an honorable mention

For Jones County Junior College, there is certainly no shame in coming in second in the nation. The Bobcats’ brilliant postseason run ended Saturday with an 11-1 loss to Western Oklahoma in the NJCAA Division II World Series final. The champion Pioneers simply overpowered JCJC and ace Andrew Pierce, belting three homers among their 13 hits. Jones finished 46-17 in its best season ever. Mississippi has a wealth of baseball talent, and its college programs have had many proud moments. But winning a national title is tough. Only two state schools have turned this trick, William Carey (NAIA) in 1969 and Delta State (NCAA Division II) in 2004. Mississippi State’s third-place finish in the 1985 CWS is the best showing by a D-I school.