This past weekend was not just a treat for college baseball fans in Mississippi. It was a treat for anyone who is grateful whenever this state is put into a positive national spotlight.
The only thing that would have made the weekend better is if the games between Ole Miss and Southern Miss had been more competitive.
Since college baseball adopted its super regional format in 1999, only eight states have ever hosted a completely in-state super regional. The Ole Miss-USM clash was the first time it’s happened in Mississippi.
It was a great scene in Hattiesburg, where the home school’s Pete Taylor Park probably could have sold five times as many tickets as its 4,300-seat capacity. ESPN’s TV cameras captured wonderful moments at the ballpark and beyond.
Only one team could advance to the College World Series, though, and clearly this weekend the Rebels were the better team, outscoring the Golden Eagles 15-0 in back-to-back shutouts.
Baseball is a streaky game, and Ole Miss is on a hot streak. The last team to make the 64-team field, Ole Miss has looked as good as any of the top-seeded teams, several of whom have already seen their seasons end.
The Rebels could conceivably win the national championship in Omaha, a year after Mississippi State brought the trophy home to Starkville for the first time ever.
That’s an outcome for which even diehard Bulldogs and disappointed Golden Eagles should root.
