opening day redux

For Mississippi State and Ole Miss, opening day is here again. The Southeastern Conference season begins tonight, when the Bulldogs visit Vanderbilt and the Rebels play host to Alabama. The good starts by the Dogs and Rebs — both are 14-4 — won’t mean so much if they stumble this weekend. State’s task is much more daunting; Vanderbilt is 17-1 and ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation. But Ole Miss may feel more urgency, opening at home against an 11-6 Bama team. Come Sunday night, reevaluations may be in order. … Conference play begins — or continues — for many of the state’s other schools this weekend, as well. Delta State, which has labored to a 12-9 start, hosts Arkansas-Monticello in its Gulf South Conference opening series. Elsewhere, Belhaven hosts Mobile and William Carey welcomes Loyola-New Orleans in Southern States Athletic Conference play; Mississippi College is home against American Southwest Conference rival Texas-Dallas; and Millsaps is on the road against Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Hendrix.
P.S. Former MSU star Jonathan Papelbon got roughed up in an outing for the Boston Red Sox on Thursday and saw his spring ERA rise to 12.60 in six games. Consequently, Red Sox Nation’s concern about its closer is also on the rise. Keep an eye on this situation.