Fireworks lined the sky above Dudy Noble Field on Thursday night when Brian O’Connor was welcomed by thousands of cowbell-ringing fans as Mississippi State’s new head baseball coach.

But the bigger fireworks – at least figuratively speaking – may have been when those across the college baseball scene found out just how much the Bulldogs are paying to get O’Connor to leave his 22-season post at Virginia and relocate to Starkville.

Media members were handed a piece of paper about 30 minutes into the welcome party, one that disclosed for the first time the details of O’Connor’s contract. The national championship-winning coach will start with a base salary of $2.9 million across four years with performance incentives that include: • $50,000 for winning the SEC regular championship • $50

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