With baseball season beginning
in two weeks, fans will
celebrate today with Dudy Gras
3.5, a parade celebrating the
start of the Mississippi State
baseball season while throwing
in a bit of Mardi Gras flair.
Parade co-founder Hobie
Hobart said this is the fourth
year he and partner Chip
Carley have held the event. The
two tried to have the first Dudy
Gras celebration four years ago,
but bad weather forced the men
to move the party indoors to
Mugshots Bar & Grill, contributing
to the .5 in its name.
“We got sleeted and snowed
out about four years ago when
we first wanted to do this,”
Hobart said. “We had to move
inside so we only gave ourselves
half credit on that one.”
The idea of Dudy Gras was
started when Hobart, Carley
and other friends were brainstorming
for ideas to help further
market the baseball team.
Given the fact that baseball
season coincides with the season
of Mardi Gras, Dudy Gras
was born.
Hobart said the group felt
like Mississippi State was an
ideal school for an event such
as this based on the prestige
of the program and the overall
passion of its fans.
“MSU baseball and Left
Field Lounge are MSU’s greatest
assets, yet there is zero marketing,”
he said. “We hold the
single [game] attendance record
and that just says a lot about
MSU and our team.”
Over the years, the parade
has gotten bigger and has
received much more exposure.
The parade has sparked a lot
of interest around the area with
more people wanting to walk
in the parade as well as make
floats.
Sponsors around the area
have shown continuous support
for this event, and donations
have risen each year the
parade has been held, Carley
said. The co-founders said
they believe the formula they
use can breed great success,
much like Malcom White’s St.
Patrick’s Day Parade in Jackson,
which is now the second biggest
St. Patrick’s Day Parade in
the country.
The parade itself serves as
more than just a celebration for
baseball season. All proceeds
earned from the event go to the
baseball program.
The parade also helps serve
as a recruiting tool for the program
as the Bulldogs are able to
offer a truly unique event to its
players and fans.
This year’s Dudy Gras will
be the first one held under new
head coach John Cohen. The
new coaching staff will only
make this year’s Dudy Gras even
more exciting, Carley said.
“The staff Cohen has brought
in here is phenomenal and they
ooze energy,” he said. “I have
no doubt in my mind when
he says he’s going to win a
national championship that he
will get it done.”
Cohen said he was the first
choice to hold the title of grand
marshall in the parade, but
he will be on the field with
his squad practicing during the
festivities. However, Cohen
said he and his staff will be
speaking to parade participants
and on-lookers after practice
has concluded.
Parade organizers will be
holding a pre-parade party at
Rick’s today beginning at 3
p.m with the parade starting
at 4 p.m.
From Rick’s Cafe, the parade
will travel down Highway 182
East before making its way
down Main Street. The parade
will make its way from there
straight to the MSU campus
and will conclude at Dudy-
Noble Field.