BULLDOG BITS
Football
For the first time since 2007, Mississippi State football will take the field in the Mercedes-benz Superdome as the Bulldogs open the 2019 campaign and the second year of the Joe Moorhead era against the University of Louisiana on August 31 in New Orleans.
Tickets for the season-opener are on sale now through Hailstate.com/tickets and start at $30. A game time will be announced at a later date.
It marks the 10th consecutive year that State will play at least one game in an National Football League venue, and it's the first time the Bulldogs open a season in an NFL stadium since 2013 when they played Oklahoma State in Houston's NRG Stadium.
In its last trip to the Superdome, Anthony Dixon rushed for 131 yards and two scores as State topped Tulane 38-17 on Sept. 8, 2007.
The Bulldogs enter the 2019 season ranked in the top 20 of ESPN'S Football Power Index). They are coming off an eight-win season, a New Year's Day bowl berth and a No. 25 final ranking in the Amway Coaches poll. It marked the seventh time since 1994 that State finished a season ranked in the Coaches poll.
Moorhead became just the second MSU head coach to win eight or more games in his debut season and the first since College Football Hall of Famer Allyn Mckeen in 1939. Moorhead was also just the second coach in Bulldog history to reach a bowl game in his first season, joining Jackie Sherrill's 1991 squad. The 2018 Bulldogs captured four out of their last five regular season games, including a 35-3 triumph over rival Ole Miss on Thanksgiving night.
MSU returns All-southeastern Conference defensive standouts Erroll Thompson and Cameron Dantzler, as well as center Darryl Williams, who enters his senior campaign as one of the top offensive line prospects in all of college football. Explosive running back Kylin Hill is coming off a sophomore season in which he produced three 100-yard rushing games and 910 total all-purpose yards.
Softball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Prior to the start of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Mississippi State second baseman Emily Heimberger was selected a member of the 2019 Softball Community Service Team.
The senior from Pawleys Island, South Carolina, has balanced a demanding course load in biological sciences while serving a MSU'S leader in community service. Heimberger has volunteered countless hours giving back to the Starkville community over her four seasons with the Bulldogs.
Heimberger's community service projects include volunteering for the T.K. Martin Fun Run, visiting local elementary schools to read to children with Reading Railroad and United We Feed, which holds food drives to restock local food banks.
In the winter, Heimberger and her teammates can be found ringing bells as part of the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign. She has help spread awareness to multiple women's health issues as part of the Pink Dawg Walk and through Mississippi State softball's “No One Fights Alone” campaign to bring awareness to ovarian cancer in honor of the late Alex Wilcox.
She is also actively involved with the Mississippi State M-club. The organization unites current and former student-athletes, keeping alums connected to the university, updating alums on changes to university polices, and growing the spirit and involvement of MSU Athletics beyond Starkville.
Women’s Golf
NORMAN, Okla. — A bright future lies ahead for Mississippi State women's golf as the youthful Bulldogs concluded the 2018-19 season with a strong showing this week in the Norman Regional at the Jimmie Austin Golf Club.
State appeared in its first regional since 2015, finishing tied for ninth at 17-over par (881) and just short of advancing to the NCAA Championship.
Sophomore Aubree Jones paced the Bulldogs as she has the majority of the season. She posted a 75 in the final round to finish one-over par and tied for 19th. This was Jones' fifth top 25 finish of the year.
Freshman Hannah Levi joined Jones in a tie for 19th at one-over par after carding a 76 in the third round. Levi competed in every event for State and finished with a 73.96 scoring average, which is seventh overall in Bulldog history.
Sophomore Blair Stockett tied for 42nd at fiveover par behind a 74 in the final round. Her stroke average for the 2018-19 season was 74.37 coming in, just behind Levi at eighth in the record book.
Junior Ela Grimwood posted her best round of the tournament at two-over par (74). She tied for 55th (10-over par) improving five spots on the leaderboard in the final round.
Junior Clara Moyano placed 88th at 25-over par. Moyano competed in eight events for the Bulldogs this season.
Collectively, State posted four top five finishes under Ginger Brown-lemm in her ninth season as head coach.