Bulldogs continue to place focus on defensive end

STARKVILLE – Rick Ray simply is a big picture type of coach.

MSU baseball team will continue to pair starting pitchers

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State baseball team will continue to limit its starting pitchers to pitch counts in the opening month of the season for the third-straight season.

Shepard one of three verbal commitments to MSU

STARKVILLE — Three recruiting targets delivered the news the Mississippi State football coaching staff wanted to hear this weekend.

Three days prior to National Signing Day, MSU received verbal commitments from Holmes Community College defensive back Tee Shepard and Clarksdale High School prospects J.T. Gray and Elgton Jenkins.

Oswalt gives back at MSU baseball banquet

STARKVILLE –Through his 36-year life, Roy Oswalt has played for many professional teams, but only one label has fit: He’s a Weir, Miss., guy.

Oxford boys sweep regular season from West Point

WEST POINT — As he walked to the locker room at halftime, West Point High School boys basketball coach Brad Cox had an astonished look on his face as he peeked at the scoreboard.

“I looked up and then told one of my assistants, ‘How are we only up by one?’ ” Cox said.

MSU eyeing recruit Shepard

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State football team is looking to secure a few uncommitted prospects to complete a quiet and relatively uneventful final month before National Signing Day.

Young, Florida pull away from MSU in second half

STARKVILLE — Patric Young gave Gavin Ware a lesson on what it means to be a big man in a power conference Thursday night.

Despite being listed as 22 pounds lighter than Mississippi State’s sophomore center, Florida’s senior center scored 12 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and blocked three shots to lead the No. 3 Florida men’s basketball team to a 62-51 victory at Humphrey Coliseum.

Florida’s Donovan likes MSU’s progress

STARKVILLE — Florida men’s basketball coach Billy Donovan likes the development of Mississippi State’s program.

Donovan is 3-0 against MSU second-year coach Rick Ray, but his team struggled for about 25 minutes en route to a 62-51 victory Thursday night. The margin of victory was significantly less than last season, when Florida beat MSU by an average of 30 points in its two meetings.

No. 3 Florida presents major challenge for MSU

STARKVILLE — The two things Mississippi State never wants to see consistently in a opponent’s defense is constant pressure that backs into a zone look.

Defensive intensity leads Starkville past West Point

WEST POINT – Greg Carter wants the third quarter his team played Tuesday night to show them how effective they can be if they’re intense on the defensive end.

Bulldogs still looking at options to complete football staff

STARKVILLE – Two distinctly different directions could be taken by the Mississippi State football program with its open assistant coaching position.

SEC: No punishment for MSU’s Ray

STARKVILLE –The Southeastern Conference is satisfied with how Mississippi State men’s basketball coach Rick Ray handled the aftermath of an incident Saturday involving Ole Miss’ Marshall Henderson.

MSU baseball will have several positional battles

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State baseball team likely won’t settle its positional battles until Opening Day.

That doesn’t seem to both MSU coach John Cohen, who plans to use the first month of the season will determine playing time at shortstop, catcher, right and left field and at pitcher.

Ray apologizes for incident with Ole Miss’ Henderson

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State men’s basketball coach Rick Ray issued an apology Sunday afternoon for his interaction with Ole Miss guard Marshall Henderson near the end of his team’s 82-63 loss at Tad Smith Coliseum.

Road woes continue for MSU men

OXFORD — Rick Ray needed just three words to describe the Mississippi State men’s basketball team’s trip to Tad Smith Coliseum on Saturday night.

“We didn’t compete,” Ray said with his head down.

Ray sits starters for lack of effort

OXFORD — Rick Ray finally had enough Saturday.

With 16 minutes, 9 seconds remaining in the game, the MSU second-year men’s basketball coach looked down his bench and was desperate to find five players who wanted to play with effort at Ole Miss. He said he wasn’t trying to send a message when he substituted his five starters, but it may have been interpreted as one in an 82-63 loss at Tad Smith Coliseum.

MSU bracing for Henderson’s return

Mississippi State men’s basketball coach Rick Ray knows he can toss the game film of his team’s victory against Ole Miss earlier this month in the trash.

Ray will have to devise a new game plan because senior guard Marshall Henderson will be back for the Rebels when the teams face off at 3 p.m. Saturday (WCBI) at Tad Smith Coliseum.

Cunningham provides huge spark as MSU gets past Auburn

STARKVILLE — Tyson Cunningham had the most significant two-minute stretch of his college basketball career Wednesday night.

Bulldogs most likely without Ready against Auburn

STARKVILLE – When asked about the status of IJ Ready for the third time in four days, MSU coach Rick Ray simply shook his head.

Collins signs extension, gets raise to stay at MSU

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State made a commitment to defensive coordinator Geoff Collins to keep him on its football coaching staff.