BULLDOG BITS
Mississippi State's annual Fan Day featuring the 2019 Bulldog football team is set for Saturday, Aug. 24, inside the Palmeiro Center.
Doors open at 2 p.m. with autograph availability running from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Fans are asked to enter through the southeast entrance of the Palmeiro Center.
To help ensure everyone in attendance has a chance to meet all of the student-athletes and head coach Joe Moorhead, student-athletes may only sign the official 2019 season posters while Moorhead will autograph one item of choice per person. Posters and schedule cards will be available for free to fans.
Several Maroon Memories fan experiences are now available for purchase, including early entry passes which allow access beginning at 1:30 p.m. For more information, visit Hailstate. com/memories on your mobile web browser.
Parking is free and available in the Palmeiro-griffis, Humphrey Coliseum and MSU Soccer Field lots. The Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex lot will be closed. Restrooms will be open in the Griffis Boardroom.
Other attractions include a Kids' Zone with inflatable games, appearances by Bully and the MSU Spirit Squads. There will be free drinks for fans. Dyehard, MSU'S new official merchandising partner, will be set up inside the Palmeiro Center.
Following Fan Day, fans are encouraged to attend MSU soccer's matchup against BYU at 7 p.m. at the MSU Soccer Field. The Bulldogs are coming off their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth and are beginning year one of the James Armstrong era. Admission is free.
Tickets for the 2019 football season can be purchased at Hailstate.com/tickets, by calling 1-888-GO-DAWGS or in person at the MSU Athletic Ticket Office on the first floor of the Bryan Athletic Administration Building (288 Lakeview Drive), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Football
Mississippi State offensive lineman Michael Story pleaded guilty to animal cruelty on Tuesday, nearly a year since his arrest for the charge.
According to multiple reports with records obtained from the Oktibbeha County Justice Court, Story's guilty plea resulted in a six-month suspended jail sentence along with two years of probation and a fine of $1,000.
Story, now a redshirt senior, was arrested back in August of 2018. According to court documents obtained Story at the time, Story was accused of “willfully and knowingly with malice” intentionally torturing a Great Dane by the name of Kodak. Story allegedly shut Kodak in the back room of his apartment and did not feed or water the dog from Wednesday, August 15, 2018, through Saturday, August 18, 2018. Story later stated that Kodak had been in the bedroom of the apartment for roughly a week.
Story was suspended indefinitely from the football team following his arrest and remained suspended for two games. He ended up seeing action in nine games in 2018.
Story will not receive any additional punishment according to a statement from MSU athletics on Thursday.
“As we announced last August, Michael was indefinitely suspended immediately following the incident,” the statement read. “He served his punishment and his discipline was handled accordingly. We will have no further comment on this matter.”
Soccer
HATTIESBURG – Mississippi State soccer won its first preseason exhibition match, defeating defending NAIA National Champion William Carey 3-1 in Hattiesburg.
Senior Makayla Waldner scored off a breakaway in the 25th minute after freshman Sydney Strunk played a long ball over the top. Sophomore Zakirah Mcgillivary flicked the ball on with a header to set Waldner off on a footrace against the final defender.
William Carey answered on a free kick from the top of the box in the 67th minute, but the game would not stay tied for long. In the 70th, Waldner again found the net with a volley off a cross from junior Olivia Hernandez.
Freshman Madison Cotta scored an insurance goal five minutes later with a strike to the top corner of the net from just outside the 18-yard box. Hernandez and sophomore Hailey Farrington-bentil picked up assists on the play.
“It was great to get a game in against someone other than ourselves,” MSU head coach James Armstrong said. “That was great competition with a formidable opponent. All healthy players were able to get some minutes. It was a great learning experience for everyone. Now, we're looking forward to playing a good Southern Miss team on Saturday.”
The Bulldogs played 27 players, including three goalkeepers. State held the opponent to just three shots on goal in the match.
MSU will wrap up preseason play on Saturday with a final exhibition match against Southern Miss at 4 p.m. in Starkville.