and I feel like once you get further down, they really just can't see you that well," added Ivy. A statement from the University of Mississippi Medical Center said in part, UMMC Police, with support from Capitol Police, are actively investigating an assault in the stadium parking lot. |
| Oseola McCarty's scholarship fund hits $1 million | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Foundation announced a significant milestone in the legacy of Oseola McCarty. The scholarship endowment that she began with her transformative gift has reached $1 million corpus. In 1995, McCarty, a washerwoman from Hattiesburg, donated $150,000, which was the majority of life savings, to provide scholarships for students at Southern Miss. She had a hope that one day the scholarship would reach $1 million. With this goal achieved, this scholarship will be able to provide $2,000 scholarships to 20 Oseola McCarty Scholars annually. "The generosity of Oseola McCarty embodies the true spirit of Southern Miss grit," said University President Dr. Joe Paul. "She gave all she had with the belief that education could transform lives, and today, we are honored to see her dream fully realized. This milestone is not just about numbers -- it is about the countless students whose futures have been and will be shaped by her incredible gift." |
| Senators break down proposals at PRCC Legislative Forum | |
 | From taxes to retirement plans to prescription drugs, Mississippi legislators are looking at bills to make adjustments in several areas of our lives. Pearl River Community College students and local leaders got together, seeking answers from three members of the Mississippi Senate about some of the hot topics in the current legislative session. "It's important that our students understand not only their responsibility as students here at Pearl River, but also as overall community members," said Dr. Adam Breerwood, President at PRCC. "So, hopefully this creates a chance to sit down and talk about all the things that we're facing. Not only challenges, but the great things happening in the state of Mississippi." PRCC joined forces with the Hattiesburg Area Development Partnership to host a Legislative Forum "It's encouraging to see because this is the workforce of tomorrow," said Todd Jackson, Vice President of ADP, "This is what's actually going to drive Hattiesburg and the Pine Belt forward." |
| Trump administration adds U. of Tennessee to list of schools it's investigating | |
 | The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights sent letters to 60 universities saying they are under investigation for potential "antisemitic harassment and discrimination," including the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. A UT student filed a Title VI complaint in 2023 "based on an unrelated set of events" the student "witnessed and/or heard about," UT spokesperson Kerry Gardner told Knox News in an email. "The student engaged with a variety of university offices in 2023, and the offices worked to support the student. The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights reached out with a request for information about the student's concerns in 2024. The university has cooperated fully with OCR," she said. UT takes complaints filed seriously to "maintain an environment free of illegal discrimination" and works to resolve issues brought to the university's attention, Gardner said. At UT, pro-Palestinian students and community members peacefully demonstrated last spring against the Israel-Hamas war. The demonstrators were active for several weeks and police arrested several people on trespassing charges when they stayed on university property past a deadline imposed by campus leaders. Gardner did not mention the protests in her response. |
| Education committee advances higher ed bill that would chill students' political speech | |
| A legislative committee on Monday evening gave preliminary approval to Arkansas ACCESS, the 122-page higher education bill that Gov. Sarah Sanders has made her top priority this legislative session, after an all-day hearing that featured passionate testimony from high school students who said the bill would squelch their right to political participation and protest. But the bill was amended by its sponsors Monday afternoon in response to those concerns, which were echoed by some lawmakers of both parties. The original version of ACCESS would have entirely banned both colleges and K-12 schools from granting excused absences to students for purposes of "political protest, social or public policy advocacy, or attempts to influence legislation or other governmental policymaking[.]" The amendment would "allow a path for a student to receive an excused absence," provided a school and parent gave permission, according to bill sponsor Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Beebe). It wasn't immediately clear, though, if that change would apply only to K-12 schools or also to college students. |
| GOP lawmaker's bill to end DEI at Kentucky's public colleges one step closer to becoming law | |
 | A priority bill from Kentucky Republicans to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion offices, policies and practices at the state's public colleges and universities is one step closer to becoming law. "Historically, America has driven for equal opportunity, not subjective equity, which DEI now pursues through discriminatory admissions, hires and processes," Rep. Jennifer Decker, lead sponsor of House Bill 4, told the Senate Education Committee Monday afternoon. Decker, a Republican from Waddy, added that her bill "would halt this dangerous, unconstitutional approach, aligning Kentucky with Equal Protection principles upon which our nation was founded." She characterizes DEI initiatives at post-secondary institutions as "failed and misguided bureaucracies that have made our colleges more divided, more expensive and less tolerant," and told committee members that by disbanding those programs and procedures, it will actually make universities more inclusive settings. But opponents of the bill, many of whom work for or attend those institutions, suggested that Decker's bill fundamentally undermines and misunderstands the crucial role of such initiatives, which help support and accommodate minority and marginalized populations who've historically not granted the same equal access to higher education. |
| Feds put U. of Virginia on notice: Protect Jewish students or face 'enforcement actions' | |
| he U.S. Department of Education has put the University of Virginia on notice warning the school it could face "enforcement actions" if it does not take sufficient steps to protect Jewish students from antisemitism on Grounds. In a statement released Monday, the Education Department listed UVa among 60 colleges and universities that received letters from the department's Office for Civil Rights urging them to comply with the Civil Rights Act and protect Jewish students on campus or risk being investigated. Five universities whose names appear on the Department of Education's list are already being investigated by the Office for Civil Rights. The remaining 55, including UVa, are "under investigation or monitoring," according to the statement. While Monday's statement threatens "enforcement actions," it does not say what those actions might be. In December 2023, the Office for Civil Rights launched an investigation into UVa in response to allegations of antisemitic acts on Grounds and claims that UVa has failed to respond to those incidents. That investigation is still ongoing. Since the investigation was opened, UVa has settled a lawsuit filed by a Jewish Israeli student who claimed he was the victim of "virulent antisemitism" on Grounds. |
| Harvard and MIT freeze hiring amid President Trump's funding threats | |
| Harvard University froze all new hiring Monday, citing "substantial financial uncertainties driven by rapidly shifting federal policies." The announcement came three days after the Trump administration pulled $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University, and as the National Institutes of Health slashes research funding. "We need to prepare for a wide range of financial circumstances," Harvard president Alan Garber and other university leaders wrote in a message to faculty and staff Monday morning. "Effective immediately, Harvard will implement a temporary pause on staff and faculty hiring across the University." The hiring freeze, which applies across all of Harvard's schools and divisions, is a measure of the disruption the Trump administration is causing at the highest levels of American universities. The Trump administration has moved to slash billions of dollars of research funding and on Friday said its cancellation of grants and contracts with Columbia was only a "first round of action," with other cuts expected to follow. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology also implemented a broad hiring freeze last week, in the face of cuts to federal research funding, the risk of a sharp increase in taxes on university endowments, and the possibility of a government shutdown this month, President Sally Kornbluth wrote. |
| Hiring Freezes Spread To Notre Dame, Emory, And U. Of Vermont | |
| Add three more major universities to the list of institutions that have recently announced hiring freezes or pauses in the admissions of graduate students because of growing concerns about the Trump administration's research funding cutbacks, particularly at the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. In the past week, the University of Notre Dame, Emory University and the University of Vermont have all announced hiring freezes, bringing the total number of institutions taking such actions to at least twenty. Late last week, Notre Dame administrators, including President Robert A. Dowd, sent an email to the campus announcing it would institute a staff hiring freeze, effective immediately. It outlined three steps that it would take: 1) an immediate staff hiring freeze, 2) a request that every budget unit reduce spending where possible, and 3) a direction that the leaders of each division, college, and school proactively model a 5% budget reduction "in the event the financial impact of government actions should become significantly more dramatic." |
| Trump's Cuts Threaten Key NSF Undergrad Research Program | |
 | Saren Springer researches when and how embryos develop their arms and legs. But she didn't always know she would be a researcher. Growing up in rural Minnesota and studying at a small liberal arts college with few labs on campus, her first exposure to research was watering plants for a graduate student studying the impact of runoff on plant growth -- a cathartic routine that helped her adjust to the stress of college as a first-generation student. Then, in the summer after her junior year, as she was second-guessing her plans to become a doctor, she was selected to spend the summer at the University of Connecticut. There, she would conduct research as part of the Physiology and Neurobiology Department's Research Experience for Undergraduates, a program, funded by the National Science Foundation, aimed at helping students from colleges with a smaller research footprint experience world-class research at larger, more prestigious institutions. The experience offered "a glimpse into the actual career of becoming an academic researcher." Now, Springer is a graduate student in that very same department, seeking a Ph.D. in physiology and neurobiology from UConn. But now it's unclear if other students will be able to follow in her footsteps. |
| Funding freeze leaves Fulbright and study-abroad scholars stranded | |
 | Her Fulbright fellowship stipend from the federal government was already days late when the email arrived. "As with many federal agencies, State Department funding has been temporarily paused," began the message, landing March 1 in the inbox of Maaya Prasad, who grew up in Virginia but now lives thousands of miles away in Mauritius studying microplastics. She was expecting about $6,000. Instead, she got closer to $500, she said, and no word on when she might see the rest. Last month, the State Department froze funding for long-standing international exchange and study-abroad programs that connect Americans to the world, including the Fulbright Program, established by Congress in 1946. The funding tap has not yet been turned back on, according to groups that support international education and more than two dozen affected participants. The freeze, spurred by President Donald Trump's slash-and-burn efforts to reshape the federal government, also affects the Gilman Scholarship, which supports students of limited financial means to study or pursue internships abroad, and the Critical Language Scholarship, an immersive summer program for American students to learn languages of strategic importance for the United States. "These programs are not charity," said Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA, a nonprofit that supports international education. "They were created with the understanding that the U.S. must exchange with the rest of the world and vice versa. This is about smart diplomacy. It is an investment in our future, and in our national security and economic interest." |
| More Universities Are Choosing to Stay Neutral on the Biggest Issues | |
 | Just a few years ago, university statements on the day's social and political issues abounded. When Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022, Harvard's president at the time called it "senseless" and "deplorable," and flew the invaded country's flag in Harvard Yard. After George Floyd died under the knee of a white police officer, Cornell's president said she was "sickened." The University of Michigan's president described the Oct. 7, 2023, violence against Israel as a "horrific attack by Hamas terrorists." But over the last year, each of those universities has adopted policies that limit official statements on current issues. According to a new report released on Tuesday from the Heterodox Academy, a group that has been critical of progressive orthodoxy on college campuses, 148 colleges had adopted "institutional neutrality" policies by the end of 2024, a trend that underscores the scorching political scrutiny they are under. All but eight of those policies were adopted after the Hamas attack. The universities are adopting such policies at a time when the Trump administration has moved aggressively to punish them for not doing enough to crack down on antisemitism and for embracing diversity, equity and inclusion policies. |
| ICE Arrest of Columbia Student Marks New Era of Campus Politics | |
| Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil was the first to be arrested by Homeland Security agents for his participation in pro-Palestininan demonstrations on campus, but President Trump vowed he wouldn't be the last. "We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it," Trump said in a social-media post Monday as the crackdown spread. The Education Department said Monday it sent letters to 60 schools warning of potential enforcement actions if they don't fulfill obligations to protect Jewish students. The list included Ivy League, state and small liberal-arts colleges. Columbia has become ground zero in the Trump administration's campaign to dismantle what it calls extreme leftist ideology on U.S. campuses. The White House official said the department found Khalil had participated in "pro-Hamas rallies" and in distributing fliers. The agency presented the information to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who personally signed off on revoking his legal status. The administration says the arrest was about national security. "The arrest of this individual...should serve as a deterrent," Leo Terrell, who leads the Justice Department's antisemitism task force, said Monday on Fox News. Protesters say they are antiwar and not antisemitic. First Amendment advocates voiced concern over the arrest. |
| An office known for enforcing special education is now focused on Trump's political priorities | |
| The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights is known best for enforcing the right to disability services across America's schools. But under President Donald Trump, it's taking a frontline role in his political battles. Trump appointees have halted thousands of pending cases while they open new investigations aligned with the president's campaign promises. Career staffers have been sidelined and pressured to quit, and those who remain are being ordered to refocus priorities on antisemitism, transgender issues and anti-DEI complaints. A memo Friday from the civil rights office's chief announced antisemitism cases are now the top priority, taking aim at colleges where pro-Palestinian protests brought accusations of anti-Jewish bias. That followed a decision to cut $400 million in federal money going to Columbia University, where on Saturday immigration officials arrested a Palestinian activist who was involved in leading student protests. Hanging in the balance are the types of cases the office traditionally has focused on -- students with disabilities who need services they aren't getting, or students facing harassment tied to their skin color. |
| Former NIH director Francis Collins, once beloved in Washington, now worries for his safety there | |
| As Francis Collins, longtime director of the National Institutes of Health, took to the steps below the Lincoln Memorial on Friday for a sound check before speaking at the Stand Up for Science rally, he was confronted by an agitated protester who warned, "You're going to prison." The incident was witnessed by a reporter from STAT, and the man afterward identified himself only as "Jeff" and said he was there to protest Collins' oversight of NIH, and specifically the agency's funding of gain-of-function research at a lab in Wuhan, China, where some believe the SARS-CoV-2 virus may have originated. "He's an indicted felon, he lied before Congress,'' Jeff, baselessly, told the reporter. The confrontation was the latest public manifestation of the dramatically altered public image of Collins, from a near-legendary geneticist who led the Human Genome Project and was beloved by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle -- and was asked to stay on by President Trump in his first term -- to a target demonized by Trump's Make America Great Again followers. Collins told STAT he is so concerned for his personal safety that he has hired security at his home. |
| Plans to Hike the College-Endowment Tax Are Taking Shape. They're Not What You'd Expect. | |
 | Amid the deluge of executive orders, budget slashes, and confirmation hearings that has typified the Trump administration's first 100 days, there's one pending legislative matter that some college leaders are eyeing with particular anxiety: a possible endowment-tax expansion. Why is the federal government taxing college endowments in the first place? Many Republican lawmakers see wealthy colleges as entities with enormous resources which nonetheless saddle their graduates with student-loan debt. But lawmakers misunderstand what endowments are and how they work, says Steven Bloom, assistant vice president for government relations at the American Council on Education, known as ACE. "They think, Oh, it's a rainy-day fund that can be used for anything," he says, "which isn't true." Endowments typically consist of hundreds or thousands of specific tranches of dollars earmarked by their donors for very specific purposes, such as financial aid for lower-income students or medical research. Each year, colleges typically draw up to 5 percent of the endowment's total value from that year's investment returns to supplement their operating revenues. So, a tax designed to spur colleges to lower costs could be doing the opposite, Bloom says. |
| Sonny Ramaswamy: Higher Ed Must Be Proactive | |
| Sonny Ramaswamy retired from his role as president of the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities in February, concluding an almost seven-year run at the accrediting body. His retirement comes after a lengthy career in higher education, which included stints at Cornell University, Mississippi State University, Kansas State University, Purdue University and Oregon State University before former president Barack Obama appointed him as director of the National Institute for Food and Agriculture in 2012. Ramaswamy also served for roughly 18 months during Donald Trump's first presidential term before returning to higher education as the head of NWCCU, a post he held from July 2018 until earlier this year, when he stepped down. In his retirement, he plans to continue serving on nonprofit boards, particularly those in the world of food and agriculture, an area where much of his career was focused. Ramaswamy spoke with Inside Higher Ed about his retirement plans, his experience as an accreditor, the challenges facing the sector and the need for a robust defense of higher education. |
| 'Not COVID. It's Trump': Lawmakers prepare for tumultuous Trumpenomics by ... upending state tax structure | |
| Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender writes: In an exchange on the floor of the Mississippi Senate last week, lawmakers debated the economic uncertainty coming from the Trump administration's burgeoning trade war and helter-skelter policy decisions. "You never know what's going to happen with -- you know, what we're going through with increases in cost for things, whether it's guardrails or bolts or whatever," said Transportation Chairman Chuck Younger, a Republican from Columbus. He was outlining a bill that would increase the amount of money MDOT could add to a road contract without rebidding from $100,000 to $250,000. This, he said, would prevent highway projects facing long delays from potential huge increases in cost of materials. "But we're not in COVID any more, we shouldn't have those supply chain problems," said Sen. Angela Hill, R-Picayune, questioning the need for the measure. "No, we're not (in) COVID. It's Trump, and we're going through all these tax things (tariffs) that are going through for other countries," Younger said. "... It's fixing to happen." ... But staring down the barrel of potential economic chaos or calamity, Mississippi lawmakers are not drastically cutting spending, hoarding tax dollars or even proceeding with caution. Their main focus this legislative session is a total overhaul of the state's tax structure including massive tax cuts combined with fairly massive tax increases -- an unprecedented economic experiment betting that the state's fortunes will rise and cover the spread. |
SPORTS
| Softball: Seven-Run Inning Lifts Bulldogs To SEC-Opening Sweep | |
| Mississippi State only needed one inning. Despite trailing for nearly half the ballgame, the No. 21 Bulldogs scored seven runs in the fourth to erase a 4-0 deficit and sweep No. 18 Auburn on Monday night. The Bulldogs (22-3, 3-0 SEC) sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning, loading the bases twice. They did all their scoring on just two hits. Morgan Stiles got things started with a single into center field that got past the outfielder and scored three runs. Nadia Barbary then hit the game-winning grand slam all before an out was recorded in the frame. "This conference is so tough every weekend. A sweep is a really tough thing to do. I don't care who you're playing," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "Three consecutive games, you've seen everything from both sides. It really is a testament to the mental toughness of the team. It's been a focus for us all offseason, and it's been a key word for us, finish. We mention it in practice -- finish the day strong, finish the practice, finish the week, finish the weekend -- knowing that when we got into SEC play it was going to be an emphasis for us as well." Mississippi State closes its 11-game homestand with on Wednesday, March 12 against Middle Tennessee. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network+. |
| Softball: Barbary slams No. 21 Mississippi State to series sweep over No. 18 Auburn | |
| It was Nadia Barbary's moment. The winds were already shifting in Mississippi State's favor in the fourth inning Monday night, with three runs already across and the bases still loaded with nobody out. Sensing danger, Auburn brought in its third pitcher of the frame, ace left-hander SJ Guerin, with Barbary coming to the plate after the Bulldogs had narrowed what had once been a four-run deficit to just one. MSU's junior third baseman hit 17 doubles in 2024, tied for third-most in the Southeastern Conference. But Barbary bulked up in the offseason, and her added strength has helped some of those balls that stayed in the park last year fly over the fence. Guerin's curveball on a 1-0 count stayed over the plate on the inner half, and Barbary turned on it, launching a grand slam off the scoreboard beyond the left-field wall. The No. 21 Bulldogs used the big inning to flip the game on its head. They then handed the lead to their ace, Raelin Chaffin, who took it from there in MSU's 7-4 victory that completed a three-game sweep of the No. 18 Tigers in the opening weekend of SEC play. |
| Men's Basketball: State's Hubbard Wins Second Consecutive Howell Trophy | |
| Josh Hubbard continued Mississippi State's dominance of the Howell Trophy, which is given to the state's top college player awarded Monday by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Named after Mississippi State legend and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Bailey Howell, Hubbard is the third Bulldog to be a two-time recipient of the honor joining program greats Jarvis Varnado (2008-09, 2009-10) and Quinndary Weatherspoon (2017-18, 2018-19). The Madison native extends the Bulldogs run to seven of the last eight seasons to win the Howell Trophy presented by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and Pearl River Resort. Hubbard is the sixth player in program history to amass 500+ points and 100+ assists during the same season joining All-SEC recipients Jamont Gordon (2006-07, 2007-08), Dee Bost (2011-12), Quinndary Weatherspoon (2017-18), D.J. Stewart Jr. (2020-21) and Iverson Molinar (2021-22). |
| Mississippi State basketball vs LSU score prediction: Latest news, injury updates | |
| Mississippi State basketball's postseason begins this week. The Bulldogs (20-11) are the No. 10 seed in the SEC tournament and will play No. 15 LSU (14-17) in the first round on Wednesday (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network). All games are played at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. MSU has won at least one game in seven straight SEC tournaments, and last season reached the semifinals. LSU and Mississippi State played each other once in the regular season, which MSU won 81-69 in Starkville on March 1. Josh Hubbard, who won the Howell Trophy for the second consecutive season as the best men's college basketball player in the state of Mississippi, scored 30 points. LSU is in the midst of a five-game losing streak (to Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky and Texas A&M, along with the Bulldogs). Its three conference wins are against South Carolina, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The Bulldogs have not played great defense in their last three games away from Humphrey Coliseum, averaging 99 points allowed in those three games. Oklahoma and Arkansas both scored 93 points and Alabama scored 111 points. Those three teams combined to shoot 42 of 92 from 3-point range (45.7%). "At the end of the day, it's my responsibility," Jans said. "lt's my job to figure it out, if you will." |
| Mississippi State's Josh Hubbard, Cam Matthews earn All-SEC honors | |
| One of the most grueling SEC seasons in the conference's storied history came to an end over the weekend and even more great moments could be on the way for the league. With the conclusion of the regular season and the forthcoming SEC Tournament this week, the league announced its All-SEC teams on Monday. Mississippi State landed two selections on the teams as senior Cameron Matthews earned a spot on the All-Defensive team while sophomore guard Josh Hubbard was picked for the second team. Matthews earned a prestigious selection on the All-Defensive team as he was one of just five players in the league to make the list. The Olive Branch native is finishing up his fifth season with the Bulldogs and has cemented himself as a legend for the program. Perhaps no one in State basketball history has played his role better than Matthews. He was the glue that has held the team together for the last few years and has especially found a home under head coach Chris Jans. Fresh off of his second Howell Trophy win, Hubbard earned second-team All-SEC for the second time as well. The star shooter from MRA has quickly made a name for himself and followed up his fantastic freshman season with an even better one this year. |
| Baseball: Bulldogs Set For Midweek Matchups In Biloxi | |
| Mississippi State baseball is back at the beach where the Bulldogs are set to battle two non-conference opponents prior to opening SEC play this weekend. MSU takes on Old Dominion on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Keesler Federal Park before returning to the same venue to take on Nicholls on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Both games are part of the Hancock Whitney Classic and will be televised on SEC Network+. The Diamond Dawgs have had their share of success on the coast in recent years, posting a 6-2 record there. It will be the fourth consecutive year that State has participated in the event. The Bulldogs will send junior right-hander Evan Siary to the mound to make his first start of the season and eighth of his career. Siary has made three appearances out of the bullpen this spring with a flawless ERA but has not factored into a decision. The Columbus native has fanned four across 3 1/3 innings of work and surrendered only one baserunner. Old Dominion counters with sophomore righty Nick Sulpizio, who will also be making his first start of the year and fifth of his career. Sulpizio is 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA, five strikeouts and six walks in 5 1/3 innings of work. |
| Bulldogs earn another ranked win over No. 16 Oklahoma | |
| For the second time in 15 days, Mississippi State defeated a team ranked 16th in the country Saturday as the No. 22 Bulldogs beat No. 16 Oklahoma 5-2 in Starkville, marking the 200th career dual victory for head coach Matt Roberts. MSU took the doubles point thanks to its two pairings ranked in the top 30 nationally. The No. 29 duo of freshman Niccolo Baroni and junior Mario Martinez Serrano earned a 6-4 victory on the No. 2 court, and juniors Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez, ranked fourth in the nation, did the same at No. 1 doubles. Jovanovic started things off in singles with a 6-1, 6-4 win at No. 2, then the Sooners got on the board at No. 4 as senior Dusan Milanovic fell in straight sets. Sophomore Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes put the Bulldogs on the brink of victory at No. 6 with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph, but the Sooners stayed alive as Martinez Serrano lost a pair of tight sets at No. 5. Baroni then closed it out at No. 3, winning each of his two sets 6-4. Sanchez Martinez won in three sets at No. 1 singles for good measure in a battle of top-100 individuals. Roberts is the third coach in program history to reach 200 wins, following Andy Jackson and Tom Sawyer. MSU (13-3, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) is back in action Thursday at Vanderbilt. |
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