Jul. 3—STARKVILLE — For the fourth time this week, the Mississippi State faithful gathered in a baseball stadium.
But this was different. This time, they were home — and celebrating their national champions.
In an emotional return to Dudy Noble Stadium, a massive crowd of Mississippi State fans assembled on Friday to honor the Bulldogs — who won the College World Series on Wednesday night in Omaha by beating heavily favored Vanderbilt twice.
It was the first national team title for the Bulldogs.
The MSU team returned home on Thursday afternoon, greeted by a throng of supporters as their flight arrived.
But that was nothing compared to the scene on Friday, as the team was treated to a parade through Starkville that wound up at “the Carnegie Hall of college baseball.”
MSU fans may have turned Omaha’s TD Ameritrade Stadium into “Dudy Noble North,” for three nights, but there’s no place like home.
It was the ultimate “Maroon Friday” for the MSU faithful.
“Everybody keeps asking me, ‘Coach, has it hit yet?'” head coach Chris Lemonis said to the crowd. “It’s been pretty surreal and we’ve been so busy, flying back and then getting here. Then when they lifted us up on those fire trucks, it finally hit me today that we’re the national champions.”