Wednesday Bulldog Update - 5/16/12
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LISTEN TO BULLDOG SOFTBALL IN NCAA REGIONAL ACTION
Our softball team departed yesterday for NCAA Regional play at Eugene, Ore., the program’s first post-season appearance in three years. Coach Vann Stuedeman and her team plays BYU in NCAA First Round action Thursday, and you can listen to the audio broadcast of the game free on our web site (www.hailstate.com/hstvlive).
I’m so proud of our players and coaches. They’ve worked incredibly hard to represent Our State in a positive way on the field and in the community. And, by the way, they also posted a collective 3.34 grade point average this spring. These ladies are certainly worth a “Hail State.”
CONGRATULATIONS TO MEN’S TRACK
Congratulations go out to our men’s track program, currently ranked 16th in the country, for its fifth-place finish at the SEC Outdoor Track & Field championship last weekend in Baton Rouge, La., the program’s highest in 23 years. Coach Steve Dudley and his men’s track team will compete in NCAA regional action, May 24-26, at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
OUR STATE TOUR PRESENTED BY BANCORPSOUTH BEGINS
The nine-stop, seven-day “Our State Tour Presented by BancorpSouth,” spread over a two-month period this spring and summer begins Monday, May 21, in Hattiesburg and Biloxi.
Head football coach Dan Mullen, men’s head basketball coach Rick Ray, and I will join other university and athletic department officials at each of the events on the tour. The meetings conclude at the July 19 Central Mississippi Extravaganza in Jackson.
In addition to the personal appearances, fans, alumni and Bulldog Club members will be treated to videos highlighting the university and the athletic program. University merchandise, food and beverages will also be available for purchase.
Further information, including any admission costs, about each tour stop will be available at hailstate.com and the Alumni Association web site (http://alumni.msstate.edu/ourstatetour).
OUR STATE TOUR
Monday, May 21
Hattiesburg – Southern Oaks House and Gardens (1246 Richburg Rd.), 11:30 a.m.
Biloxi – Biloxi Yacht Club (408 Beach Blvd.), 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 22
Meridian – Kahlmus Auditorium, MSU Meridian (1000 Hwy 19 North), 11:30 a.m.
Olive Branch – Whispering Woods Conference Center (11200 East Goodman Rd.), 6 p.m.
Wednesday, May 23
Greenwood – Leflore County Civic Center (200 Hwy 7 South), 6 p.m.
Monday, June 4
Birmingham – Greystone Country Club (4100 Greystone Dr.), 6 p.m.
Tuesday, June 5
Tupelo – BancorpSouth Conference Center (387 East Main St.), 6 p.m.
Thursday, June 7
Houston, Texas (location to come)
Thursday, July 19
Central Mississippi Alumni Association Summer Extravaganza – Jackson Convention Center (105 East Pascagoula St.), 5:30 p.m.
SUPPORT BASEBALL IN FINAL HOME WEEKEND
I hope that you will be able to join us this Thursday through Saturday, May 17-19, when Coach John Cohen and his Bulldog baseball team play its final home series of the Southeastern Conference season. The league’s top-ranked team, Kentucky, will provide the opposition.
Women’s head basketball coach Vic Schaefer will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Thursday game and Friday night is Senior Night.
BULLDOG CLUB ONLINE INITIATIVE UPDATE
The Bulldog Club online fund-raising initiative concludes this week and we are extremely pleased with the response. New member donations have been received from 17 different states, including from as far west as Oregon and Nevada, to as far east as Maryland and Virginia.
If you or someone you know has not had the opportunity to see the video, click this link to view it now and help us reach our goal of 10,000 members! If you have already made a 2012 pledge/donation, we thank you for your support!
BULLDOG BASKETBALL JOURNEYS TO HAWAII THIS FALL
Make your plans now to join first-year men’s head basketball coach Rick Ray and his Bulldog team in Hawaii this fall for the prestigious EA Sports Maui Invitational, Nov. 17-22.
We are honored to be participating in the nation’s premier early season men’s basketball tournament. I have had the opportunity to attend this tournament in the past, and I can assure you, Maui is a pretty special place to be in November. We would love to have a good group of Bulldog supporters with us in Hawaii.
Visit our official away game travel partner totalsportstravel.com/mississippistate or call 888-367-8781 for more information.
BULLDOGS COMPLETE SUCCESSFUL SPRING IN THE CLASSROOM
Our student-athletes completed another successful semester in the classroom, according to our athletic academics office. The overall grade point average for men and women was a 2.94, the fifth highest ever. Eleven of our 16 sports had team GPAs of 3.0 or higher. Our men’s sports turned in a 2.79 GPA, its sixth best ever, while the women’s teams recorded a 3.15 aggregate GPA.
Men’s and women’s tennis topped each gender’s sport listing. The men turned in a 3.33, while the women posted a 3.54. But tennis was not the only sport that registered outstanding numbers.
On the men’s side, baseball was over a 3.00 (3.11) for the second consecutive semester. Both men’s golf (3.28) and football (2.63) had their fourth highest grade points ever. For golf, it was its best GPA in 15 semesters.
For the women, volleyball (3.24) recorded its highest grade average in four semesters, and women’s track (3.21) had back-to-back semesters over 3.00. In all, six of the seven women’s sports finished above a 3.00 GPA.
A total of 82 scholarship men and women student-athletes made either Dean’s or President’s Scholar, and 155 of 301 scholarship student-athletes earned a 3.00 GPA or higher during spring semester.
RECENT EMAIL WORTH SHARING…
Scott,
I just wanted to take a moment to commend Coach Dudley and the MSU track staff and team on their hosting of the MS North Half track meet this past Saturday. It was truly a top notch event.
Unfortunately, one of our athletes suffered a broken leg in the long jumping event. Coach Dudley was one of the first on the scene to assist our athlete. He stayed with her until the EMTs arrived. We were very fortunate to be at a place like Mississippi State where trained professionals were on hand to assist with any medical need.
Coach Dudley even made it a point to find us throughout the rest of the day to check on her. For him to do that meant a great deal to myself and my team.
I have been a Bulldog for a long time. It was even better for the other coaches at my school to see the genuine character of the people of Mississippi State.
Thank you for your time.
Jeremy Russell
Girls Track Coach
Southaven High School
MISSISSIPPI STATE WEEKEND HOME SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 17 – Baseball v Kentucky, 6:30 pm
Friday, May 18 – Baseball v Kentucky, 7 pm
Saturday, May 19 – Baseball v Kentucky, 2 pm
MAROON FRIDAY CONTINUES THROUGH SPRING
We try to make your fashion decisions easy on Friday, and at the same time support Mississippi State. You have helped make each Friday a Maroon Friday, and it remains a great recruiting tool for Our State. Are you in the maroon?
We appreciate what you do for Mississippi State Athletics and want to encourage you to get others involved. There are three things you can do to help the athletic department at Mississippi State reach its desired goals –
1. Buy Season Tickets
2. Financially Support the Bulldog Club
3. Get Others To Do The Same
Thanks for taking the time to read this Update.
Go Dawgs!
Scott Stricklin