Brawl Erupts After Mississippi State Baseball Tournament

The Grand Slam baseball tournament in Mississippi took a chaotic turn once it concluded.

A skirmish broke out at Cornerstone Park on Sunday, leading to the arrests of an Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office deputy and a referee.

In footage captured by a parent, players were leaving the field after the tournament’s final game when referee Jeff Akins confronted Lt. Gov. Darrell Hawley, who is also the coach for Starkville’s 14U Sports Performance Center Select Team. Akins pushed Hawley in the chest, and in a quick response, Hawley shoved Akins back, which escalated into Akins punching the coach.

Then, things got even more heated. Hawley’s son, a player on the team, struck the referee from behind, sending him into the crowd as Akins turned around to face the boy. Hawley then clashed with Akins again, bringing him to the ground and continuing to punch him.

Despite Akins eventually standing up, both ended up on the ground again, exchanging blows. The situation intensified as Hawley’s son continued to hit Akins until tournament officials intervened to restore order.

According to Starkville Police Department Public Information Officer Brandon Lovelady, both Akins and Hawley face misdemeanor charges for fighting outside of self-defense.

As a consequence of this incident, both players involved will be banned from all future Grand Slam tournaments.

One user on social media commented on the event, sharing a video and expressing concerns about the adult behavior, asking what kind of example is being set for the kids involved.

The investigation remains active, and Mike Narmor, the Grand Slam Tournament Director, was not present during the incident. He expressed confusion about what sparked the altercation but labeled it “utter stupidity.”