The Mississippi State Baseball team won its sixth SEC series this weekend, beating Alabama 2 out of 3 games.
The Diamond Dawgs have started off conference play this season winning 5 of their first 6 series. MSU has built quite the résumé with impressive series wins against Vandy, Ole Miss, Florida, and LSU. But the fact remains, if the Dawgs want a national seed they need to win their final four series. They started of on the right foot in Tuscaloosa this weekend by winning 2 of 3.
Game 1
Mississippi State sent ace Dakota Hudson to the mound to start the series but he would be out-shined by another member of the pitching staff, Blake Smith. Hudson tossed five innings allowing six hits and four runs before giving way to the bullpen. Smith would enter the game with one out in the sixth inning and be almost perfect, allowing just 1 walk in 3.2 innings. The Bulldog bats would come to life early and often in this one. Gavin Collins hit a 2 run homer as part of a five run third inning and Brent Rooker went deep with a three run shot in the ninth send the Bulldogs to a 12-5 victory.
More from Mississippi State Baseball
- Mississippi State baseball: Former Bulldog J.P. France is thriving with Houston Astros
- Dakota Jordan makes strong statement about Mississippi State baseball future
- Former Mississippi State baseball infielder finds transfer destination
- Mississippi State baseball: Bulldogs’ pitcher announces transfer destination
- 2023 College World Series championship: Why I’m rooting for Florida
Game 2
Originally slated for Friday night, game 2 would be rained out setting up a double header on Saturday. Austin Sexton started for MSU and pitched 3.2 innings giving up four hits and 3 runs. I am not sure why Cohen and Wes Johnson went to he bullpen so early in 2-1 game, but regardless the combo of Jacob Billingsley (gave up a hit that allowed a run credited to Sexton to score), Ethan Small, Ryan Rigby, and Daniel Brown held the tie intact until the ninth inning. MSU would take the lead in the top of the ninth only to watch four different pitchers struggle to throw strikes and allow Alabama to score twice and walk off 4-3.
Game 3
The rubber match would come just 45 minutes or so after game 2 ended. The Mississippi State baseball team would turn to Konnor Pilkington to help win the series. Konnor answer all expectation and then some. After RBI singles from Reid Humphreys and Ryan Gridley gave State a 2-0 lead Pilkington would shut down the Tide. The freshman went a career-high 5.2 innings giving up only one run on three hits. Konnor would strike out seven, another career mark. He would give way to Daniel Brown who would work his way out of a jam in the sixth before sealing the save in the seventh.
Current SEC West standings:
- Texas A&M 12-7
- Mississippi State 12-9
- Ole Miss 12-9
- LSU 11-10
- Alabama 10-11
- Arkansas 7-12
- Auburn 7-13
Mississippi State baseball plays another Thursday through Saturday series next weekend when they host Missouri at Dudy Noble Field.