As always, college baseball becomes front page news as the calendar turns to June in the Magnolia State.
Ole Miss and Southern Miss baseball teams both will play later today for the right to host NCAA Super Regionals this weekend. Meanwhile, late Sunday night Mississippi State announced the hiring of Virginia’s legendary baseball coach Brian O’Connor in an effort to get the Bulldogs back to Omaha and the College World Series.
Ole Miss and Southern Miss dug themselves deep holes last Friday night by losing in the first rounds of the Oxford and Hattiesburg regionals. Both try to complete the rigorous climb out of those holes tonight.
Ole Miss will play Murray (Ky.) State at 5 p.m. in Oxford. Southern Miss will play Miami at 8 p.m. in Hattiesburg. Both games are sold out. Both will be televised. The Ole Miss game will be on the SEC Network and ESPN+. Both ESPN+ and ESPNU will televise Southern Miss-Miami.
After losing to Murray State 9-6 on Friday, the Rebels have won three straight games. They beat Western Kentucky 8-6 Saturday, before defeating Georgia Tech 11-9 and then Murray 19-8 on Sunday.
After losing to Columbia 11-4 on Friday, Southern Miss then came from behind to edge Alabama 6-5 on Saturday. The Golden Eagles then trounced Columbia 8-1 Sunday afternoon and then, despite losing two key infielders to injuries, pummeled Miami 17-6 Sunday night.
Should Ole Miss defeat Murray, the Rebels would face Duke in a Super Regional this weekend with the winner advancing to the College World Series.
Should Southern Miss defeat Miami, the Golden Eagles would host Louisville in a Super Regional with the winner advancing to Omaha.
Meanwhile, Mississippi State has hired a new coach quite familiar with Super Regionals and Omaha. O’Connor has taken Virginia to seven College World Series and his Cavaliers won the national championship in 2015. Already inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame, O’Connor, 54, has an overall coaching record of 917 victories, 388 defeats and two ties, a winning percentage of just over 70 percent.
MSU president Mark Keenum, in a press release, said: “At Mississippi State, we have a long tradition of success in baseball. The ‘M over S,’ the Maroon and White, and hosting postseason in Starkville is woven into the very fabric of who we are and what we expect of our baseball program. Brian O’Connor is an elite level coach that aligns perfectly with our elite level program. His past certainly speaks for itself, but his clear understanding of the evolution and future of college baseball is clear. We are in the pursuit of championships. I am thrilled for Coach O’Connor, our student-athletes and Bulldogs everywhere as this is a historic day for Mississippi State.”
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