Throwback: Mississippi State's National Championship Celebration From the Perspective of a Fan

With a big weekend coming up for the Mississippi State baseball team, let's look back at the last time we celebrated the champs: when they returned to Starkville from Omaha in early July.

There are tens of thousands of State fans who have waited their entire lives to see any Bulldogs team win a national championship. Even I have been impatient--and I'm not even 20 years old. In the last decade, MSU has finished as the national runners-up in baseball once and women's basketball twice. This summer, when the Diamond Dawgs reached the finals of the College World Series, something felt different. When the last out was recorded and the confetti flew through the air, it was a relief that was forever in the making.

My boss was kind enough to let me take a few days off to travel up to Starkville because he realized that it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Based on the crowds in town over those few days, it seems like everyone took a few "sick days" for themselves.

There could not have been a more perfect day for a celebration. It was a beautiful Friday afternoon, and everyone was so full of excitement and joy. The streets were packed with people young and old decked out in maroon to show their school spirit. I'm still not sure how I managed to get a good spot to see everything in those crowds.

Then, the firetrucks came rolling down the street. The baseball players were sitting on the top, hoisting the coveted trophy and obviously having the time of their lives. There were plenty of people in the cars that followed-- Bully, Mark Keenum and Governor Tate Reeves to name a few. Once the parade got past, the crowd simply decided to march down the street behind the firetrucks and cars to get to the stadium. I joined in with the crowd and was amazed at what I saw. People continued filing in along the entire route until it looked like a sea of maroon was following the team.

It was a mad dash to get into Dudy Noble Field. Some fans had skipped the parade and instead chose to get to the stadium early to have the best seats, so everybody else was trying to grab what was left. I couldn't find a seat to save my life, but I managed to stand up near the very top of the stadium. It had a great view, which was all that mattered.

When the team took the field, the crowd went crazy. Each player had their moment to stand out and wave to the crowd, which was really special. The speeches began, with mostly university and government officials speaking to start off. There were plenty of declarations, and the new sign on the outfield wall acknowledging the team's national championship was revealed. Finally, Coach Chris Lemonis went up to the podium. His speech was heartfelt and meaningful, and it showed that there was no better coach to lead the Bulldogs. After he concluded, a few of the players-- including Tanner Allen and Riley Self-- got to make the final speeches. It was bittersweet knowing that the seniors would both be leaving the program, but their jokes about their hatred of Ole Miss kept things cheerful.

There's no telling where everybody went after the ceremony at the Dude ended, but I can assure you that the party didn't stop all weekend in Starkville.

When the team gets their rings on Saturday, it will be the last big celebration before the 2022 season begins. Although the focus will shift to the future, the 2021 team and their accomplishments will never be forgotten at Mississippi State.