Mississippi Today (https://mississippitoday.org/author/rickcleveland/page/2/)
Rick Cleveland, a native of Hattiesburg and resident of Jackson, has been Mississippi Today’s sports columnist since 2016. A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelor’s in journalism, Rick has worked for the Monroe (La.) News Star World, Jackson Daily News and Clarion Ledger. He was sports editor of Hattiesburg American, executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. His work as a syndicated columnist and celebrated sports writer has appeared in numerous magazines, periodicals and newspapers. Rick has been recognized 11 times as Mississippi Sports Writer of the Year. He was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 and into the Hattiesburg Hall of Fame in 2018. He received the Richard Wright Award for Literary Excellence in 2011 and was inducted into the University of Southern Mississippi Communications Hall of Fame in 2018. In 2000, he was honored with the Distinguished Mississippian Award from Mississippi Press Association. He has received numerous state, regional and national awards for his column writing and reporting.
On a brutally hot Tuesday afternoon, air conditioning and Team USA come to the rescue, providing big business for taverns and terrific theatre for anyone who watched the World Cup semifinal match
Jake Mangum, the face of the Mississippi State program and the all-time Southeastern Conference hits leader, has been a walk-on since his sophomore year with the Bulldogs. One of the best baseball players in SEC history played for free the last two seasons.
The children learned how to grip a golf club, how to swing it and, perhaps more importantly, how golf is the only sport in which the players keep score and call penalties on themselves. In golf, integrity is paramount.
The Bulldogs did everything they could do but throw strikes when they needed them most. The old baseball adage is that “walks will kill you.” Walks didn’t kill State, but walks certainly led to the end of the season and national championship dreams.
Jake Magnum: “We need JT to step up tomorrow night and give us a few zeroes. I’ve got all the confidence in the world in him. He’ll step up. He has all year. We need him to because we all want another shot at Vanderbilt.”
The winner, to quote the late, great Red Barber, will be in the catbird seat. The loser will face an uphill struggle in this College World Series.
Now, Tuesday night’s 6 p.m. matchup with Vandy becomes the key. Win that one, and the Bulldogs would have to win only one more game to make the College World Series best-two-of-three championship series.
The most skilled team usually wins, but not always. In baseball, lucky and unlucky breaks often decide the outcome. Witness the splendid 1985 Mississippi State Bulldogs in the 1985 College World Series
Mississippi State, now 51-13, put on an NCAA Super Regional baseball clinic. Stanford was no match for the Bulldogs, who spotted the Cardinal a 1-0 lead both nights and then dominated the rest of the way.
‘Jake told me after the game that was the first home run he had ever robbed,’ said State coach Chris Lemonis. ‘I found that hard to believe because I’ve seen him make so many great plays. The guy just helps you win games so many different ways.’
Where else does a university build a $68 million baseball park and a pitcher turn down $2.6 million to go to school?
How does a kid who grew up poor in rural Mississippi and seemed destined to work at a local brick company, go on to become the basketball coach at one of the world’s most prestigious universities?
Such was the warmth of Starr’s personality and strength of his character, many have remembered him more for his humble nature and human kindness than for his football skills.
Twenty-six of the 29 Pearl River Wildcats are from Mississippi and at least 13 are headed to play ball at four-year colleges.
Starkville’s Ally Barefield, who just turned 17, has achieved a first in Mississippi – a high school student proposes and then spearheads successful legislation in high school sports.