The top story in Mississippi sports last week was the loss of USM’s beloved women’s basketball coach Joye-Lee McNelis, who passed away last Tuesday. McNelis was battling her third stint with lung cancer. She retired in March concluding her 34-year head coaching career. The former USM player was head coach at Memphis from 1991-2004 and then finished with the Lady Golden Eagles 2004-2025. For her coaching career, McNelis finished with an overall head coaching record of 568-464.
The college baseball season is behind us, so lovers of the game will now be able to turn their full attention to their favorite major league team. Our state is somewhat divided in loyalty as the St. Louis Cardinals have a huge following in the northern part of the state while the southern part follows the Atlanta Braves.
July 4 is famous for watching or listening to your favorite baseball team while consuming a hot dog or two or three, and my personal favorite-homemade apple pie. Yes, baseball and hot dogs have been around as partners for over 100 years. Did you know that on this holiday Americans will consume over 150 million hot dogs, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council? The Council also states that over the entire MLB season enough hot dogs will be eaten to stretch from New York to Los Angeles. That is twenty-eight hundred miles of hot dogs. Eating hot dogs is also a sport. World record holder Joey Chestnut ate 83 hotdogs in ten minutes. He will again compete in the Nathan’s Hot Dog World Championship July 4.
The Major League season is halfway complete as we enter July. If the American League playoffs began today, the New York Yankees, Detroit and Houston would be the division winners with Tampa Bay hosting Toronto in a one-game playoff.
In the National League, Philadelphia, Chicago Cubs and the L.A. Dodgers would be the division winners while the New York Mets would host Milwaukee in the playoff game. You could also make an argument for St. Louis, San Diego, San Francisco and Arizona making a sprint to the postseason.
The Chicago Cubs in April traded for Seattle minor league pitcher Drew Pomeranz. The former Ole Miss Rebel has not played in the majors since 2021. Pomeranz is now the only MLB pitcher with a 0.00 ERA.
Madison Central baseball coach Patrick Robey has been named the Belhaven University head coach. The Taylorsville native led Madison Central to three state baseball championships. He replaces Andrew Gipson, who was named head coach at the University of New Orleans.
Summitt native Alijah Martin was drafted by the Toronto Raptors in the NBA draft last week. The former North Pike standout guard played at Florida after transferring from Florida Atlantic. Martin was the ninth pick in the second round and 39th overall.
Ripley native and future Southern Miss Golden Eagle Jake Moffitt shot a final round 63 to run away with the 110th Mississippi Amateur Golf Tournament at the Grand Bear Golf Club in Saucier.
The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame will induct their 2025 class on Saturday, August 2, at Clyde Muse Center in Pearl. This year’s inductees will be pro basketball player and present Jackson State basketball coach Mo Williams, college basketball coach and administrator Steve Rives, USM football player and college coach Derrick Nix, Southern Miss baseball coach Scott Berry, MSU football player and NFL referee Steve Freeman, Ole Miss and NFL player Dexter McCluster, state high school football champion coach Mike Justice and golfing pro Robbie Webb.
Congratulations to championship high school football coaches Kenny Robinson and Junior Graham who were inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame last week.
The Mississippi Association of Coaches inducted their Class of 2025, recently: championship track coach Doug Blakeney, championship basketball coach Shelia Sullivan, championship girls’ coach Charlie Jacobs, championship football coach Henry Johnson, championship softball coach Allen Lunceford and championship tennis coach Louis Nash.
