Bumphis evaluated, just a sprain

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State junior wide receiver Chad Bumphis dropped a potentially plan-altering tweet Monday night, saying he’d be having surgery today to repair a broken ankle.

MSU men’s basketball gets commitment from Sword

The Mississippi State men’s basketball team dipped back into the G.W. Carver High School talent pool Monday and received a verbal commitment from shooting guard Craig Sword.

Carr uses spring to get more comfortable at MSU

STARKVILLE — When fall camp opened last season, Mississippi State wide receiver Michael Carr had no idea what was going on.

He hadn’t worked out with the team in summer while he finished academic work and awaited certification from the NCAA Clearinghouse.

Columbus baseball forced to go extra to beat Caledonia

Columbus High School’s baseball team needed a win in a major way.

Losers of eight straight ball games, the Falcons entered Senior Night against Caledonia High with a senior making his first start of the season on the mound.

MSU’s revamped rotation set for first test

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball’s new weekend rotation will have its first go this weekend, and coach John Cohen isn’t second-guessing the decision.

The Bulldogs, coming off a 6-4 loss to the University of Alabama-Birmingham on Wednesday, will kick off a three-game Southeastern Conference series at 7 tonight at the University of Arkansas (24-8, 6-6 SEC).

Starkville High powerlifters aim for titles

STARKVILLE — Four boys and three girls from Starkville High School have powerlifting gold on their minds.

At Saturday’s Mississippi High School Activities Association State meet at the Mississippi Coliseum, two senior Lady Yellow Jackets will look to repeat first-place North State finishes, while Marcus Tate will try to capture his second straight gold medal after winning the 275-pound boys class at North State.

MSU men’s tennis back atop SEC West

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State men’s tennis is back.

With back-to-back wins against the University of Alabama and Auburn last weekend, MSU clinched the Southeastern Conference Western Division title, snapping the University of Mississippi’s nine-year stranglehold on the division.

Up until last weekend, MSU hadn’t won a division or league title since 1996, when it won the SEC tournament.

Starkville Academy hires Alexander as new boys basketball coach

STARKVILLE — Mark Alexander is back in Starkville, and he has no plans to leave.

The Mississippi State graduate and former sports reporter transitioned from working in journalism to coaching basketball five years ago and found instant success in Tennessee and at Manchester Academy in Yazoo City.

On Wednesday, Starkville Academy announced Alexander as its new boys basketball coach effective at the end of the current school year.

Scholarships will honor memory of MSU’s Bell

STARKVILLE — Linda Bell was anxious to organize efforts to honor her son’s memory.

The mother of Nick Bell, the late Mississippi State football player, Linda started the Nick Bell Mentoring Memorial Foundation at the beginning of the year to keep alive Nick’s passion for education and mentoring.

On Wednesday, Linda and her daughter, Monica, visited MSU and started a pair of scholarships through the school’s Alumni Association.

Starkville baseball beats Columbus

STARKVILLE — The bats are alive and well.

Throughout much of the Starkville High School baseball team’s season, its offensive numbers have dipped and its effectiveness with runners in scoring position hasn’t been up to a game-winning standard.

Cohen considers shuffling rotation

STARKVILLE — Changes are on the horizon for the Mississippi State baseball team’s pitching rotation.

MSU coach John Cohen has been encouraged by the solid innings junior Nick Routt has provided since sliding into the Sunday role, but ultra-talented junior Devin Jones has faltered as the Friday starter in league play.

Cohen said Monday he and his staff have discussed the possibility of bumping Routt to Saturday and current Saturday starter Chris Stratton to Friday. The moves are being contemplated in an effort to protect the bullpen, which is lauded as the strength of the team.

MSU baseball stranded in finale vs. Florida

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State baseball team’s struggles with runners in scoring position continued Sunday in a 3-1 loss to the No. 4 University of Florida in the final game of a three-game Southeastern Conference series.

MSU (21-11, 5-7 SEC) was 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position Sunday, and 3-for-21 for the weekend.

MSU shows depth, promise at QB in spring game

STARKVILLE — The name says it all.

Dylan Favre spent his first season as a Mississippi State quarterback tucked behind Chris Relf and Tyler Russell.

Florida baseball pounds MSU

STARKVILLE — For the second straight day, a team’s leading pitcher in the Mississippi State-Florida series was chased far earlier than expected.

MSU football excited about Maroon-White scrimmage

The Mississippi State football team’s freshmen are are eager for their first appearance at Davis Wade Stadium this Saturday during the Maroon-White Spring Game.

Florida will be big test for MSU

STARKVILLE — John Cohen knows his Mississippi State baseball team will face a challenge at 6:30 tonight when it kicks off a three-game weekend series against the University of Florida

Columbus softball shuts out Starkville

STARKVILLE — It’s a good sign when a team has its best performance of the season in the heart of division play.

Columbus High School fast-pitch softball coach Rusty Greene left Starkville a happy man after watching the Lady Falcons beat Starkville High 7-0 on Thursday.

Gift of $12M from Seal Family Foundation will go to MSU football facility

STARKVILLE — Through the largest private gift in the history of Mississippi State University athletics, the football team will take a major step forward in its ability to compete in the country’s top conference.

On Wednesday, MSU announced a $12 million gift from the Seal Family Foundation of Gulfport to help fund a football facility that will house a new weight room, coaches’ offices, and treatment rooms. The facility will be adjacent to MSU’s practice fields on campus.

MSU baseball gearing up for ‘Super’ series against Florida

STARKVILLE — With the No. 4 University of Florida baseball team coming to town for Super Bulldog Weekend, it helps to have some momentum.

Mississippi State overcame a two-run deficit to defeat No. 14 Southern Miss 5-4 on Tuesday in Pearl. The victory helped ease the sting of a lost weekend at Georgia in which MSU was swept in a three-game Southeastern Conference series for the first time this season.

Starkville’s Pichardo makes it official, signs with Mobile

STARKVILLE — Alvaro Pichardo’s college recruitment officially ended Wednesday when the Starkville High striker signed a scholarship with the University of Mobile.

The decision put to rest any chance he’d sign with any of the schools that had hoped to secure his services.