Mississippi State softball enters national rankings after 9-1 start

Mississippi State hasn’t been ranked since the first week of the 2019 season, when it came in at No. 25.

Peace after Parkland: Two years after surviving Florida school shooting, Mississippi State catcher Jackie McKenna is trying to move on

Jackie McKenna spent hours in a closet at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School while Nikolas Cruz killed 17 people one building away. Two years later, McKenna has had to deal with the grief of the shooting and another shocking tragedy as she continues her MSU career.

Amaya Ford leads Starkville High girls in first-round win over DeSoto Central

Ford led the Yellow Jackets with 25 points Monday, but two crisp passes at key moments highlighted the breadth of her game.

Mississippi State softball suffers first loss of season, wins next three games at Bulldog Kickoff Classic

After the Bulldogs struggled to score against Tulsa on Friday afternoon, they righted the ship for the rest of the weekend.

Prep basketball roundup: DJ Hughes hits game-winner as New Hope boys edge Columbus for district title

The Trojans girls also beat the Falcons by just one point, as both New Hope teams earned a first-round bye in the Class 5A playoffs.

Caledonia senior Garrett Bergstrom signs to play soccer at Northwest Mississippi Community College

A former coach and an unlikely alliance are bringing Bergstrom to Senatobia.

Prep basketball: Will Teague, Jonathan Peal lead CCA boys over Tunica Academy in north state semifinal

The rhythm between the junior and the senior was evident Friday, and it carried the Rams to a 10-point win over the Blue Devils in Steens.

For children with special needs, Starkville’s Challenger basketball program is ‘uninhibited fun’

Martha Ann Welch played basketball in high school, so when she found out she was pregnant with a girl, she was excited.

“I was like, ‘She’s gonna be a basketball player!'” Welch recalled.

Prep basketball roundup: Pickens Academy (Ala.) girls reach state championship

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Pickens Academy (Alabama) girls basketball team beat Patrician Academy 49-29 on Thursday at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery to reach the AISA Class 2A championship game.

Pitching inexperience looms large as New Hope baseball shoots for second straight title

Although senior left-hander Ryan Burt returns, New Hope lost the other three of its top pitchers — and a whole lot of power in its starting lineup.

Prep basketball roundup: Heritage Academy boys rout Washington in first round of MAIS Class 4A north state tournament

The Heritage Academy girls were eliminated with a loss to Pillow Academy.

West Point product, EMCC freshman forward Ja’Mia Hollings leading Lions in standout season

Helping the Lions to a 19-2 start and a 10-0 record in division play, Hollings has won the conference’s player of the week award twice this season.

Mississippi State softball pours it on to run-rule Alabama State in home opener

The Bulldogs rebounded from a 2-2 tie in the third inning to score eight runs in the third and six more in the fourth. It was Mississippi State’s highest scoring output since 2014.

Talented newcomers, Roy Oswalt’s pitching expertise have Starkville Academy baseball feeling confident

“We’ve got a bunch of young guys that really have a lot of talent,” senior center fielder Sam Clark said.

Prep soccer: Starkville Academy boys shut out Heritage Academy in regular-season finale for Vols

Goalkeeper Charlie Cox shut out the Patriots, sophomore Isaac Lepard scored in the first half, and the Volunteers blanked the Patriots.

Prep basketball roundup: Columbus, New Hope boys and girls all win first-round games in district tournament

With the victories, the Falcons and Trojans will face off in the boys and girls tournament finals on Friday.

Returning most of last season’s title team, Heritage Academy baseball is primed for a repeat

Sophomore Cole Ketchum wasn’t worried when the Heritage Academy baseball team lost its first three games last season, and he’s not worried now.

The W’s planned baseball stadium could ‘change the game’ — but it’s still a ways away

Mississippi University for Women Athletic Director Jason Trufant knows fit is paramount when adding a new sports facility to an established campus.

Eighth-grade ‘phenom’ Na’Kaiyla Mason leads midseason turnaround for Noxubee County girls

MACON — It was mid-January, and the Noxubee County girls basketball team needed a spark.

Mississippi State softball run-rules NC State, wins NFCA Leadoff Classic

Denis’ three-run homer in the fifth gave MSU a walk-off victory on the mercy rule and earned the Bulldogs (4-0) the championship trophy for the tournament, based on their plus-5.5 average run differential.