OMAHA, Neb. — Mississippi State's first national championship had been building since 1985, when “Thunder and Lightning” — Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro — were the stars on what's known as the best team to not win a College World Series.
The 2021 Bulldogs got the job done. Finally.
Will Bednar and Landon Sims combined on a one-hitter, the Bulldogs scored early and built on their lead, and at the end they were in a dogpile celebrating a 9-0 victory over Vanderbilt in the deciding third game of the College World Series finals Wednesday night.
There to see it was Ron Polk, the godfather of Mississippi State baseball and the coach of that '85 team.