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LSU Tiger Fans Rally at Mississippi College


Fans of the LSU Tigers showed their pride this week as they joined hundreds of campers for games and Bible study at Mississippi College.

There was cause for celebration after LSU knocked off the top seed Texas Longhorns Wednesday to win their 6th NCAA baseball title. The score was 11-4 in the final of their best of three series.

During MC's summer camps, there were tons of Louisiana people wearing their purple LSU shirts. It began when campers began arriving Monday and kept going.

A day after Louisiana State knocked off Texas 7-6 to open the College World Series on June 22, dozens of happy campers were all over the Clinton campus decked out in purple LSU T-shirts and hats. There are also others in the MC family, including the associate law dean, who are big-time LSU fans cheering on the Tigers to win the baseball championship in Omaha.

The enthusiasm of the youngsters spilled over to MC summer camps Monday night after the Tigers beat the Longhorns in 11 innings on ESPN. Louisiana people are always a huge part of the summer camps that bring 10,000 people from 14 states to the Christian university in Central Mississippi. Texas stormed back to win the second game Tuesday. The two teams clashed in Rosenblatt Stadium in the finale seen by millions on ESPN.

One of the visitors at MC camp this week is Steve Masters, director of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at LSU. He's held the post for 18 years on the Baton Rouge campus "We will win it," Masters predicted of the College World Series in the Nebraska city. Between them, LSU and Texas have won 11 CWS championships over the years.

Masters also serves as an interim youth minister at a Baptist church in Louisiana. During his MC stay, the Louisiana resident took time for breakfast and fellowship with a friend, Mississippi College faculty member Burn Page of Department of Christian Studies and Philosophy Department. Page is a former pastor of First Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. In Louisiana's capital city, LSU Tiger fans rule year-round.

"First Baptist Church in Baton Rouge is filled with LSU fans for sure," Page said from his office at Provine Chapel." This week they postponed a deacons meeting" because of the College World Series, he noted. LSU's away football games in the fall could reduce Sunday attendance at First Baptist-Baton Rouge. LSU baseball fever is almost as hot.

An Auburn graduate, Page has close ties to LSU. Both of his sons are LSU graduates. So he's adopted LSU as one of his favorite teams. "When LSU played Auburn I said go Tigers," Page laughed. Both schools are nicknamed for the ferocious jungle animal.

As the College World Series plays on, Page watched most innings via TV and the Internet. "It's been an exciting series, and a long one."

On Thursday morning, Page was in a good mood because "LSU brought home the gold. I do have my LSU shirt on today."

Page, who was a pastor in Baton Rouge for 14 years, noted that people often say don't mess with Texas. "I guess LSU messed with them."

But after making a few calls to offer his congrats to a few LSU supporters, it was back to work. Page heads the Institute for Christian Leadership at Mississippi College.

While Phillip McIntosh lives in Mississippi, he counts himself among the LSU faithful. An LSU graduate with two degrees from the Louisiana university, McIntosh is associate dean at the Mississippi College School of Law in downtown Jackson. He said he would love to see his Tigers prevail in the 2009 College World Series and got his wish.

"I always want to see them succeed. It's been an exciting years for them," said McIntosh, a 1978 graduate of the LSU law school. The MCSOL administrator also received his undergraduate degree from LSU.

When he was a student, LSU won an SEC championship in baseball, but never a College World Series title. "I'm more of a football than baseball fan, but follow all of it."

McIntosh taught a Wednesday evening class at the law school. Then he made a quick dash home to watch his Tigers defeat the Longhorns on ESPN.


PHOTO: Steve Masters, director of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at LSU, leads a team of LSU fans at Mississippi College summer camp.