The first course of action for the Mississippi House of Representatives on Thursday was honoring the Mississippi State baseball team as the 2021 national champions.
“I have been a Bulldog my entire life, and I couldn’t be more proud of Bulldog baseball and the entire Mississippi State University family,” Representative Rob Roberson, who authored the resolution commending the team, said. “This all started under Coach Ron Polk and culminated under Coach Chris Lemonis during the historic 2021 season. The young team that brought this national championship home to Mississippi deserves all the credit. They define what tough and fearless look like.”
HCR 8 will now head over to the Mississippi Senate, where it’s expected to pass.
The team was also recognized by Congress back in July when Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, along with Representative Michael Guest, introduced S.Res. 307 and H.Res. 528.
“Following an unprecedented year, the Mississippi State University baseball team helped unite many Mississippians through one of America’s most cherished past times, and capped their season off with a national championship that included moments that will go down in MSU history,” Guest said at the time. “As a Mississippi State University alumnus, it’s a special moment to recognize one of the greatest accomplishments in Mississippi sports history in Congress.”
On June 30, 2021, Mississippi State defeated Vanderbilt to secure not only the baseball program’s first-ever national championship but the school’s first-ever national championship. And that was in a collective 999 seasons of team sports.
After falling to the Commodores in Game 1, Mississippi State exploded for 13 runs on 14 hits and defeated Vandy 13-2 in Game 2. In a winner-take-all Game 3, Will Bednar and Landon Sims provided a nearly perfect 1-2 punch, the bats stayed hot, and the Bulldogs won 9-0 — walking away with a long-awaited trophy.
