Mississippi State baseball could not have started off regional play any better. Facing a Northeastern squad that had won a nation's best 27-straight games, the 2-seed Bulldogs cruised to an 11-2 victory, advancing to the winner's bracket of the Tallahassee Regional.
Mississippi State's lineup was all over Northeastern's top arm
Northeastern entered Tallahassee with the nation's best team ERA, and their ace, Will Jones, was one of the best statistical pitchers in the nation with a 1.82 ERA and 11-0 record. But he hadn't faced a lineup as talented as Mississippi State's, and the Bulldogs took advantage.
After a three-up, three-down first, State exploded for seven runs on six hits and two walks in the second and third frames. Jones' day ended at just 2.2 innings, far and away his worst outing of the season. The Husky bullpen would mostly do their jobs (well until State added some late insurance), but the damage had been done.
Joe Powell drove in four runs with a double and home run. Gatlin Sanders had three RBI off a pair of hits, and Bryce Chance had a 4-5 day. Noah Sullivan delivered a ninth-inning knockout with a 2-run shot. The Bulldogs needed their bats to rise to the occasion, and they did.
Justin Parker's decision to pitch Ben Davis worked to perfection
Pitching coach and interim head man Justin Parker made a surprising call to go with Ben Davis, who had made just three starts earlier in the season and was primarily a reliever, as his starter against the Huskies. It was a high risk, high reward move, and MSU was rewarded.
Davis pitched as well as you could have asked for. In 5.0 innings of work he surrendered just one earned run (two total) on five hits with three strikeouts and pair of walks. Northeastern found some success in the first two innings, bringing home two runners. But Davis would allow just two baserunners in his next three innings of work, shutting down the Northeastern bats.
Ryne McPherson would enter in relief and shined, retiring 12 of the 13 batters he faced to close out the game. And now MSU still has all three of its typical weekend starters available plus the bulk of its bullpen. Justin Parker deserves all the praise in the world for how he managed this.
Bulldogs to face regional host Florida State on Saturday
We now get a matchup of two storied programs in Saturday's winner's bracket game. Host Florida State defeated 4-seed Bethune-Cookman 6-2, so it will be the Seminoles vs the Diamond Dawgs Saturday night in Tallahassee. It should be an outstanding contest with both teams throwing their aces. The game is scheduled for 5:00 PM CT.