Long road ahead: Delta Devils continue their 2-month trip with loss at No. 1 UNC 101-75

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Mississippi Valley State has already lost three road games to start the season — and the journey is just beginning.

A 101-75 loss at No. 1 North Carolina on Sunday marked the latest stop in the Delta Devils’ two-month trip to begin the season. They also go to South Carolina, Arkansas, No. 7 Florida and No. 14 Wisconsin before the end of December. At least on Sunday, the Delta Devils (0-3) hung around for about a half with the Tar Heels (3-0).

“It’s going to boost our confidence up,” said Brent Arrington, who scored 33 points. “We see where we’re at and we’re going to keep working from here.”

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South Alabama beats Mississippi Valley State 35-3

Coach Karl Morgan, MVSU

MOBILE, Alabama -- Kendall Houston ran for two scores, J.J. Keels returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and South Alabama's defense held Mississippi Valley State to 166 yards in a 35-3 dismantling of the Delta Devils Thursday night at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

South Alabama improved to 6-3 with the win before an announced crowd of 13,807 and went to 19-0 all-time at home.

"It means everything," Jaguars linebacker Ken Barefield said of protecting the home winning streak. "We said in the locker room, 'We're going to do it for Mobile.' It rained today, it was cold, but they still came out and supported us. We harp on that at practice: This is our house. We've got to protect it as best as we can."

South Alabama led 21-0 at halftime thanks to a trio of 1-yard touchdown runs from Houston and quarterback C.J. Bennett.

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JSU Tigers unable to hit long ball vs. MVSU Devils' scheme

Itta Bena, Mississippi -- Joseph LeBeau had seen this before. Watching from the sideline Saturday during Jackson State’s 17-16 win over Mississippi Valley State, he noticed the Delta Devils’ scheme in the secondary.

“They played more of an Alabama State defense on our offense,” the JSU defensive end said. All agreed that Mississippi Valley (0-7) mimicked a scheme Alabama State used three weeks ago to hand JSU a loss and force six interceptions from quarterback Casey Therriault.

The scheme? A mix of cover-2, cover-4. Valley’s cornerbacks played as much as 15 yards off the ball and their safeties were in farther, preventing JSU’s go-to play: the long pass. “They didn’t let our receivers get behind them,” Therriault said. “They kept everything in front, looking for tipped balls, looking to jump routes. It was a good scheme.”

It worked, too, at least in the first half.




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Alabama A&M 37, Mississippi Valley State 14

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Inside linebacker Willie Fuller was reminded last week of Alabama A&M's embarrassing homecoming loss to Texas Southern six years ago. The Tigers, who entered the game riding a 16-game losing streak, stunned the Bulldogs 17-7.

Fuller and company made sure there would be no embarrassing homecoming loss Saturday to Mississippi Valley State, who like Texas Southern, entered the game riding a 16-game losing streak.

Defensive end Corey Hart returned a fumble 33 yards for a touchdown less than a minute into the game and A&M scored on its four offensive possessions as the Bulldogs extended the Delta Devils' losing streak to 17 in a row with a satisfying 37-14 Southwestern Athletic Conference victory before an announced crowd of 16,827 at Louis Crews Stadium.

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Valley Delta Devils readies for Alcorn Braves

ITTA BENA, Miss. — Karl Morgan knows what it feels like to be a winner. At North Alabama, as the team's defensive coordinator, he helped lead the Lions to a 55-10 record during his five-year stint. But after 14 games at Mississippi Valley State, the Delta Devil head coach is experiencing the other end of the football spectrum.

MVSU (0-2) enters Saturday's game at Alcorn State (0-2) on a 13-game losing skid that dates back to November 2009. "It's an adjustment," said Morgan, "that I hope I don't get too used to."

Like last year, Valley has yet to score a touchdown as they enter their third game of the season. The Devils' nine points have come thanks to the foot of Carlos Sanchez, who converted three field goals in their season-opening loss to Alabama State.

Morgan, who is in his second year at the helm, said last Saturday's 39-0 loss to Murray State took a toll on him — even more than it did his players.



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Murray State Racers Travel to face Mississippi Valley

Murray State (0-1, 0-0 OVC) vs. Mississippi Valley State (0-1, 0-1 SWAC)
Time: Sept. 10 - 4 p.m.
Location: Rice-Totten Stadium - Itta Bena, Miss.
TV: Racer TV Network and ESPN3 (Internet)

STORY LINES
The Racers look to avoid their second-straight 0-2 as they travel to Mississippi Valley State for the first meeting between to two schools. It also marks the first time Murray State will play a team from the SWAC.

Murray State running back Mike Harris became just the second Racer back to go over 100 yards against an FBS opponent when he rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown against Louisville. He carried the ball 26 times in the opener, the second-most attempts in his career.

The Racer defense held Louisville scoreless over the final 43:20 of the game. MSU held the Cardinals to just 131 second-half yards and forced two turnovers in each half.

Saturday's game will mark the first of five televised games on the Racer Television Network. The network will also carry the games against Georgia State (Oct. 8), Eastern Illinois (Oct. 15), Tennessee Tech (Nov. 5) and Southeast Missouri (Nov. 19).

The Game
The Racers play their second non-conference road game in as many weeks as they travel to face Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 10 at 4 p.m. The game will be carried on the Racer Television Network, as well ESPN3.

vs. Mississippi Valley State
The contest between the two schools will be the first meeting on the gridiron. It is also the first road trip to Mississippi since the Racers played Mississippi State in 2005.

vs. the SWAC
The contest also marks the first time Murray State will play a team from the SWAC.



Racers Receiving Votes
The Racers continue to receive national recognition as they are receiving votes in both the national polls for the second-straight week. MSU moved up a couple spots in each poll, and now rank 29th in both polls.

On Grass
The game against Mississippi Valley State will mark the only time this season the Racers will play on grass. Last season, MSU lost 21-20 to Central Arkansas in their only game on natural grass.

Two Racers Return Home
Two members of the Racer football team will have a homecoming of sorts as they will be playing within two hours of their hometowns. Safety Darius Buck is from Vicksburg (2 hours) and linebacker Sam Small is from Winona (49 minutes).

Fewest Points vs FBS
Murray State held its own against Louisville as the Racers only allowed 21 points, including no points in the second half. It is the fewest points allowed to an FBS team since the Racers tied Memphis 10-10 in 1985.

Defense Forces Turnovers in Opener
The Racers defense forced four turnovers in the season opener against Louisville. It marked the fourth-straight season that the Racers forced at least two turnovers in the season opener.

Two-Way Barnett
Senior Dexter Barnett proved his value to the team in the opener as he played on both sides of the ball against Louisville. Barnett, who is a receiver, also saw time at corner in the fourth quarter. Throughout camp, Barnett spent time working at safety and corner to provide depth in the secondary.

Davis Gets Two
Senior Darrell Davis was pushed into action early in the contest against Louisville and responded in a major way. The St. Louis, Mo., native intercepted a pass in the first half and recovered a fumble in the second half.

Scouting Mississippi Valley State
The Delta Devils enter the contest with an overall record of 0-1, and an 0-1 record in the SWAC. MVSU opened its season at home against Alabama State, falling 41-9. The Delta Devils rushed for 155 yards and threw for 172 yards.  The defense allowed 123 yards on the ground and 196 yards through the air. Quarterback Garrick Jones led the offense by rushing for 113 yards and passing for 121 more yards. Turnovers were the problem in the opener as the Delta Devils lost five fumbles and threw two interceptions. Wide receiver Paul Cox caught four passes for 86 yards, while Kenneth Dabney had four grabs for 43 yards.

Dabney also returned seven kickoffs for 121 yards. Kicker Carlos Sanchez supplied the points as he went 3-of-4 on field goal attempts, connecting from 30, 32 and 32. Linebacker Terrell Johnson led the defense with eight tackles, including a tackle-for-loss. Rico Mazique also added eight stops. Javaris Fritz registered two sacks and blocked a field goal.

Whitehead Impresses in Opener
Transfer Julian Whitehead quietly went about his business Thursday evening and led the Racer defense with nine tackles. The junior has quickly made himself a leader of the defense.

Defense Posts 2nd Half Shutout
The Murray State defense entered the season as a question mark, but they made their presence known in the season opener as they shutout Louisville over the final 43:20 of the game. It was the first time the defense pitched a second-half shutout since Oct. 4, 2008 against Austin Peay (APSU scored a safety in 3rd quarter). The last time the Racers allowed no points in the second half was the 2007 season opener against Lambuth.

Defense Limits Cards in 2nd Half
The Racer defense dominated the second half as they limited Louisville to just 131 yards of offense in the second half. The defense also forced a pair of turnovers in the second half.

Harris Carries Load
Senior Mike Harris carried the load for the offense in the season opener as he carried the ball 26 times against Louisville. The 26 carries are the second most in his career, behind only his 30 attempts against Missouri State last season.

GAME NOTES
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ASU coach Reggie Barlow preps hornets for Mississippi Valley

GREENWOOD, Mississippi -- The Alabama State University football team held a one-hour walkthrough practice at Pillow Academy Friday afternoon as Saturday's 2011 season opener at Mississippi Valley State approaches tomorrow at 5 pm.

The game can be heard live on 90.7 WVAS-FM in Montgomery and can be seen live over the internet free of charge on www.swac.org. Hornets Football Gameday Central on www.bamastatesports.com will have links for live stats, live radio and live video.

The Hornets departed Montgomery shortly after 8:30 a.m. Friday to a rousing sendoff by the ASU campus students, faculty, staff, band and cheerleaders. After arriving around 2:30 p.m., the Hornets departed to the nearby school for practice.

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Alabama State at
Mississippi Valley State

Saturday, Sept. 3
5 p.m.

(live links will be active prior to kickoff)

Live Stats

Listen Live on 90.7 WVAS FM

Watch Live Online Free of Charge on SWAC TV

Alabama State Game Notes

2010 Hornet Stats

2010 Delta Devils Stats

2011 Hornet Football Media Guild

Ellis joins Mississippi Valley State coaching staff

Coach Brian Ellis

Crestview, FL - July 1 was a big day for Crestview native and former Baker basketball player B.J. Ellis as he was named an assistant basketball coach at Mississippi Valley State University, a NCAA Division I school in Itta Bena, Miss.

The Delta Devils are best known for football, or at least one football player, Jerry Rice, the National Football League’s all-time leading receiver. That doesn’t mean MVSU doesn’t take basketball seriously.

The Delta Devils are coached by former Kentucky star Sean Woods. And it was one of Woods’ college games that helped fan the fire Ellis has for basketball.

“I’ve always loved basketball,” he said. "And I can remember sitting down and watching the game between Duke and Kentucky (the NCAA tournament East Region finals) when my boss was playing at Kentucky. He hit the floater to put Kentucky up over Duke and then of course Christian Laettner hit the shot in the last second (to give Duke the win).

“It was one of the craziest shots I’ve ever seen in basketball. To think that I would be his assistant, his right-hand man is unbelievable.”

In his own way Ellis has taken a less traveled path from Baker to Mississippi Valley State.

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Tigers (JSU) slow down Devils (MVSU)

Jackson State Head Coach Tevester Anderson

With its largest crowd of the season (6,809) on hand and about 20 football recruits watching from courtside seats, Jackson State turned this Southwestern Athletic Conference showdown into nothing but a snoozer. Said JSU's Tyrone Hanson: "We were really souped up for this game."

Hanson and the Tigers beat Mississippi Valley State 83-73 Saturday night, remaining atop the conference standings and sending the league's most surprisingly successful squad home with its first loss since Jan. 10.

In this battle between the SWAC's top two teams, Jackson State (11-9, 7-1 SWAC) quieted a high-scoring Valley team that...

Mississippi Valley State 67, Jackson State 54

JACKSON, Miss. – The Jackson State women’s basketball team fell 67-54 to in-state rival Mississippi Valley State in Southwestern Athletic Conference action Saturday at the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center.

With the loss JSU falls to a 4-13 overall record and a 3-5 SWAC mark. MVSU improves to 7-12, 5-3. Rachel Jones led JSU with a 15 point, six rebound effort. Tiffany Kellum came off the bench to add 10 points.

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Mississippi Valley plays home games on high school field after stadium deemed unsafe

(Los Angeles Times) ITTA BENA, Miss. — Karl Morgan walked down the cracked sidewalk, stepping over players getting dressed for practice, putting on socks and cleats.

Then, the Mississippi Valley State coach gestured out toward dilapidated Rice-Totten Stadium, which has been deemed unsafe because of structural damage. "You can't sugarcoat our facilities, just like you can't sugarcoat our record," Morgan said. "We're trying to improve both of them."

The stadium named for the program's Hall of Fame alum Jerry Rice has fallen on hard times. Earlier this year, an engineer deemed MVSU's stadium unsafe because of extensive problems with the stadium's concrete foundation, so the Southwestern Athletic Conference program has played all of its home games 45 miles off campus on a high school field in Greenville. 

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE. Videographer: AndyL168 (MVSU Volleyball Team @ AAMU 11/10/2010)

Georgia survives MVSU scare in opener

ATHENS, GA -- Jeremy Price struggled to explain it. He’s just glad his late heroics were enough to save Georgia on Friday night. Price scored eight consecutive points in a 50-second span to help the Bulldogs open the season with a 72-70 victory over Mississippi Valley State at Stegeman Coliseum.

“It kind of just happened,” said Price, who finished with a game-high 20 points. “We needed somebody to step up and come through with some tough plays. It was just my time. I delivered when I needed to.” Price converted successive three-point plays and made a turnaround jumper in the lane to erase a seven-point deficit and give Georgia a 67-66 lead with 2:23 left in the game.

Georgia rallies to beat MVSU 72-70

ATHENS, Ga. -- Jeremy Price scored 20 points, including eight straight late in the game, and Georgia recovered to beat Mississippi Valley State 72-70 on Friday night in the season opener for each team. Georgia trailed 66-59 before Price closed the gap with back-to-back three-point plays. Price added another basket with 2:24 remaining to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the second half, 67-66.

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Prairie View beats Mississippi Valley State 34-13

GREENVILLE, MS - Quarterback K.J. Black threw a pair of touchdown passes to Shaun Stephens in a 1:30 span of the third quarter Saturday to help Prairie View (2-3, 2-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) subdue Mississippi Valley State in the Delta Devils' home away from home at Greenville High.

Adrian Martin pulled the Delta Devils (0-5, 0-4) within 14 points in the fourth quarter, catching TD passes of 19 and 52 yards from Oliver Hughes. Prairie View's Donald Babers rushed for 151 yards and two TDs on 26 carries. Black completed 22 of 37 passes for 230 yards.

TD connection hooks up twice in 90-second span

GREENVILLE, Miss. — Shaun Stephens caught two touchdown passes from K.J. Black in a 1-minute, 30-second span of the third quarter to lift Prairie View A&M over Mississippi Valley State 34-13 on Saturday.

Stephens’ first touchdown — a 25-yarder — gave the Panthers (2-3, 2-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) a 17-0 lead. Two plays later, Jarvis Wilson recovered a fumble at the Delta Devils’ 15, and Black then found Stephens for a 15-yard score.

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Early TD aside, JSU defense shows up big time

They call this a scary start if you're a Jackson State fan. Mississippi Valley State quarterback Oliver Hughes hit receiver Paul Cox for a 57-yard touchdown on Valley's first play from scrimmage Saturday night. Cox out-leaped JSU defensive back Qua Cox and then ran into the end zone, stunning the partial crowd at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Not to worry. The defense didn't allow another point in JSU's 43-7 win. A unit criticized heavily over the first three games - it allowed an average of 447 yards in those games - finally lived up to its Darkside billing.What changed - besides playing one of the worst offenses in the nation?

"I think we hit a little bit more in practice this week," coach Rick Comegy said. "We emphasized being more aggressive."

Tigers rip Devils

A good way to get over your first loss of the season? Why, play Mississippi Valley State, of course. A week after being physically pounded by Grambling, Jackson State whipped Valley 43-7 on Saturday night at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, beating the Delta Devils for the 16th straight year and showing fans just how potent JSU's new Air Raid offense can be.

Quarterback Casey Therriault had 291 yards passing - by halftime - as JSU cruised to a 30-7 lead at the break.He finished with 374 yards and four touchdown passes in about three quarters of work. Therriault, who struggled under pressure in last week's 28-21 loss to Grambling, completed 33 of 50 attempts, picking apart Valley's secondary.

Photo Gallery: JSU - Valley

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Valley, Alcorn taking rivalry to Windy City

Soldier Field in Chicago is the unlikely site of this year’s matchup between Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State. The rivals clash on at 5 p.m. in the Windy City because the Delta Devils’ home, Rice-Totten Stadium, is under renovation and will be unavailable this season. Valley (0-2) has struggled through two games.

“Things have jolted me, but I’m not knocked off track,” Delta Devils coach Karl Morgan said. “I knew the limitations when I took the job.” Alcorn coach Ernest Collins doesn’t have a problem with playing in Chicago because the Braves (1-0) can attract recruits. “It will be great experience for the players to go out in an NFL stadium and play,” Collins said. “We’ve got a big alumni base in Chicago; it will be great for Chicago alums to see us play on their home turf.”

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Valley's Morgan finds 'big guy' for his schedule

Yes, new Mississippi Valley State coach Karl Morgan might have been better off scheduling schools like Lincoln College and Texas College, two of three games the Delta Devils won last year. But he wanted to go bigger and better. So, Morgan scheduled South Carolina State.

"We want to build this program," Morgan said. "We are going to play the big guys." It's safe to say South Carolina State is a big guy. The Bulldogs are the unquestioned No. 1-ranked HBCU and the No. 13 Football Championship Subdivision team. They've won 10 games each of the last two years. They gave Southeastern Conference member South Carolina a test last season and nearly...

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First-time head coach Stump Mitchell, Karl Morgan taking over at SWAC schools

Mississippi Valley State University coach Karl Morgan has one of the more difficult task in the SWAC in rebuilding the Delta Devils football program.

BIRMINGHAM, AL -- It's always been someone else's canvas, someone else's paint and brushes. It's belonged to Mike Holmgren and Jim Zorn and Terry Bowden. It's been Terry Donahue and Gene Stallings and Bobby Ross with the canvas. It's different now, going from assistant coach to head coach, after going from player to assistant coach. You're the artist. It's your canvas.

"The biggest thing," Stump Mitchell said, "you have to take a look at the picture and see what color you need to use, what you want to draw." "You've got control," Karl Morgan said. "I'm not a control freak, but whatever happens, good, bad or indifferent, you'll have a bigger part of it."

Mitchell and Morgan are the two new head coaches in the Southwest Athletic Conference, which held its annual media day Tuesday morning. Mitchell, an assistant coach in the National Football League for the past 11 years, is the new coach at Southern University. Morgan, a former captain of the UCLA defense, takes over at Mississippi Valley State. They bring to the SWAC an amazing stat that's likely not surpassed in any league. Half of the 10 SWAC head coaches are former NFL players.

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Mississippi Valley signs basketball All-American Ware

Delta Devils coach Sean Woods has signed the #1 ranked class in the MEAC/SWAC for 2010-11. Woods has complied a record 16-48 over his first two seasons including 24 money games scheduled at the other guy's arena.

Mississippi Valley State University Delta Devils basketball coach Sean Woods wrapped up an already impressive signing class with a bang by inking former East Mississippi Community College standout Rodricko "CoCo" Ware. Ware, a 2009-2010 National Junior College Athletic Association All-American first-team selection, ranked among the national leaders in scoring with 19.4 points per game and steals (2.5 spg) for the second straight year. The 6-foot-1 guard helped spark the 27-7 Lions to their school-first NJCAA Tournament appearance after claiming the NJCAA Region 23 championship and capturing the North Division regular-season crown and state runners-up.

Having started all 62 games of his community college career in helping the Lions to a 44-18 record the past two years, Ware totaled 1,196 career points (19.3 ppg), 382 rebounds (6.2 rpg), 168 steals (2.7 spg) and 120 assists (1.9 apg). Ware joins earlier signees Falando Jones (Mississippi Delta Community College/Greenwood), Jerome Harris (Spoon River Community College/Collins (Ill.) HS and Paul Crosby (Navarro Junior College/Holt (Mich.) HS). Valley returns four starters led by Shannon Behling, who averaged 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds.



Warning: You may want to turn your speakers off! Music may be inappropriate for most viewers! Coco Ware is #23.

Ware chose MVSU over Howard University and Alcorn State University, and his scoring prowess will give the Delta Devils a boost in returning to their Southwest Athletic Conference Tournament winning form of 2008. "CoCo Ware is a great addition to the MVSU program," Woods said. " He brings a wealth of basketball experience and athleticism that will fit in well with our style of basketball."

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Jackson State Sweeps MVSU Delta Devils

The Jackson State baseball team completed a season sweep over in-state rival Mississippi Valley, by taking three games from the Delta Devils Sunday and Monday. With the wins Jackson State improves to 32-14 overall record and a 16-5 SWAC record. The Tigers also took over sole possession of first place in the SWAC Eastern Division.

Six weeks ago the Tigers swept the Delta Devils in a three game series at Robert “Bob” Braddy Field in Jackson. In Sunday’s action JSU beat Valley 6-4. Quintavious Drains picked up his 11th win. In nine innings of work he struck out seven batters, while giving up four runs on 10 hits. Willie Wesley led JSU with four hits, a run and an RBI. Lynn Lewis followed with three hits and two runs.

In Monday’s opener the Tigers won 5-3. Courtney Nelson picked up his ninth win of the season. He pitched 7.1 innings of work. He struck out four batters, while giving up three runs and nine hits. Terrance Washington picked up the save. Chad Hall and Malcolm Tate recorded two hits each. JSU beat Mississippi Valley State 10-6 in Monday’s nightcap. Jeremy Gray picked up his fourth win of the season. In 8.2 innings he allowed 12 hits and six runs, while striking out two batters. Malcolm Tate led JSU’s offense with three hits, two runs and two RBI.

The Tigers will host Alabama State May 14-15 in a three game series at Braddy Field. Admission is $5 per game.



Provided by: JSU Media Relations

MVSU football coach sees progress in first scrimmage

Karl Morgan wasn't blown away by his team's performance, but he did see progress. "I saw some things to be excited about, but we still have a long way to go," said the new Mississippi Valley State head football coach after his team's first scrimmage of spring training Wednesday at Rice-Totten Stadium in Itta Bena. "I thought our effort was decent. We're still a work in progress."

The Delta Devil offense ran 60 plays against the defense and struggled early with timing and pre-snap penalties. The offensive unit did, however, gather momentum late in the scrimmage and find the end zone a couple of times. "The offense came back at the end with a couple of drives and big plays," said Morgan, who was hired in January to replace Willie Totten, who stepped down following the 2009 season. "Our running backs ran harder as the scrimmage went on, but they did put the ball on the ground too many times. And I think our offensive line showed some progress."

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'Raggedy' MVSU puts on own Ritz with Notre Dame

'Raggedy' MVSU puts on own ritz

ITTA BENA, MS — Yes, those were the Notre Dame Fighting Irish out there on the modest baseball diamond of Mississippi Valley State on Friday - Notre Dame with all the trimmings: Brilliant, old gold batting helmets, navy blue jerseys, with gold numbers and lettering and bright green shamrocks on the sleeves. This was Notre Dame, in Itta Bena, playing on a field that Valley coach Doug Shanks and his coaches worked on through Thursday night making sure it would be playable. This is Magnolia Field, where the one-man grounds crew dresses in green and white striped pants, courtesy of a nearby penal farm where he is housed and fed. "Hardest worker you ever saw, but we have to have him back by 4," Shanks says.

This was Notre Dame, the gold standard of college athletics, winning 12-4 over Mississippi Valley State, which Shanks quite frankly will admit, has "the worst Division I baseball facilities in America." The crowd was standing room only Friday. Of course, at Magnolia Field, there is essentially standing room only. The official nickname for MVSU's athletic teams is Delta Devils. The baseball players call themselves the Ragamuffins. No explanation necessary.

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Coach Doug Shanks at the Valley.

Irish Upend Mississippi Valley State, 8-3

GREENVILLE, MS - Notre Dame senior RHP Billy Boockford (Glen Elyn, Ill.) picked up his first career victory and senior 1B Casey Martin (Chesterton, Ind.) added two hits, including a solo home run for the second consecutive day, to lead the Irish past Mississippi Valley State, 8-3, in college baseball action from Legion Field Saturday afternoon. An energetic crowd of 1,875 watched Notre Dame improve to 2-0 on the season. Boockford, who entered today's contest with just one previous pitching appearance, tossed 1.2 scoreless and hitless innings of relief. The right-handed hurler walked a batter and recorded a strikeout.

Junior Todd Miller (Franklin, Tenn.) picked up the save. Miller, who tied for the team-lead in saves last season with five, worked 2.0 scoreless innings of relief. He surrendered three hits and one walk, but also struck out one. Martin and junior Cameron McConnell (Bannockburn, Ill.) were the only two Irish players with more than one hit, but seven of the nine starters registered a base hit. It marked the second consecutive day with seven of the nine starting players recorded a hit.

Notre Dame grabbed an early 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and second inning. Senior 2B Ryne Intlekofer (Moorpark, Calif.) opened the game with a double and came around to score on senior OF David Mills' (Battle Creek, Mich.) RBI single. Junior 3B Greg Sherry (Mendham, N.J.) added an RBI single in the second to score McConnell, who reached with a one-out single.

After the Delta Devils cut the Irish lead in half, 2-1, Notre Dame pushed the lead to 4-1 with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning. Junior David Casey (Whitefish Bay, Wisc.) drew a two-out walk and raced home on junior Mick Doyle's (LaGrange Park, Ill.) RBI double. Doyle would eventually score on a Mississippi Valley State error to make it 4-1.

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