Omaha, Nebraska:

Surrounded by a sea of Maroon and White, Mississippi State wins their first-ever National Championship by defeating Vanderbilt 9-0 in game three of the College World Series Finals on Wednesday night. Mississippi State did it behind an outstanding pitching performance from Will Bednar, who went six innings, giving up no hits and setting the standard for Bulldog offense to follow.

From there, Mississippi State jumped out on Vanderbilt early by putting up five runs in the first five innings before adding four more runs to that lead to complete the dominance of Vanderbilt.

For Mississippi State, Wednesday night was about much more than just a championship or even a win over an SEC foe. Wednesday was about the entire state of Mississippi. The way the Bulldogs put the entire state on showcase over the last ten days will forever go down in the history books as one of the greatest moments in the history of Mississippi sports.

Not only did the team itself represent the state to the best of their abilities, but the way that the Mississippi State fans took over the city of Omaha was nothing less than spectacular Everywhere you looked, you saw Maroon and White. According to eyewitness accounts, Mississippi State fans took to the city of Omaha and made it their own. That type of fan turnout at any level across sports is rare, but it proves just how much this National Championship means to the people of Starkville and those involved with the Mississippi State baseball program.

For Vanderbilt, Wednesday night was the worst-case scenario for the Commodores, but quite frankly, it wasn’t surprising. Vanderbilt had been one of the best teams in College Baseball all season long, but like many others before them, they simply ran into a buzz saw matchup with Mississippi State. A loss in the Championship game of the College World Series is less than ideal for Vanderbilt, but when you look at next season, Vanderbilt will be an early favorite to return to Omaha to compete for another National Championship.

Lastly, for the Bulldogs of Mississippi State, this was the moment that the folks from Starkville have been praying for, for years, and finally, they have it. If you’re a Mississippi State fan, enjoy the moment. It’s not every day you can call yourself a National Champion, buy the shirts, celebrate with your friends and family, and forever hold this moment in the history of Mississippi State athletics.