Johnson becomes latest suspension for MSU basketball

STARKVILLE – Roquez Johnson has become the fifth different player to be suspended or dismissed by Mississippi State University men’s basketball coach Rick Ray since the summer preseason.

Woodruff makes long-awaited return to Dudy Noble Field

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State University baseball coaching staff has one promise for sophomore starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff – he’ll get more mound time than last week.

Bulldogs bullish about bullpen in sweep of Portland

STARKVILLE — Every time the bullpen door opened at Dudy Noble Field this weekend, a new problem arose for the University of Portland baseball team.

MSU baseball opens season with pair of wins

STARKVILLE — For the first two games of the 2013 season, Mississippi State University baseball fans got to see a little bit of the new offense mixed with a lot of the old pitching and defense.

Bulldogs trot out deep, talented pitching staff

STARKVILLE — Three words from Mississippi State University pitching coach Butch Thompson describe the reasoning behind the opening weekend rotation.

Bulldogs search for motivation on the road at LSU

STARKVILLE – Rick Ray has come to the conclusion that he can’t motivate his Mississippi State men’s basketball team anymore.

They’re going to have to do it themselves.

Bulldogs complete revamped coaching staff

STARKVILLE — Billy Gonzales took one look at his new Mississippi State University playbook and realized he was exactly where he needed to be.

Baseball Bulldogs look for better offensive production

STARKVILLE — Statistics don’t lie.

Humbling loss at The Hump for MSU

STARKVILLE — After a 78-36 loss to the University of Missouri on Wednesday night, freshman center Gavin Ware summed up the attitude of the Mississippi State University men’s basketball team.

“Our coaches told us we have seven more games this season whether we like it or not,” Ware said with his head down at the podium.

The 52-point loss was the largest margin of defeat for MSU (7-16, 2-9 Southeastern Conference) in the 38-season history of Humphrey Coliseum. The previous worst loss was a 41-point loss to Vanderbilt University on Feb. 27, 1993.

Mullen adds Gonzales to coaching staff

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State University football coach Dan Mullen has added another familiar face to his coaching staff.

Multiple sources in the MSU football program confirmed Tuesday afternoon to The Dispatch that Billy Gonzales, a former offensive coordinator at the University of Illinois, had been hired at MSU as wide receivers coach. Gonzales, who will enter his 18th year as a Division I assistant coach, was in Starkville on Tuesday, and is expected to be introduced by the MSU administration this week, and possibly as early as today.

Starkville Academy boys complete sweep of Heritage Academy

JACKSON — Starkville Academy Athletic Director Glenn Schmidt said it best when she met her school’s boys basketball coach in the hallway at Hillcrest Christian School.

After a 56-41 victory in the first round of the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, Division II tournament Tuesday night, Schmidt wanted Mark Alexander to appreciate the moment.

MSU men will try to stop Missouri, Pressey

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State University men’s basketball coach Rick Ray knows the beginning and the end of the game plan for the University of Missouri.

Point guard Phil Pressey, a preseason All-American and likely first-round pick in the NBA draft, is the focal point for the Tigers on offense. The junior from Dallas will showcase his ability to control everything without having to score at 7 tonight (WCBI) when Missouri takes on MSU at Humphrey Coliseum.

Lindgren will start MSU baseball team’s opener

STARKVILLE — Sophomore left-hander Jacob Lindgren will start for the Mississippi State University baseball team at 4 p.m. Friday against the University of Portland in its season opener at Dudy Noble Field.

Starkville Academy girls begin title defense

JACKSON — Starkville Academy girls basketball coach Glenn Schmidt said it’s a “pleasure” to coach a veteran team focused on defending three championships.

Starkville Academy took the first step in that journey Tuesday night with a 74-18 victory against Lee Academy in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, Division II, Class tournament at Hillcrest Christian School.

Ray calls Steele’s suspension ‘selfish’ act

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State University men’s basketball Rick Ray made it clear Monday he wasn’t happy with his newest suspended player.

Two days after announcing the indefinite suspension of guard Jalen Steele, Ray called the act of the junior starter “selfish” and a “distraction” to a program that has lost eight straight Southeastern Conference games for the first time since 2006.

Former Bulldog Moore shares journey to MLB

STARKVILLE — Tyler Moore can say he has traveled from one end of the country to the other to make his Major League Baseball debut.

Sandberg interested in playing football, baseball at MSU

STARKVILLE — Cord Sandberg doesn’t want to be average at anything.

Pitching leads MSU softball to sweep

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State University softball program can point to pitching as a strength this season.

MSU rode a wave of pitching momentum to a doubleheader sweep of Tennessee State University and Georgia State University on Saturday in the second day of the Bulldog Kickoff Classic.

MSU (3-1) allowed just four hits in 8-0 and 9-1 run-rule victories.

MSU suspends Steele indefinitely

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State University men’s basketball will be without its most experienced guard for the foreseeable future.

MSU baseball team embraces depth at catcher position

STARKVILLE — The very last thing Mississippi State University pitching coach Butch Thompson wants to do is make Mitch Slauter be behind the plate in every game this season.