big picture

The last impression of the college season in the state is of that ground ball leaking into right field at Dudy Noble. The base hit by Cesar Salazar scored the game-winning, series-clinching run for Arizona in the Super Regional in Starkville. The crowd was crushed, and so was one of the great seasons in Mississippi State’s deep history. But that final thud was preceded by a whole lot of hootin’ and hollerin’ in the Magnolia State. To wit: Jones County Junior College won 54 games and a national title. Five four-year schools won 40 games, and three won conference titles. Each of the Big 3 NCAA Division I schools played in a regional, and so did D-II Delta State and NAIA William Carey. Jackson State (34-26) and Belhaven (20-18) had winning seasons, the Blazers while making the tricky transition from NAIA to D-III. Millsaps slipped to an uncharacteristic 20-21 overall but did go 12-10 in the Southern Athletic Association. Alcorn State, under first-year coach Brett Richardson, was 16-33 but 14-13 in the SWAC. Mississippi College, still in transition from D-III to D-II, improved from 12-34 to 17-30 under first-year coach Jeremy Haworth. Blue Mountain, still building an NAIA program (and a new field for 2017), set a school record for wins in a 23-32 campaign. Only Mississippi Valley State (6-36) and Tougaloo (9-42) had truly bad years. The disappointment in Starkville — and Oxford and Hattiesburg — will diminish with time. Looking back on the 2016 season, the sad end shouldn’t wipe out the joy of the journey. P.S. Southern Miss catcher Chuckie Robinson, a 21st-round pick last week (see previous post), has signed with the Houston Astros, according to mlb.com.