Mississippi State softball punched its first-ever ticket to the Women’s College World Series by pulling off a massive upset against powerhouse Oklahoma in the Norman Super Regional. After a loss in the second matchup, the unseeded Bulldogs rallied and won game three, shutting out the Sooners to end a near-decade-long streak of appearances in Oklahoma City.
While the Dawgs’ talent on the field, in the dugout, and on the coaching staff earned them their victory, there’s still room to give a little credit to the man with the broccoli.
Jim Stewart Allen, affectionately known as the “Broccoli Guy”, is a Pacific Northwest-based sports fan who became a viral good luck charm for the Mississippi State softball team during their historic run to the Women’s College World Series (WCWS).
Allen is from the Seattle area and built a unique fandom that began in 2020 at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, when he went viral on ESPN for dancing with potatoes. After that, he decided to start dancing with vegetables year-round at sporting events, eventually settling on broccoli because it acts as “natural pom-poms”.
“I’m a Pacific Northwest guy, and usually pull for the University of Washington softball, but they played their regional in Arkansas,” explained Allen. “I decided to go to Eugene to support the University of Oregon, the Ducks. That’s where I first saw Mississippi State play.”
It didn’t take long for Mississippi State and Allen’s energy to collide.
“I’m not making this up,” declared Allen. “Within the first minute of getting to my seats in the bleachers, I started dancing with my broccoli, and Ally Supan, a Mississippi State player, saw me. And she started dancing along with me, doing my moves. And I said, you know what, I like this team.”
Mississippi State and Oregon eventually matched up and played Game 3 of the 2026 NCAA Softball Eugene Regional. The matchup took place on Saturday, May 16, 2026, with the Bulldogs defeating the Ducks. Allen almost headed home after the Oregon defeat, but at the last minute decided to stick around and cheer on his new favorite team with matching energy.
“As regionals wore on, the energy between me and MSU just kept growing,” shared Allen. “By Sunday, Mississippi State’s softball dads were bringing broccoli to the games for the team, and lining the dugout with it. They just really embraced it.”
After Mississippi State’s victory over Oklahoma, the internet asked the question, “Will the Broccoli Guy be in Oklahoma for the World Series?”
“After Mississippi State won regionals, it took me a few days to finally make the decision,” shared Allen. “But I decided to get a ticket and will head out to Oklahoma and follow this energy to the end, because I think there’s something really magical going on here.”
Photo credit: Jim Stewart Allen FB
Mississippi State will face Texas Tech in Game 1 of the Women’s College World Series on Thursday, May 28, at 11:00 a.m. CT. The opening matchup will be broadcast live on ESPN from Devon Park in Oklahoma City. Everyone is encouraged to tune in and bring your “pom poms.”
And if you’re wondering what happens to all that broccoli after games.
“Usually, I make it into a smoothie after games. I’ll wash it off, put some mixed berries and protein powder in there,” shared Allen. “It’s not bad. The texture takes a little bit of getting used to, but it’s really not a bad smoothie, and your body feels amazing afterward.”
