There isn’t too much mystery about who will rank No. 1 on this list.
The 2020-21 athletic calendar ended in a big, exciting way for Mississippi State. But the ending wasn’t the only impressive achievement for Mississippi State athletics over the last year.
Before summer and fall camps roll around for football and the fall seasons for soccer, volleyball and cross country start up, let’s take a look back at every NCAA sport Mississippi State hosted in 2020-21 and rank them in order of what sport achieved the most. For the sake of brevity, sports like track and field that have indoor and outdoor seasons are not separated.
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No. 14: Women’s track and field
The women’s track and field team finished No. 13 in the SEC championships and didn’t place at the outdoor national championships, but senior Shayla Broughton did finish ninth in the heptathlon.
No. 13: Volleyball
Playing exclusively against SEC competition in the fall and spring while navigating a number of COVID-caused postponements and cancellations, the volleyball team finished with a 5-15 record.
No. 12: Men’s golf
With the exception of the one tournament played on its home course, the men’s golf team never finished better than eighth in a tournament. The Bulldogs finished last in the SEC Tournament and placed 13th in their NCAA Regional.
No. 11: Cross country
The women’s cross country team (the Bulldogs don’t have a men’s team) finished the season 10th in the SEC championships.
No. 10: Women’s tennis
The women’s tennis team advanced to the NCAA Tournament with an 11-13 record but lost in the first round. Sophomore Emma Antonaki made it to the round of 16 in the NCAA individual championships.
No. 9: Women’s Soccer
The soccer team went 6-4-3 and did not participate in the postseason. This marked the team’s first winning record since 2018. The Bulldogs don’t have a men’s team in soccer, as well.
No. 8: Women’s golf
One of the great what-could-have-beens. The women’s golf team got hot at the end of the season, reaching the SEC Tournament finals in match play. But the Bulldogs’ NCAA Regional was canceled, and they did not get the chance to attempt to advance.
No. 7: Football
The football season started and ended on high notes – with the opening game win at LSU and the season-ending wins over Missouri and Tulsa (in the Armed Forces Bowl). The mid-year offensive struggles were notable and led to a record of 4-7, but the defense played well and the young roster returns at nearly full strength in 2021.
No. 6: Women’s basketball
Finishing short of the NCAA Tournament feels like a failure for a program so accustomed to success. But this team was right on the bubble, and had it not been for a couple of games canceled by COVID-19, it probably would’ve had a tournament resume.
No. 5: Softball
The softball team finished 35-25 and advanced to an NCAA Regional where it lost to regional host Oklahoma State. The Bulldogs won 10 of their final 13 games.
No. 4: Men’s track and field
After finishing No. 43 nationally in the team indoor competition, the men’s track and field team soared to new heights in the outdoor competition, finishing No. 15 in the country after finishing No. 11 at the SEC Championships weeks prior. A trio of javelin throwers finished top five at the national championships and boosted the team ranked heavily.
No. 3: Men’s basketball
The men’s basketball team caught fire at season’s end, winning three of its last five in the regular season and beating Kentucky at the SEC Tournament to earn an NIT bid. Once in the NIT, the team went to work, beating Saint Louis, Richmond and Louisiana Tech before losing to Memphis in the tournament championship.
No. 2: Men’s tennis
The men’s tennis team posted an impressive 18-10 record, including a 13-3 mark at home. The Bulldogs found success in the postseason, beating Miami and UCF in Orlando to advance to the Sweet 16, where they lost to Texas A&M.
No. 1: Baseball
The best team on campus earned that moniker. Outfielder Tanner Allen and pitchers Will Bednar and Landon Sims led Mississippi State to a College World Series championship, the first NCAA team sports championship in school history. The Bulldogs won 20 SEC games, earned a national seed, swept the Starkville Regional and beat Notre Dame in the Starkville Super Regional before taking down perennial powers Texas, Virginia and Vanderbilt in Omaha.
Contact Nick Suss at 601-408-2674 or nsuss@gannett.com. Follow @nicksuss on Twitter.
