Articles by Brandon Walker
MSU will be without catcher Collins for 3-5 weeks
STARKVILLE — Each member of Mississippi State’s baseball team expected the Bulldogs’ starting lineup to feature a little more thump this season, as a mix of newcomers and talented returning players figured to boost the power numbers.
On Monday morning, though, those hopes took a big hit when MSU coach John Cohen announced sophomore catcher Gavin Collins, the team’s best returning hitter, is expected to miss three to five weeks due to an injury to his hand.
Mitchell unsure of role on talented pitching staff
STARKVILLE — Ross Mitchell knows to expect the unexpected.
With less than a week remaining until Mississippi State’s baseball team opens its 125th season, Mitchell, MSU’s do-everything pitcher for the past three seasons, knows he will figure prominently into the team’s plans on the mound.
He just doesn’t know what those plans are.
West Point has six to send to college
WEST POINT — Chris Humphries said he knew immediately.
Humphries, a 6-foot-1, 290-pound offensive lineman from West Point High School, took an official visit to Mississippi College’s campus in Clinton shortly after his high school season ended, all in an effort to find the right place to extend his football career.
He found it.
Signing of Lewis solidifies MSU’s top-20 class
STARKVILLE — With his senior football season a fading memory, it had been a while since Brookhaven High School linebacker Leo Lewis received a standing ovation.
He earned two Wednesday morning.
The first came at the auditorium at Brookhaven High when Lewis, the nation’s top inside linebacker prospect, according to 247sports.com, announced his intention to play football at Mississippi State.
Bulldogs clean up in state to cap latest recruiting haul
STARKVILLE — From the moment Dan Mullen took the Mississippi State coaching job in December 2008, he has spoken of the need to win the recruiting battle in the state of Mississippi every year.
But even Mullen might not have pictured dominating the state like this.
MSU expects quiet day to wrap up Class of 2015
STARKVILLE — It was a scene that captured the 2015 recruiting haul for the Mississippi State football team.
Midway through the first half of MSU’s basketball game against LSU on Saturday afternoon, during a normally quiet media timeout, fans at the Humphrey Coliseum began to stir, as a smattering of applause turned into an ovation.
MSU men will try to show how far they have come
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State men’s basketball coach Rick Ray knew about his team’s improvement long before anyone else.
For weeks, even through consecutive losses to Southeastern Conference foes Georgia and Ole Miss, Ray said the Bulldogs were close to reversing their fortunes. After losing nine of 11 games at one point, Ray believed his Bulldogs started to find themselves early in SEC play, particularly in a 74-70 loss at Texas A&M.
Starting over: MSU’s Cox looks to rebuild career
The days are quiet for Justin Cox now.
That’s fine with him.
Fitts eagerly anticipates move to bullpen for Bulldogs
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State pitching coach Butch Thompson didn’t know what the meeting was going to be about.
MSU closes deal in men’s basketball win over LSU
STARKVILLE – There would be no close call this time.
Summers helps Rebels rally past Bulldogs
OXFORD — The Mississippi State men’s basketball team did everything necessary to earn a road win at Ole Miss on Wednesday night.
Well, almost everything.
The Bulldogs opened each half with strong runs, had a double-digit lead in the second half, and shot 56 percent from the field, but even one of MSU’s best statistical efforts of the season wasn’t enough in a 79-73 loss.
MSU will try to correct defensive lapses
STARKVILLE — As it turns out, the film told Mississippi State men’s basketball coach Rick Ray what he already knew: J.J. Frazier didn’t miss.
Frazier, Georgia’s sophomore point guard, was 7-for-7 from 3-point range Saturday in a 72-66 win against MSU at Humphrey Coliseum. It was a performance that sent Ray searching for what went wrong.
MSU football team lands 28th commitment
STARKVILLE — With eight days remaining for student-athletes until National Signing Day, the Mississippi State football team continues to fine tune its latest recruiting class.
Humphreys hopes to add pop to MSU’s lineup
STARKVILLE — Asked late Sunday afternoon if Mississippi State’s baseball team will have more pop in its lineup this season, sophomore Reid Humphreys didn’t hesitate.
“I definitely think we do,” Humphreys said. “I think with the new guys we have and the guys we have returning, we have a lot of players on this team who can change a game with one swing of the bat.”
Georgia’s Frazier knocks out MSU
STARKVILLE — J.J. Frazier called it the game of his life.
I.J. Ready couldn’t hide his disappointment.
That was the aftermath of one of the greatest shooting performances in the history of Humphrey Coliseum, a showing that propelled the Georgia men’s basketball team to a 72-66 victory against Mississippi State.
Columbus Christian boys beat rival Hebron Christian
PHEBA — Alec Vasquez took care of the first half. R.J. DeLoach handled the second.
And just like that, the Columbus Christian Academy boys basketball team displayed Friday why it will enter the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class A, District 3 tournament as the No. 1 seed with a 54-46 victory at Hebron Christian School.
