Mayor's Trophy Game to stay at Smith-Wills

[Greenhead22]

July 17, 2005
Mayor's Trophy will remain at Smith-Wills

The Clarion-Ledger

For at least one more year Jackson's Smith-Wills Stadium will be the backdrop for scenes like this Michael Rutledge relay to complete a double play at the 2005 Mayor's Trophy baseball game.


OXFORD — The Ole Miss and Mississippi State baseball teams will extend their rivalry in the Mayor's Trophy game for at least another year at Jackson's Smith-Wills Stadium.

Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said the two schools have reached an agreement with stadium officials on a one-year deal to keep the game at Smith-Wills, home of the Central Baseball League's Jackson Senators.

Bianco and MSU coach Ron Polk were also considering a proposal to move the game to Trustmark Park in Pearl, the new home of the Double-A Mississippi Braves. School and stadium officials declined to reveal the financial terms of the agreement or the guarantee each school stands to earn.

The Rebels and Bulldogs are scheduled to meet on April 11, for the 27th annual game. Ole Miss and State have split the 26 games in the matchup that has plenty of bragging rights on the line but doesn't count toward the conference standings for the SEC Western Division rivals.

The contract to play the game at Smith-Wills expired March 29 after Ole Miss beat MSU.

"We gave some thought to playing it over at the new park in Pearl, but this game has been (at Smith-Wills) so long and they've done such a great job with it the past few years," Bianco said. "When we looked at and weighed the pros and cons, there just wasn't enough there to sway us to go in another direction."

Overtime Sports president Tim Bennett, who was behind the push to move the game to Pearl, said his proposal included a higher guarantee and the potential to broadcast the game on a regional sports network. But Bianco said the deal with Smith-Wills could also include a television broadcast.

"We're happy the game is staying at Smith-Wills," said Craig Brasfield, vice president and general manager of the Senators. "This is where it belongs."