Mississippi State baseball made the trek four hours south to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, playing a pair of games at Keesler Federal Park in Biloxi, and it was a successful trip for MSU. On Tuesday, State defeated Old Dominion 9-4 with a strong day at the plate. Then on Wednesday, the Diamond Dawgs held on for a 2-1 win in a pitcher's duel over Nicholls. Mississippi State is now 13-4 on the season.
Bulldog bats stay hot against Old Dominion
Mississippi State has gotten good production at the plate over these last few weeks, and that continued in their first game in Biloxi against Old Dominion. State racked up 10 hits and saw 10 more reach base via walks and hit by pitches. Six hits went for doubles, and several hard hit balls would've surely gone over the fence if not for a stiff sea breeze off the Gulf keeping them inside the park.
Aaron Downs continued to play well with a pair of hits, and Sawyer Reeves and Ace Reese both drove in multiple runs. Evan Siary looked strong on the mound in his three innings of starting work with five strikeouts and no runs allowed, and outside of a rough sixth inning, the Bulldog relievers pitched well.
Mississippi State's arms carry the load as Bulldogs hold on against Nicholls
The Bulldog bats cooled off considerably on Wednesday. They struggled to get much of anything to going on the plate with just four hits, and one of their two runs was the product of an error and wild pitch. However, State didn't need a multitude of runs to get the win thanks to their pitching staff, including some arms you may not have expected to see.
Noah Sullivan and Nolan Stevens, two Bulldogs known for their production in the lineup, made their pitching debuts against Nicholls, with Sullivan drawing the start. They combined for 5.1 innings of work, striking out four and allowing just one run. Kevin Mannell and Ryan Mcpherson would allow just two baserunners in the final 3.2 innings to seal the deal for MSU.
SEC play begins for Mississippi State baseball on Friday
It was a good trip down to the Coast for the Diamond Dawgs, and now they'll return to Starkville for their first SEC series of the year. They'll welcome the #11 Texas Longhorns to the Dude, Texas' first conference series as SEC members and the first meeting between the programs since the 2021 College World Series.
This will be an important early test for Mississippi State. They've handled business against lesser opponents, but in five games against quality competition, they're just 1-4. A series win over the Longhorns would be important for State to show they can matchup with high-level teams as well start SEC play off the right way.