SEC Storied
“The 1985 team featuring Will and Rafael helped evolve college baseball from a niche sport to a popular happening across campuses nationwide,” MSU Director of Athletics Scott Stricklin said. “I find it appropriate Will, Rafael and the rest of those Bulldogs will be honored as the first college baseball team featured by the award-winning ESPN Films.”
HailStateBEAT: Palmeiro, Clark and 1985 CWS Team Return To MSU, Reminisce On Past and Present Success
The documentary revolves around the 1985 squad which went 50-15 overall, captured the SEC regular season and tournament titles and finished third at the NCAA College World Series. The team produced four future Major League Baseball All-Stars: Clark (6 selections), Palmeiro (4), Bobby Thigpen (1) and Jeff Brantley (1).
“Watching those two and the rest of the 1985 squad is what made me want to be a Bulldog,” head coach John Cohen said. “Every hitter at Mississippi State for a 10-year period wanted to be Will Clark or Rafael Palmeiro. To see a documentary on it released 30 years after, and just months following the 1985 reunion we held, is surreal in a very special way.”
Photo Gallery: 1985 Mississippi State Baseball Reunion
ESPN Films launched the SEC Storied documentary series in September 2011, presenting fans the opportunity to explore the rich athletic history of the top conference in college baseball. From extraordinary athletes and coaches to defining games and moments, the SEC Storied series features films that focus on the SEC’s recent and more distant past. This past August, the franchise expanded its yearly slate two-fold with the launch of the SEC Network.
For more information on the debut of the documentary, follow the No. 13 Bulldogs on social media by searching for “HailStateBB” on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for “HailStateSnap.”