May not look like it, but almost time to play ball

It hasn’t looked like it around here the last few days, but it’s about to be baseball season.

As of Thursday afternoon, the Mississippi State Bulldogs were still planning to open the 2021 season at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown in Arlington, Texas even though there was still plenty of ice covering the ground around here and probably Texas too.

There is no doubt the Bulldogs will be able to play once they get to Arlington, but getting there may be the problem.

MSU head baseball coach Chris Lemonis said during a Thursday media session that the team was going to try its best to get to the airport in Birmingham today and get on a plane to Texas. What happens between now and then is anyone’s guess.

The Bulldogs were actually supposed to start the season today in Arlington, but the winter weather that has impacted the entire southeastern United States pushed the tournament to a Saturdaysunday-monday event. MSU is now scheduled to play Texas first on Saturday at 11 a.m.

“The plan is to still go and compete against the best teams in the country,” Lemonis said. “Things could change.”

Ever since the season for the Bulldogs abruptly ended last March following two wins against Texas Tech, fans have been awaiting this moment so one more day isn’t going to hurt too much more. It really depends on who you ask. People want baseball back quick and specifically MSU baseball.

No doubt it has been a difficult week for everyone and Lemonis even discussed how the first thing he wanted to make sure about was the players having heat and food.

Baseball hasn’t been the most important thing until Thursday when the Bulldogs had most everyone together for the first time.

“It’s game week and it’s time to go,” Lemonis said he told the players on Thursday. “I think that is the message for us.”

Hopefully, the MSU baseball team can make it to Birmingham for the flight out today and will arrive in Arlington safely.

Conditions will improve here, as well as Texas, now that the weather system that brought all of the winter misery has moved off to the northeast.

With the return of the sun over the weekend, maybe it will indeed mean Bulldog baseball will be back as well.