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Bulldogs

Cotton District

Arts Festival

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Opiod Deaths

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No. 14 Kentucky pg. 6

The

TUESDAY APRIL 11, 2017

Reflector

131st YEAR ISSUE 46

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884

Starkville celebrates Lady Bulldogs’ historic run

Speed limit to be lowered on Greek rows

by Samantha Neargarder Staff Writer

Growing concern for safety on sorority and fraternity rows on the Mississippi State University campus has sparked a change that will be implemented soon; the Student Association passed a resolution on Feb. 23 to change the speed limit.

The current 20 mph speed limit will change to 10 mph on all greek roads with parking on both sides.

This lower speed limit is the result of concern from the students who frequently drive on these roads.

A survey completed by greek row residents on MSU’s campus showed 70 percent of students knew someone who was involved in an accident on sorority or fraternity rows, while 10 percent of students were involved in an accident themselves.

For MSU Chief of Police Vance Rice, the need for a change reached him around spring break, when MSU’s Student Association sent Rice

by Kristina Norman Staff Writer

People from across Starkville gathered downtown Friday afternoon to celebrate and honor the Mississippi State University’s women’s basketball team for its many successes this season.

Hundreds of people lined the sidewalks and roadways on Main Street.

The Famous Maroon Band entertained the crowds with a variety of sounds, as people waited in anticipation for the team’s arrival.

When the team made its grand entrance, crowds applauded and cheered the team on to the stage in front of city hall at the end of Main Street.

Mayor Parker Wiseman was on the stage to greet them..

At the ceremony, Wiseman gave the team’s head coach Vic Schaefer a key to the city. He also congratulated Schaefer and his team on its succesful season.

Among the team’s successes was the monumental win over the University of Connecticut in the Final Four, a win which enabled them to play in the national championship game for the first time in MSU women’s basketball history.

Although the team did not win the national title this season, fans had much to celebrate. Among the team’s accomplishments, they won the most games in a single season for the university’s men’s or women’s basketball team.

Wiseman and Schaefer, like many others in attendance, had memories of the team’s game against UConn played on March 31. Few people believed MSU could win the game against UConn. Schaefer and his players, however, believed they could and the team did, shocking the entire country.

The game itself was a rematch for the two teams. Both met in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in last year’s tournament. In that game, MSU lost to UConn by 60 points, the largest margin of defeat for any team in a regional.

Read more online at www.reflector-online.com

Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector

their passed resolution calling for more traffic and parking enforcement for greek row.

“Once students came back, [from spring break]

I went out and drove around, and started down one street right at 20 mph and thought, ‘This is too fast,’” Rice said. “I thought, ‘We have got to

fix this.’”

In Rice’s opinion, the speed limit was too fast for the area because of the on-street parking where people have to back out

their cars. Backing out of a parking spot is the biggest cause of accidents on Greek row.

The 10 mph speed limit will be implemented once signs are set up to inform drivers of the change. The consequence of driving over 10 mph will be an MSU speeding citation, which is $150.

“This amount is meant to be painful and to be a deterrent to speeding,” Rice said.

There will be a grace period for students to adapt to the change. MSU police officers will give warnings for the first few weeks the speed limit change is in effect, will contact all chapters notifying them of the change and continue to tweet steady reminders.

Jacqueline Mullen, director of student activities, said she thinks this change is good for the safety of the students and believes, for the most part, students want a safer environment on the row and will support the change.

“I think they feel there are too many accidents occurring, or too many potential accidents occurring,” Mullen said.

SPEED LIMITS, 2

MSU encourages students to pursue prestigious awards

by Sean McCarthy Staff Writer

Bailey McDaniel never imagined herself as a Truman scholarship finalist.

As a first-generation college student, she makes strides to go above and beyond during her time at Mississippi State University.

Her involvement and academic performance made McDaniel, a criminology major from Corinth, Mississippi, a prime candidate for the Truman scholarship.

McDaniel credits the office of external and prestigious scholarships and its director, Tommy Anderson, as key advisors during her application process.

Her positive experience is echoed by a number of other students who have worked with the scholarship office, including 2016 Rhodes finalist Holly Travis, a political science and criminology double major from Starkville, Mississippi.

The scholarship office, located on the second floor of Griffis Hall, helps students apply for a variety of grants, fellowships and scholarships. These include the Rhodes, Truman, Udall, Goldwater and Marshall scholarships. MSU is home to two Rhodes scholars, 18 Truman scholars and 16 Goldwater scholarship recipients.

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The scholarship office familiarizes and prepares undergraduates for the rigorous process of pursuing these awards.

The Goldwater scholarship grants up to $7,500 per year to an upperclassman majoring in science, mathematics or engineering.

The Truman gives $30,000 to a junior aiming to pursue a graduate degree and is committed to public service.

The Rhodes and Marshall scholarships fund two years of study in Britain, while the George J. Mitchell scholarship fund two years of study in Ireland. The scholarship office seeks to ascertain students’ qualifications and position them on a path to achieving these awards.

The idea for the scholarship office began with Chris Snyder, dean of the Shackouls Honor College, who looked to improve upon scholarship awareness by providing a singular office to promote student achievement.

Anderson, an MSU english professor, recruits students who are eager to compete for these national awards.

“Mississippi State has some incredible, highachieving intellectuals and researchers who deserve to compete at the national level,” Anderson said. “That has been my motivating force.”

Anderson said there is

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Megan Bean | Courtesy Photo

Bailey McDaniel was a Truman Scholarship finalist. The Truman Scholarship is considered the nationʼs most prestigious scholarship.

a challenge in serving the entire student body from within the honors college.

However, he said he wants students to understand the office of scholarships is not reserved to honors students and is open to any undergraduate interested in applying for scholarships.

“This a full service office where you can tell me your hopes and dreams, and how I can get you there. I try to put these opportunities within a framework of the student’s already identified goals and ambitions,” Anderson said.

“My job is to position these opportunities within the

FORECAST: Temperatures will be warm and conditions dry. The highest chance of rain will be today.

Overall, a beautiful and warm week awaits the bulldogs!

umbrella of achievement that you’ve already identified as your goal.”

Anderson said he wants students to understand these applications will not divert them from their previous set plans, but will instead add to their professional experience.

He said constructing a narrative of achievement is necessary to excel within the application process.

The scholarship office is best utilized to provide a roadmap for the application process, and Anderson serves as a mentor to provide guidance to applicants.

The scholarship office will contact individuals for letters of recommendation, revise application responses and even conduct mock interviews for the student to partake in.

McDaniel’s path to being named a Truman finalist began with her work as a social activist on the MSU campus. Along with advocating for diversity on campus, she is currently serving as the president of the LGBTQ+ Union and recently received a 2016 outstanding woman award by the President Mark Keenum’s commission on the status of women.

SCHOLARSHIPS, 2

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NEWS

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY APRIL 11, 2017

SPEED LIMITS Mullen said, there is a greater concern on the fraternity side of Greek row because all MSU students use this road, as well as fraternity and sorority members.

“Because of the intersection, it is a through street and it is much more traveled,” Mullen said.

Jessica Bullock, a sophomore civil

CONTINUED FROM 1

engineering major, is a member of the Phi Mu sorority, said she does not fully agree with the new change.

“I understand the intentions of the change, however, I don’t think it is going to solve the problem of those who do speed,” Bullock said. “I think the MSU police department on the row should have been

SCHOLARSHIPS McDaniel said she urges students who are uncertain about applying to take the opportunity anyways.

“The applications can be very extensive, but just do it anyway,” McDaniel said. “It’s fun, you learn more about yourself. You’ll understand, or have an idea, of what you’ll want to do with your life. It’s a good experience for your personal growth.”

Travis said she also encourages students to pursue these scholarships.

more intentional about punishing the students that do make dangerous speeds around the row instead of lowering the speed limit.”

Members of the Greek community are encouraged to be aware of the change in speed limit, which are effective immediately after the new signs are put in place.

CONTINUED FROM 1

Although she was not selected as a Rhodes recipient, she had the opportunity to gain insight into the application process which helped her grow academically and professionally.

For students who are interested in applying for a prestigious scholarship, Travis suggests a timely start.

“I would advise anyone considering Rhodes or other prestigious scholarships to start early and carefully

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construct a compelling narrative,” Travis said.

Travis plans to follow a career in public defense and after graduation she will teach English in Cusco, Peru, for a year. She also intends to apply for law school in the fall.

After attending graduate school, McDaniel aims to open a non-profit organization to assist male and gender non-conforming survivors of sexual assault.

Eventually, she wants to come back to Mississippi and run for office, starting on the local level and rising to state office.

As the 2017-2018 application process begins, Anderson encourages students to stop by his office located in Griffis Hall, room 206 to learn more about the opportunities available for MSU students. He can also be reached at tpa14@ msstate.edu.

EXPIRES 05/04/2017

Wednesday April 5, 2017 5:53 p.m. Employee driving a university owned vehicle with tent poles in the back accidentally struck a camper at Dudy Noble Field.

Thursday April 6, 2017 12:12 a.m. Student was arrested in Starkville for DUI and careless driving.

7:05 a.m. Employee reported graffiti on an electric box near Hull Hall.

Friday April 7, 2017 11:42 a.m. Student reported an older male showing his private parts while she was walking off campus.

Saturday April 8, 2017 1:05 a.m. Non-Resident/visitor was arrested in Lloyd Ricks parking lot for public intoxication.

1:41 a.m. Student was arrested on Creelman Street for DUI, careless driving and improper equipment. Justice Court citations and Student Referalls were issued.

3:01 a.m. Non-Resident/visitor was arrested in Bost Extension parking lot for DUI, minor in possession of alcohol and possession of a fake ID. Justice Court citations were issued.

4:26 a.m. Student was issued a Justice Court citation and Student Referral for discharging fire extinguishers inside the Kappa Sigma House.

5:12 p.m. Student was arrested on Fraternity Row for public intoxication. Justice Court citation and Student Referrals were issued.

9:42 p.m. Non-Resident/visitor was arrested on sorority row for DUI, driving on wrong side of the road and minor in possession of alcohol. Justice Court citations were issued.

10:59 p.m. Student was arrested at the Phi Delta Theta house for public intoxication. Justice Court citations and Student Referral were issued.

Sunday April 9, 2017 1:15 a.m. Non-Resident/visitor was arrested in the Sigma Chi house for DUI and possession fo a fake ID. Justice Court citation was issued.

11:00 a.m. Student was issued a referral for smoking in Rice Hall.

IMAGINE A BETTER WORLD.

WE ARE. EXPIRES 05/04/2017

EXPIRES 05/04/2017

Imagine a world where sustainable energy powers our daily commute and where our nation is safe from cyber-attacks. Imagine a world where food shortages are replaced with food abundance and where the flu is something our children will read about in history books. Imagine a world where the spark of an idea can grow into a solution that molds the future. Imagine a world where inspiration gives birth to innovation. We are, at Mississippi State University, where we ring true. MSSTATE.EDU

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THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY APRIL 11, 2017

CLASSIFIEDS The deadline for Tuesday’s paper is 3 p.m. Thursday. The deadline for Friday’s paper is 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Classifieds are listed at $5 per issue. Student and staff ads are listed at $3 per issue, pre-paid. Lost and found items: Found items can be listed for free; lost items are listed at standard ad cost.

FOR RENT Sublease 3 Bedroom/1 Bath brick house with large backyard. 513 Overstreet Drive in Starkville, MS. $975/ month.

Two rooms for

rent with two full bathrooms. Hardwood and ceramic tile flooring, garage parking, fenced in backyard, and a large living area with a fire place. Only seven minutes from campus.

For more information call 662-312-5630 ESTATE SALES Huge 3-day estate sale on April 21, 22, and 23 in Browning Creek Subdivision. For more information or pictures, call 662-321-1261.

CLUB INFO The deadline for Tuesday’s paper is 3 p.m.

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MSU student organizations may place free announcements in Club Info. Information may be submitted by email to club_info@ reflector.msstate.edu with the subject heading “CLUB INFO,” or a form may be completed The Reflector at office in the Student Media Center. A contact name, phone number and requested run dates must be included for club info to appear in The Reflector. All submissions are subject to exemption according to space availability.

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OPINION

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY APRIL 11, 2017

Something must be done about opioid epidemic

by Steven Weirich Contributing Writer

In recent months, there has been a discussion on the high rate of opiod prescriptions to medical patients.

Recently, a research paper was published which added context to these discussions and should be used when legislation is being drafed.

On March 23, prominent economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton published a follow-up to their stirring research paper which came out last fall. This original paper, which was titled “Rising morbidity and mortality in midlife among white Americans in the 21st century,” presented a number of statistics that came as quite a shock to many people.

The paper stated (over the past few decades) while the rates of mortality and morbidity have decreased ,for most American citizens, there has been a marked increase in mortality and morbidity factors among middle aged, white Americans.

According to the paper, the mortality rate for middle aged, white Americans stopped falling around the turn of the century, despite the fact that it fell by around two percent each year from 1978 to 1998. In fact, they found the mortality rate increased for this group up through 2013, which was the last year Case and Deaton

were able to collect data for the report. Increases were found again in the data on morbidity.

Deaton and Case used data from surveys on how people rated their own health, and in their comparison between the surveys conducted during 19971999 and the surveys in 2011-2013, they were able to show that there was a statistically significant increase in reports of worsened health.

This included increases in the amount of reported pain, psychological distress and more trouble with activities of daily living.

in the original research, but this time they went deeper into what they believe could be the causes. In the paper, Deaton and Case suggest a theory for this rise in mortality and morbidity, which they call the “cumulative disadvantage” over life.

Basically, the authors think that in many different categories, whether labor market outcomes, marriage and family life, or in health, the middle aged white demographic has seen steadily worsening outcomes over the years.

In relation to the education factor, they discuss how

“With the increased debate as to how policy-

makers should address the opioid crisis in the United States, finding answers to these questions will become even more important.”

It should also be pointed out this correlation seemed most prevalent in midlife white Americans without a college degree. The authors noted there was no certainty in what was causing these increases, but they note that it roughly corresponded with the rise of opioid prescriptions in the late 1990s.

In Case and Deaton’s latest paper, which bears the title “Mortality and morbidity in the 21st century”, the authors returned to the data points which they discussed

globalization and technological changes have altered the U.S. economy. The supply of decent jobs that do not require a college degree has declined, which is reflected in an overall decrease in the real wages of people holding only a high school diploma.

Case and Deaton theorize that this could have far-reaching implications for the other previously mentioned factors such as marriage and family life, as there has been a decline in marriage rates over this time

period as well.

Men in this demographic have become less marriageable (due to declining wages), and this has led to an ongoing cycle of lower personal happiness in regards to family life, as well as a decline in health in well-being, as these people try to cope with their unhappiness by embracing certain vices, such as food, alcohol, or as mentioned earlier, opioid prescriptions.

To be clear, these are just theories that are being advanced by the two economists, and there is no clear proof yet that their claims are true. Per an article in the Washington Post, economist Adriana Lleras-Muney from UCLA noted that, “Their paper documents some facts. What is the story behind those facts is a matter of speculation.” This is an excellent way to frame the debate, as there is a clear need to have more research conducted to determine what exactly is causing these unfortunate effects.

With the increased debate as to how policymakers should address the opioid crisis in the United States, finding answers to these questions will become even more important, but a good place to start will be research papers. The solution to combatting opiod usage will not be simple, but policymakers must consider the reasoning behind the addiction before drafting legislation.

White Opiod Deaths

27,056 Black Opiod Deaths

2,741 Hispanic Opiod Deaths

2,507 Opiod Deaths in 2015 total

33,091 Jennifer McFadden, The Re ector

REFLECTIONS Abraham Lincoln

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”

Game developers should focus on quality over speed and production time I finally come out as a hipster? Not quite, but being anti-mainstream does have a few legs to stand on. The first of which involves the laziness with which many major gaming franchises have handled their releases in recent years.

Gamers’ minds will quickly jump to yearly-release series

Chris Lowe

Plain and simple.”

However, more beloved series such as Halo, Dragon Age and Mass Effect have also committed a few different no-no’s, and it is quite obvious that their reasons for mistakes are no more noble. Whether it is releasing essentially the same game on a year-

how little care was placed into a game’s creation, there are 10 who buy the game based on name or hype alone. It is almost wrong to blame the developers entirely, because the nature of the industry demands they not take the necessary time to perfect their product.

ing to pay. Since $60 is not enough profit per buyer, a good percentage of major gaming franchises now release every game with a $20 or $30 “season pass” which includes all downloadable content (DLC) released in the future.

For some games, DLC

Gamers are not patient enough to wait for new releases, which hurts the gaming industry as a whole.

The gaming world has also adopted the trends of microtransactions and overdone downloadable content because there are too many consumers will-

includes things which should have been in the base game from the beginning, and for others still, the DLC is actually on the disk when the game is bought, but must be unlocked through paying more money. This is a blatant cash grab. It spits in the face of people who

is a sophomore majoring in business information systems. He can be contacted at opinion@reflector.msstate.edu.

Gaming has been one of my favorite pastimes for as long as I can remember. Some call it a waste of time and others call it an art form, but just about everyone would agree gaming has become a titan of entertainment.

In many ways, this popularity is exactly what gaming needs because it brings profit and interest to a field that, for many years, was a niche hobby.

However, as with anything that begins to bring in heavy revenue, the gaming industry has become overly-saturated with titles that are not very inspired and business practices that alienate dedicated fans. In short, the video game industry has almost become too mainstream for its own good.

Is this the article where

Jennifer McFadden, The Reflector like Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, and every sports gaming franchise in existence when they think of series in which originality is tossed to the wayside in lieu of maximizing profit.

Tom Marks from PC Gamer said, “When you make games for a deadline, the games don’t get finished.

ly basis or pushing development so much that the game is broken from day one, game companies are getting away with practices that would tank companies in other industries.

Gaming has garnered such an audience that, for every person who pays enough attention to see

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The

stay loyal to certain game franchises, but it is done anyway because companies make up for the money lost by game boycotters as a result.

In addition, microtransactions have all but ruined mobile gaming in the US before the industry even got off the ground, and the problem has started to seep into console and PC gaming.

Paying $2 to gain a level or unlock a gun might sound innocuous enough, but developers have realized just how many people will pay $2 repeatedly.

In some games, it is a necessity to pay extra money to be competitive.

A survey from Gamespot states, “68 percent of people believe the pay-to-win aspect of microtransactions within gaming is unfortunate.”

To me, being mainstream only allows enough popularity to be profitable even when the games suck. Sure, there are modern games that obviously have the utmost care placed into them, but there are way more games that exist solely to make money. I cannot stand behind that fact, and while I will still enjoy gaming in spite of this, it is obvious this sad trend will only continue.

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Content is determined solely by the student editorial staff. The contents of The Reflector have not been approved by Mississippi State University.

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THE REFLECTOR

TUESDAY APRIL 11, 2017

Arts Festival brings culture to the Cotton District

by Courtney O’Brien Staff Writer

This weekend marked the 31st annual Super Bulldog Weekend. The event had activities for everyone.

Whether attendees love football, baseball, softball, barrel racing or just wanted an excuse to ring your cowbell this weekend had something for them.

Daniel Clapper, a junior broadcasting major, said he loves the excitement of Super Bulldog Weekend.

“I’ve really enjoyed the atmosphere of my first Super Bulldog Weekend,” Clapper said. “I think it’s great that we’re celebrating all our sports teams and the arts all weekend long.”

The Mississippi Horse Park held their sixth annual Starkville Lucky Dog Barrel Race over the weekend.

Casey Griffin, a senior accounting major, said she had a great time at the Horse Park.

“I love to see a good rodeo,” Griffin said. “It’s a good time and family friendly. I love to see everyone come out for it.”

Griffin said.

The spring football game and other sporting events gave students an excuse to warm up their cowbells.

The Cotton District Arts Festival, put on by the Starkville Area Arts Council and Maxx South, provided attendees with a variety of opportunities.

Attendees could immerse themselves in a

wide range of art forms or shop for a variety of items at booths set up along the road.

Booths at the Arts Festival sold items including artisan sauces, beard oil, old fashioned ice cream, jewelry made from silverware, crocheted goods and food from several local restaurants.

During Super Bulldog Weekend, thousands of alumni, residents of the Golden Triangle Region, and current students flock to the Cotton District Arts Festival. Artists of all kinds came to sell their wares and share their talents.

River Shadix, a junior business major. said she came to the festival to buy pottery.

“I love Super Bulldog Weekend,” Shadix said.

“How can you not love a free football game, being able to buy beer off the street, or food on a stick?”

Shadix said.

Callie Bradford, a sophomore music major, said she was most excited about the poetry slam.

“It’s such a cool experience to be able to hear what people think of my poetry and to hear poetry from other people who are writing about the same world and pressures I am,” said Bradford.

In addition to the poetry slam, there was also an art

Taylor Robbina | The Reflector

The Cotton District Arts Festival welcomed visitors from various places on Saturday. The festival was part of Mississippi State Universityʼs celebration of Super Bulldog Weekend.

competition, where artists could win cash prizes, and a pet parade.

The festival had four stages for performers.

The festival featured live bands such as Jake Slinkard & Co, The Girl Skoutz, Kannawemz, Flathead Ford and the Cedric Burnside Project. Previous winners from Dave’s Singer Songwriter contest performed at the festival

for cash prizes.

Other performances included everything from Mississippi State University international clubs to belly dancing. The stages were filled with entertainment and opportunities to delve into different cultures.

Ashley Farris, a freshman from Belhaven University, said she came to Starkville to attend the Arts Festival.

“I love the dancing,.”

Faris said. “As an aspiring dancer, it thrills me to see the way they move. The belly dancers have the ability to move their bellies in ways I’ve never seen before.”

The Cotton District Arts Festival is selling merchandise on their website for attendees who would like a way to remember the Arts Festival for more than a weekend.

Entertainment this week Tuesday, April 11th 7:30pm - 9:30pm

University Bands - Jazz Concert

Bettersworth Auditorium

Wednesday, April 12th 9:00pm - 12:00am Old Row Presents Neutral Snap Rick’s Cafe Americain

UNPARALLELED AMENITIES

Thursday, April 13th 5:30pm - 7:30pm

Starkville Young Professionals - April Social

5:30pm - 7:00pm

The Maroon Five Brass Quintet

Two Brothers Smoked Meats Central Station Grill

9:00pm - 12:00am DJ GLOtron

Cowbells Sports Grill

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Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern

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11:00pm - 3:00am DJ GLOtron

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Saturday, April 15th 10:00pm - 1:00 am Jonny Hollis

Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern

11:00pm - 3:00am DJ GLOtron

Cowbells Sports Grill

662.324.2641 327 A. Hwy 12 W Starkville, MS 39759 consignrevolution.com

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SPORTS

THE REFLECTOR TUESDAY APRIL 11, 2017

Softball: Alexis Silkwood sets a career record in MSU’s series win over Carolina

Alayna Stevens | The Reflector

Brent Rooker celebrates with his team after hitting a home run on Saturday. Rookerʼs play this week earned him multiple Player of the Week honors.

Baseball: Rooker, diamond dogs get big win in SBW series versus No. 14 Kentucky

by Taylor Rayburn Sports Editor

No. 21 Mississippi State University (22-12, 8-4 SEC) left Super Bulldog Weekend with their fi rst series win since 2013 after topping No. 14 Kentucky (22-11, 8-4 SEC) on Saturday and Sunday.

“What an outstanding weekend for us, just so proud of our guys,” head coach Andy Cannizaro said. “It was a total team effort all weekend long, we are playing with a lot of confidence right now.”

After losing game one on Friday, it looked to be another rough Super Bulldog Weekend for MSU baseball, but thanks to Brent Rooker on Saturday and Trey Jolly on Sunday, MSU pulled out a series victory over Kentucky MSU was swept in their fi rst SEC series of the season three weekends ago against No. 15 Arkansas (25-8, 8-4 SEC). It looked to be a rough year for the diamond dogs, but since then, they have swept Tennessee (17-12, 3-9 SEC) and won the series at Ole Miss (20-12, 6-6 SEC).

MSU’s recent series win puts them in a tie for fi rst place in the SEC. Second baseman Hunter Stovall said how things are different now compared to three weeks go.

“It is huge, it puts us tied for fi rst place, which is humongous after getting swept the fi rst weekend,” second baseman Hunter Stovall said. “We are coming together as a team and I love what we are doing, it is awesome.”

Brent Rooker had another spectacular

weekend, including a legendary performance on Saturday. On Saturday alone, Rooker hit three home runs, including a grand slam, and batted six runs home. The day closed a spectacular week for Rooker.

“I don’t know what is going on, I’m just going to be honest with you guys,” Rooker said after his game Saturday. “There is a lot of God happening right now and not a lot of Brent, for whatever reason he is blessing me with success right now and I don’t know why, I don’t the reason behind it, but I am enjoying it while it last.”

Including both MSU’s weekend series against Kentucky and their two games against FIU last Tuesday and Wednesday, Rooker has 13 RBIs. Over that same span he is 10-16 at the plate, had a .625 batting average, hit six home runs, and was issued five walks. He has an on-base percentage of .750, and a slugging percentage of 1.813 over the last five games.

“What he is doing right now, it so special.

It is an honor to watch him hit every single day,” baseball head coach Andy Cannizaro said after the game. “We keep talking about how smart of a hitter he is, he processes information so well, he is not missing pitches, he is confident, he has a plan, he is executing his game plan right now to perfection. It really is one of the most special things I have seen a hitter do.”

Rooker was named SEC Player of the Week for his play. He was also named the National Player of the Week

by Collegiate Baseball. He currently leads the SEC in nine offensive categories.

MSU’s pitching staff is decimated by injuries this season. The team had to use two position players to start games two and three versus Kentucky, which is unheard of in the SEC. With a shallow bullpen and MSU playing, the best offense in the SEC going into the weekend, it looked like it could be a rough weekend for the Bulldogs.

However, thanks to strong team effort from the staff on Saturday and an outstanding outing for Trey Jolly on Sunday, MSU’s pitching staff pitched a solid weekend.

Trey Jolly had the best outing of any pitcher on the weekend. On Sunday, he pitched 5.1 innings, gave up only three hits, none of which went for extra bases, and gave up one run.

Jolly said he was getting more confident as he got more innings in.

“I started getting confident after the fi rst inning. I was like alright I think I can do this,” Jolly said. “The second inning, I was like I’m feeling pretty good, after the third I had really gotten on a roll and just kept going.”

MSU will face off against Mississippi Valley State (4-21, 3-12 SEC) tonight at 6:30 p.m. After that they they go on the road and play No. 11 South Carolina (219, 7-4 SEC) for their series against them on Friday.

“I think our team, we hit the ball very well and I mean hats off to them they have a good defense, but I think we hit the ball very well so we’ll come back and we’ll see them again,” Robinson said This is exactly what the bulldogs did for the second game of the series. Beating the Gamecocks 6-4 in game two of the series, Silkwood had a record breaking game by setting the MSU record of 56-career victories.

“It just means we are unstoppable,” Silkwood said. “We can compete with the best of the best because we are the best of the best.”

series ended in a Bulldog victory and a winning homerun

by Brianna Walker hit from Morgan Bell.

Staff Writer “I think she might have hit that one over to Tupelo”, Stuedeman said. “It was well struck and it was a very big Super Bulldog Weekend is time in the game and it really one of the biggest weekends put us back on top.” for sports at Mississippi State Accompaning Bell with University (29-13, 4-8 SEC) such great offensive play and it was a big weekend for was Calyn Adams, who Softball. had a career day by matchThe Mississippi State ing a 3-3 performance with Bulldogs hosted the South three RBI’s and one double.

Carolina Gamecocks for Adding to the offense was the Super Bulldog Weekend Cassady Knudsen, Holly series and played in front of Ward and Silkwood, who bigger crowds than usual each got a hit. since many fans came in “Hats off to Cassady, from out of town.

Holly, and Silkwood “It’s awesome to see all of Starkville “Since day one we said she is a for being able to juggle that and going in out here and playing in front of them, you Bulldog through and through, she’ll and out, that takes some mental toughcan’t describe it you Stuedeman just want to go out f ight you and f ight you and f ight ness”, said. “Coming from there and fight until behind always shows you have no fight left you and never go away.” the grit of your team and that’s never going and the belief they to happen,” Silkwood -Head coach Vann Stuedeman have in one another said. “It’s just fun to This record will accom- that no matter the score they go out there and do it not just for the girl next to you, pany the records Silkwood can keep fighting and good but do it for Starkville, do it holds for the most strikeouts things will happen”.

The final game of the for this University, and do it at 531 and the most completSuper Bulldog Weekend for all the little girls that play ed game at 48.

“I’m just super proud series was the first game to softball.”

The series began Friday of her”, MSU coach Vann secure an SEC series win of April 7, as the Bulldogs fell Stuedeman said. “Since day the season.

After taking the Super to the Gamecocks by a score one we said she is a Bulldog through and through. She’ll Bulldog series against South of 3-0.

South Carolina’s defense fight you and fight you and Carolina, the Bulldogs will fight you and never go away. face the No. 18 University seemed unmatchable.

Bevia Robinson, a junior That’s all you ask her to do is of Georgia Bulldogs (27-12, from Harvest, Alabama, fight and that shows by set- 2-9 SEC) in Athens Georgia thought they hit well in spite ting a career win record for April 14 at 5 p.m. This series will be streamed online on of the tough defense they MSU.” The final game of the the SEC Network+. played.