the dog show
The award for Best Performance, College Baseball Team, Mississippi Division is a no-brainer. Mississippi State had its best season ever, going 51-20, reaching the championship series of the College World Series and, in the process, driving up the price of maroon ink on the local market. So if the Bulldogs are No. 1 in the state, who’s No. 2? In the spirit of making lists, and closing the curtain on the 2013 college season, here goes: 2. Millsaps. The Majors (38-14) went to the Division III CWS after winning both the regular season and conference titles in the Southern Athletic Association. 3. Delta State. The Statesmen, regular season Gulf South Conference champs, made it to a Division II regional, where their season ended with a 44-11-1 mark. 4. Ole Miss. The Rebels won 38 games, losing 24, but couldn’t get out of the NCAA regional at Raleigh, N.C. 5. Southern Miss. The Eagles, 30-27 after a sluggish start, tied for the C-USA regular season crown and made it to the championship game of the league tournament. 6. Jackson State. The Tigers (34-22) won their division in the SWAC and won the SWAC Tournament, claiming the league’s automatic NCAA berth. 7. William Carey. The Crusaders (36-23) finished third in the tough Southern States Athletic Conference regular season race and were awarded an NAIA regional, where their season ended. 8. Belhaven. A fourth-place finish in the SSAC and a lackluster league tournament effort didn’t get the Blazers (37-21) an invite to the NAIA regionals. 9. Alcorn State. The Braves made the SWAC Tournament with a 14-10 league record and finished 16-41. 10. Mississippi College. The Choctaws suffered their second straight losing season (17-22) and didn’t make the postseason in the American Southwest Conference. 11. Blue Mountain. The Toppers, in their third NAIA season, finished 13-39. 12. Mississippi Valley State. The Delta Devils went 5-44, missing the SWAC Tournament a year after making the championship round. 13. Tougaloo. The Bulldogs, an NAIA independent, went 9-33. 14. Rust College. Based on available info, the D-III Bearcats were winless in 2013.