Florida fans will be glad to hear I’m picking Michigan State for the NCAA championship.

After all, Ohio State was my overall top pick in the beginning and Duke was expected to finish high.

Purdue and LSU were picked to advance from the Sweet 16.

I did have Michigan State advancing to the finals, but that just proves they’re history.

The Gators are certainly up to the task of beating Michigan State. It should be an interesting contest. How about Michigan State 74, Florida 68?

n Don’t mean to step on Regis’ toes here, but do you know the only three states that do not change to daylight-saving time in the summer months?

They are Arizona, Hawaii and Indiana.

Arizona and Hawaii seem to be on their own time anyway, but you can imagine the problems this may cause in Indiana.

Especially for the NCAA, which recently moved its offices to Indianapolis.

NCAA members are constantly called upon to figure out what time events start in Indianapolis.

To try and avoid misunderstandings, the NCAA sends out an accompanying table that lists equivalent times from coast to coast.

— Former Natchez Democrat sportswriter Raymond Reeves, who is now manager of communications for the Southern Mississippi Alumni Association, sent me a copy of latest The Talon, the magazine of the USM Alumni Association.

The magazine has a Where Are They Now? section and this month’s star is Reggie Collier, who is probably USM’s second-most famous quarterback.

The other guy is at Green Bay.

Collier finished his career as the first quarterback in NCAA Division I history to both run and pass for 1,000 yards each in a single season.

He finished ninth in the 1982 Heisman Trophy voting and was a third-team All-American.

According to the magazine, Collier is currently living in New York City and working with the New York City Parks and Recreation Department with area children, including work with an 18-under basketball team.

— Have you made you summer vacation plans yet?

How about taking in a baseball game in St. Louis.

Of course, getting a ticket may be a problem, especially if Mark McGwire starts launching them out of the park early.

The most interesting matchups will by July 4-6 when Cincinnati and new Red Ken Griffey come to town.

They return to St. Louis Sept. 29-Oct. 1.

If you want to catch McGwire and Sammy Sosa at the same time, the Cardinals host Chicago April 3, 6,7 and Sept. 14-17.

If you looking for a good McGwire collectible, on June 23 the Cardinals host the Los Angeles Dodgers and the first 30,000 fans receive a collector’s pin honoring Big Mac’s record of hitting 50 home runs in four consecutive years.

Youngsters 15-under attending the July 1 game against Houston will go home swinging a Rawlings 30-inch, game-useable Mark McGwire replica baseball bat.

And, on Sept. 20 against Houston, fans score a pin commemorating McGwire’s 500 career home run milestone.

And finally, young fans can feel like the pros when they have the chance to run the bases at Busch Stadium following the Cardinals’ games on June 25 (Dodgers), July 9 (Giants), Aug. 20 (Phillies) and Sept. 3 (Mets).

Play ball!

Joey Martin is sports editor of The Democrat. He can be reached by calling 446-5172 ext. 232 or at joey.martin@natchezdemocrat.com.