Starkville High’s Batson going to ICC

STARKVILLE — Garrett Batson had no idea he’d have an opportunity to play college soccer.

The 6-foot-3 Starkville High School right back had yet to have a season in which he’d “put it all together.”

Former WLHS standout Hill learning to play TE at MSU

STARKVILLE — The tag “athlete” is common for high school football recruits.

While there’s value in a player who can help in multiple areas — most play several positions in high school — sooner or later he’s going to have to settle in at one position.

Offense impresses in MSU football scrimmage

STARKVILLE — For Mississippi State’s past two spring football scrimmages, the defense ended each day with a decisive advantage against a sometimes sluggish and error-prone offense.

On Saturday in Davis-Wade Stadium, the offense responded with its most crisp performance of the spring, driving the ball at will and going three-and-out only once against MSU’s first-team defense.

SHS, CHS track and field teams hold own against top competition

STARKVILLE — Area high school track teams got a good feel Saturday for how their respective state meets will go after competing in the Mississippi State Bulldog High School Invitational

Seven area schools competed in the meet, which featured the top teams from all classifications in Mississippi and powerhouses from surrounding states.

Starkville baseball earns much-needed win

STARKVILLE — After a string of disappointing division losses, the Starkville High School baseball team earned a much-needed 10-4 win against Calhoun City on Saturday.

Nathan Pugh went 3-for-3 with three RBIs to help Starkville (5-8) rally from a 4-3 deficit and snap a two-game losing streak.

The Yellow Jackets entered Saturday’s game having lost five of their last six.

Starkville Academy closing in on new coaches

STARKVILLE — Starkville Academy Athletics Director Glenn Schmidt said finding quality candidates to fill the school’s two head coach vacancies has been the easy part of the process.

The school hasn’t done much searching to replace boys basketball coach Chris Lyle and softball coach Jessica Dickens because many of its leading candidates have come to them.

MSU baseball team will try to climb SEC ladder

STARKVILLE — It would be easy for Mississippi State’s baseball program is back on course after its recent accomplishments.

The Bulldogs have won five straight, including a series sweep of Auburn, their first since 2007. They’ve cracked a national poll for the first time in three seasons under coach John Cohen and are coming off a season-high 18-run performance in a victory against Alabama A&M.

Mullen not happy with inconsistency

Dan Mullen wasn’t a happy football coach following Mississippi State’s spring practice session Thursday. On one hand, he was pleased by his defense’s domination in parts of the 11-on-11 work in the last block, but turnovers, procedural penalties, and botched snaps drew his ire.

MSU men’s tennis in unfamiliar spot in SEC standings

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State’s men’s tennis team is in an unfamiliar position in second place in the Southeastern Conference’s Western Division

No. 32 MSU is 4-2 in the league and two games behind weekend opponents University of Tennessee and Georgia for the overall lead in the SEC.

MSU’s Miller could get 1,000th win this weekend

STARKVILLE — Jay Miller’s appreciation of the game won’t let him indulge in the career milestone he’s approaching.

The Mississippi State softball coach has 997 career wins in a 29-year career in the college game.

Miller could earn win No. 1,000 this weekend if the Bulldogs sweep their three-game series against the University of Mississippi. That series will begin at 5 p.m. Friday in Starkville.

MSU baseball routs Alabama A&M

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State’s baseball team scored a season-high Wednesday in an 18-0 victory against Alabama A&M.

MSU secured its fifth shutout of the season in 6 1/2 innings, as the game was called due to a pre-arranged decision between MSU coach John Cohen and Alabama A&M coach Ed McCann.

MSU pitcher Jones will try to regain form

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State pitcher Devin Jones has a world of potential.

He just has to realize it.

That’s the message MSU coach John Cohen has had for Jones dating back to last season when the Eupora native struggled to find the strike zone against Southeastern Conference competition.

Heritage Academy baseball beats Starkville Academy

STARKVILLE — Camp Pittman pitched a complete game Tuesday to lead the Heritage Academy baseball team to an 11-1 victory against Starkville Academy.

Tupelo High baseball beats Starkville

STARKVILLE — Starkville High School’s baseball team took another step backward down the division chain Tuesday night in an 8-5 loss to Tupelo High.

The Yellow Jackets, coming off back-to-back division losses to Columbus, gave up four runs in the first inning and spent the rest of he night playing catch-up.

MSU football looking to find rhythm

Inconsistency is common through spring practice, and the Mississippi State football team’s first spring scrimmage was no different.

MSU baseball routs Auburn

STARKVILLE — The rout was on after one inning.

The Mississippi State baseball team scored eight runs in the first inning and five in the second to earn a 15-8 victory against Auburn University on Saturday at Dudy Noble Field.

MSU track and field shines in SEC-Big Ten Challenge

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State’s first home track meet in four years Saturday ended with the Southeastern Conference falling to the Big Ten on the men’s and women’s sides.

The results didn’t take away from the excitement of MSU runners and field athletes, especially the ones who earned victories at the SEC/Big Ten Challenge at the renovated Carl Maddox Track Facility.

MSU, Memphis move season opener to Sept. 1

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State football team will jump at the opportunity to get more exposure.

That was the thinking behind MSU’s decision to accept the University of Memphis’ offer to move their season-opening game in Memphis from Sept. 3 to Sept. 1 (Thursday).

Columbus baseball beats Starkville again

Columbus High School’s youth-led baseball team earned an important trump card Friday in its victory against Starkville: A playoff tiebreaker.

The Falcons (8-4, 2-0 Class 6A, Region 2) received two RBIs from freshman Chris McCullough and an RBI from freshman Greg Sykes to beat the Yellow Jackets 7-4 Friday night.

MSU baseball team hopes to build this weekend on Vanderbilt win

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State baseball team’s win Sunday at Vanderbilt University has given the squad a ton of confidence.

After being shut out in the first two games of the series, MSU used a five-run eighth inning to rally for a 9-8 win against No. 1 Vanderbilt.

A loss in that game, especially another in which they struggled at the plate, could have been damaging, third baseman Jarrod Parks said.