Catcher Daniel Garner Leaves for Junior College

Redshirt sophomore catcher Daniel Garner announced yesterday that he would be leaving the Bulldogs for Shelton State Community College, siting the possibility of no playing time for the 2015 campaign. He played in 24 games this past season, hitting .273 with three doubles and 5 RBIs, primarily at designated hitter.

NCAA Regional Recap - #17 (2) Mississippi State 3, (4) Jackson State 1, 5/31/14

After a dominating victory over San Diego State and an upset by Jackson State over UL Lafayette, Mississippi State squared off against the Tigers of Jackson State and won 3-1.

Ben Bracewell started on the bump for the Bulldogs and had a solid night. He struck out four and gave up a run in 3 2/3 innings, but the one who stole the show was Bracewell's replacement, Jonathan Holder. "Johnny Baseball" struck out a career high nine batters and gave up only one hit in 5 1/3 innings pitched. Holder picked up the win and improves his record to 7-1.

Jonathan Holder Struck Out Nine in Mississippi State's 3-1 NCAA Win Over Jackson State

After hitting the clutch triple that scored three yesterday, Jake Vickerson had another stellar day at the plate, going 2-4 and scoring a run. Other good days included Brett Pirtle who went 2-3, Cody Brown who went 1-4 with a RBI and a run scored, and Gavin Collins, going 1-4 with a RBI and a run scored.

After a scoreless 1st, the Bulldogs got on the board first in the 2nd by a sac fly from Matthew Britton, scoring Cody Brown. Jackson State fought back with a run of their own in the 4th from a bases loaded walk. The Bulldogs were able to get the lead back in the 6th off of a RBI single by Gavin Collins which scored Jake Vickerson and a fielder's choice by Cody Brown which scored Gavin Collins. The rest of the ballgame was a pitching battle and Mississippi State pulled it out.

In the other side of the regional, UL Lafayette defeated San Diego State 9-2, eliminating the Aztecs, and giving UL Lafayette a matchup against Jackson State in the elimination game.

Mississippi State improves to 39-22 and will play the winner of the Jackson State - UL Lafayette matchup at 6:00 PM on ESPN3 Sunday in the regional final.

NCAA Regional Recap - #17 (2) Mississippi State 5, (3) San Diego State 2, 5/30/14

In the first game of the Lafayette regional, Mississippi State took care of the Aztecs of San Diego State 5-2.

Trevor Fitts started on the bump for the Bulldogs and, although having a shaky start, had a great outing. He struck out two and gave up three hits and two runs in 5 innings. Myles Gentry replaced Fitts on the mound and had an even better day. He struck out one but gave up no hits in 4 innings pitched.

The Bulldog bats came up big when it mattered most. Jake Vickerson went 2-4 with 3 RBIs, having the best day for the Bulldogs. Other good days included Alex Detz, going 2-4 with a RBI and a run and Brett Pirtle who went 2-4 with a scored run.

Jake Vickerson Went 2-4 With 3 RBIs in Mississippi State's 5-2 Victory Over San Diego State

After a scoreless 1st, the Aztecs got on the board first with a RBI single and a sac fly to start off with a 2-0 lead, but Mississippi State fought back in a big way. It started with a Matthew Britton RBI single and after C.T. Bradford walked to load the bases, Jake Vickerson tripled to clear the bases and give the Bulldogs the 4-2 lead through 2 innings. In the 5th, the Bulldogs bit again with a RBI single by Alex Detz that scored Brett Pirtle. The rest of the ballgame was a pitching battle, and MSU finished the job with a 5-2 victory.

In the other side of the regional, the Jackson State Tigers upset the host UL Lafayette 1-0, so Jackson State will head to the winner's bracket and UL Lafayette will be going to the loser's bracket to face San diego State in an elimination game. 

Mississippi State improves to 38-22 and will face Jackson State at 6:00 PM on ESPN3.

Mississippi State Poll Update, 5/27/14

After going 2-2 in the SEC Tournament and now entering the NCAA Tournament, here is where the Bulldogs stand in the polls:

NCBWA - This Week: 22,  Last Week: 21

Coaches - This Week: 21,  Last Week: 22

Collegiate Baseball - This Week: 21,  Last Week: 17

Baseball America - This Week: 17,  Last Week: 18

Mississippi State opens NCAA play in the Lafayette regional on Friday at 1:00 PM on ESPN3.

Mississippi State in the Lafayette NCAA Regional

After going 37-22 in the regular season and SEC Tournament, Mississippi State was placed in the Lafayette regional, home of the Louisiana Lafayette Rajin' Cajuns, as a 2 seed. UL Lafayette is 53-7 on the year and was named the number 6 overall national seed. The Bulldogs won't have to deal with ULL in their first matchup though, Mississippi State will have to face off against San Diego State, the 3 seed in the Lafayette regional.

San Diego State is 42-19 on the year, they won a big series in the regular season against UC Irvine, and the Aztecs won the Mountain West tournament. They are a good team, but they may be tired after playing six games in the Mountain West conference tournament.

UL Lafayette's first matchup is against another Mississippi team, 4 seed Jackson State. JSU is 31-23 on the year, the SWAC tournament champions, but series losses versus Alcorn State (JSU lost two series to them) and Mississippi Valley State shows their true colors, and they shouldn't be any problem for UL Lafayette.

Finally, let's talk about the host, the Rajin' Cajuns of Louisiana Lafayette. UL Lafayette has an isnane record of 53-7 (Mississippi State notched 51 wins last season, including the postseason), they went 26-4 in the Sun Belt conference, easily handled the Sun Belt tournament championship, outscoring their opponents in the tournament by a combined 28-15 and has a series victory over Alabama and a 4-1 midweek victory versus LSU, the number 8 national seed and SEC tournament champions. Although the name is small, UL Lafayette is a for real team, and each team in this regional has to give it their very best to knock them out.

One more thing to note, the Lafayette regional is matched up with none other than the Oxford regional, of course hosted by the Mississippi Rebels, so there is a possibility that Mississippi State can travel to Oxford and battle the Rebels for a shot at Omaha.

The Bulldogs and the Aztecs of San Diego State will battle on Friday, May 30th at 1:00 PM on ESPN3 as the opening game of the regional.

SEC Tournament Recap - #7 (1) Florida 5, #18 (5) Mississippi State 1, 5/23/14

As a result of poor fielding, Mississippi State was eliminated from the 2014 SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama, losing to Florida 5-1.

Brandon Woodruff started on the bump for the Bulldogs and struggled. He gave up three runs and struck out zero in 3 1/3 innings of work. Ben Bracewell replaced Woodruff and had a better day. He struck out three and gave up a run in 2 2/3 innings. Vance Tatum pitched after Bracewell and struck out one an gave up a run in 1 inning. Dakota Hudson replaced Tatum and struck out one in 1 inning, and the last pitcher of the day was Austin Sexton who pitched 1 inning.

The Bulldog bats were cold, and when the Bulldogs leave the bases loaded and get nothing in the 1st inning, you know it's not going to be a good day. Florida dominated this game throughout. They scored twice in the 2nd, one in the 4th, once in the 6th, and once in the 7th. The Bulldogs weren't able to get a run across until the 8th.

Mississippi State drops to 37-22 and they will see where they're headed in the NCAA Tournament on Monday, May 26th.

SEC Tournament Recap - (9) Kentucky 7, #18 (5) Mississippi State 6, 5/22/14

After winning the first two games of the 2014 SEC Tournament, Mississippi State looked to make it to the semifinals undefeated, but dropped a thriller to Kentucky, 7-6.

Ross Mitchell started for the Bulldogs and looked like he was having a good game before the 6th inning. Although he struck out none, he gave up just one run before the Wildcats scored three in the 6th and Mitchell was replaced by Ben Bracewell. Bracewell struck out one in 1 inning. Jonathan Holder replaced Bracewell and continued to pitch well. He struck out five and gave up one run in 4 innings pitched. Myles Gentry came in for Holder and faced two batters before getting replaced by Preston Brown. Brown struck out one and gave up a run in 1/3 innings and Vance Tatum finished the job for the Bulldogs and pitched 2/3 innings. It was not good day for Bulldog pitching.

Hitting, on the other hand, shined bright for MSU. The Bulldog bat of the day was Gavin Collins, who went 4-5 with an RBI. Seth Heck went 2-5, scoring two runs and getting an RBI, and Cody Brown went 2-5 with an RBI.

Gavin Collins Went 4-5 With an RBI in Mississippi State's 7-6 Loss to Kentucky

The reason why this game will be remembered - its length. This game started at 8:00 PM on May 22nd and ended past 12:30 AM on May 23rd, although it just lasted 12 innings. After 3 scoreless innings, Mississippi State got on the board first with Brett Pirtle scoring off of a wild pitch. In the 5th, Seth heck hit an RBI single that scored C.T. Bradford and Cody Brown got an RBI single, scoring Seth Heck and giving the Bulldogs the 2-0 advantage. In the 6th, MSU got on the board again with a sac fly by Jake Vickerson, scoring Wes Rea. In the bottom of the 6th, Kentucky finally scored with an RBI double, a sac fly, and an RBI single, tying the game at 3. In the 7th, the Bulldogs took the lead off of a groundout double play by Demarcus Henderson that scored Seth Heck. In the 8th, Kentucky struck back with a groundout of their own, tying it at 5. In the 9th, the Bulldogs took the lead back with a Gavin Collins single that scored Brett Pirtle, but Kentucky sent the game into extras with a sac fly. After no runs in the 10th and 11th, Kentucky clinched the victory because of a bases loaded RBI single, winning the ballgame 7-6.

Mississippi State drops to 37-21 and looks to bounce back against SEC regular season champions, Florida, at 6:30 PM on CSS and ESPN3.

SEC Tournament Recap - #18 (5) Mississippi State 12, #15 (4) South Carolina 0, 5/21/14

After a thrilling extra innings victory over Georgia, Mississippi State absolutely manhandled the Gamecocks of South Carolina in 7 innings, 12-0.

Trevor Fitts started for MSU and had a decent showing. He struck out one and gave up two hits in 2 innings pitched. Jacob Lindgren replaced Fitts on the bump and just did Lingo style things. He struck out six and gave up no hits in 4 innings. Myles Gentry finished the job for the Bulldogs, striking out two in 1 inning of work.

The Bulldog bats were hot, and in a big way. C.T. Bradford went 3-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, Seth Heck went 3-5 with an RBI and two runs scored, Derrick Armstrong went 2-4 with 2 RBIs and a run scored, and Brett Pirtle went 1-3, the one hit being a three run Bulldog bomb in the 7th.

After a scoreless 1st, Derrick Armstrong scored Wes Rea in the 2nd, putting MSU on the board first. In the 2nd, Wes Rea drove in C.T. Bradford off of a fielder's choice and Demarcus Henderson scored Brett Pirtle off of a single, giving the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead. In the 4th, C.T. Bradford singled and scored Matthew Britton, putting Mississippi State up 4-0. After scoreless 5th and 6th innings, the Bulldogs went into the 7th inning up 4-0, a comfortable lead, but not nearly as big as what MSU would have after the 7th.

So much happened this inning, it deserves its own separate paragraph. After Seth Heck and Gavin Collins both singled, Brett Pirtle absolutely crushed one over the right field wall, opening the flood gates. Derrick Armstrong singled and scored Reid Humphreys, Seth Heck doubled, scoring Matthew Britton and Armstrong, and finally, Jake Vickerson walked with the bases loaded, scoring Seth Heck. The Bulldogs had the 12-0 advantage, and after South Carolina couldn't get anything across, the game was called off due to the mercy rule, and Mississippi State grabbed the 12-0 win.

Brett Pirtle Smashed a Three Run Homer in MSU's 12-0 Victory Over South Carolina

Mississippi State improves to 37-20 and will battle Kentucky Thursday night at 8:00 PM on CSS and ESPN3.

SEC Tournament Recap - #18 (5) Mississippi State 5, (12) Georgia 4, 5/20/14

After pulling out the series win and jumping up in the polls, Mississippi State wanted to carry the momentum into Hoover and the SEC Tournament with a matchup against Georgia, and they did just that with a 5-4 extra inning victory.

Lucas Laster started on the mound for the maroon Bulldogs and he had a terrific day. He struck out eight and got fifteen ground ball outs in 8 1/3 innings. Jonathan Holder replaced Laster on the mound while MSU was up 4-2 and blew the save, giving up two runs in the 9th, striking out one in 1 2/3 innings. With the exception of Holder's 9th, it was a great pitching day for MSU.

Lucas Laster Struck Out Eight in Mississippi State's 5-4 Extra Innings Victory Over Georgia 

It was a decent day for the maroon Bulldog bats, but Seth Heck got the job done at the plate. He went 2-4 and scored two runs. MSU didn't hit all too well, but they got the hits when it mattered most. MSU scored first in the 2nd with a sac fly by Cody Brown which scored Seth Heck. UGA fought back with two runs of their own in the 3rd, an RBI single and a sac groundout. After scoreless 4th and 5th innings, MSU faced a 2-1 deficit with two men on and one out. Wes Rea pinch hit for Cody Brown and on the first pitch, he laced a double, scoring Brett Pirtle and Seth Heck. Derrick Armstrong later scored off of a fielder's choice, giving MSU the 4-2 lead. In the 9th, UGA stepped up and tied up the ballgame at 4 with two RBI singles, sending the game to extras. Although the red Bulldogs fought back, the maroon Bulldogs pulled out the victory in the 10th with Jake Vickerson scoring off of a throwing error.

Mississippi State improves to 36-20 and will face South Carolina in game two of the SEC Tournament at 8:00 PM Wednesday on CSS and ESPN3.

Recap - #20 Mississippi State 1, #19 Alabama 0, 5/16/14

With strong pitching, Mississippi State was able to clinch their final regular season SEC series of the 2014 campaign with a 1-0 victory over Alabama Friday night.

Ross Mitchell started on the bump for the Bulldogs and had yet another spectacular outing. He struck out two and gave up no runs in 6 1/3 innings. Mitchell got himself in a jam in the 7th, and Jonathan Holder was his replacement and he showed why he has the nickname "Johnny Baseball". He struck out five and gave up just one hit in 2 2/3 innings pitched. Another great showing for Bulldog pitching. 

It was a poor showing at the plate, but one hit is what decided the game, and the man who got the one hit is someone you wouldn't expect. Matthew Britton. Britton got his first home run in his Bulldog career on the first pitch of the 7th inning. The Bulldogs continued to strand runners and hit poorly, but the Britton bomb was enough for the Bulldogs to pull out the victory.

Matthew Britton Hit a Solo Shot in the 7th to Seal Mississippi State's 1-0 Win Over Alabama

The Bulldogs improve to 35-19, 18-11 and will look to sweep the Tide at 3:05 PM on CSS or ESPN3.

Recap - #20 Mississippi State 9, #19 Alabama 4, 5/15/14

Mississippi State looked to continue their momentum in the SEC after a series win versus Tennessee last weekend, and Thursday night, they did just that with a 9-4 game one road victory over Alabama.

Trevor Fitts started on the mound for the Bulldogs and had a decent outing. In 4 1/3 innings, he struck out two and gave up two runs. Jacob Lindgren replaced Fitts on the bump and struck out one and gave up no hits in 1 2/3 innings. Myles Gentry finished the job for Mississippi State, striking out two and giving up four runs in 3 innings.

By now, every Mississippi State fan that cares about baseball knows that the Bulldogs hit better on the road, and that was clearly apparent today. In one game, the Bulldogs scored two more runs than they did all of last weekend in Starkville. No doubt, C.T. Bradford was the hot bat of the night. He went 3-4 with an RBI and scored three runs. Alex Detz also came up big, especially in the clutch, going 2-4 with five RBIs. Five. Big day for both.

C.T. Bradford Went 3-4 With an RBI and Scored Three Runs in MSU's 9-4 Win Over Alabama

No one scored through 2, but in the 3rd, it was Mississippi State who got on the board off of an Alex Detz single which scored C.T. Bradford. The Crimson Tide scored in the 4th off of an RBI single, and Bama took the lead in the 5th with a fielder's choice RBI. Although down 2-1, the Bulldogs fought back with a big 5th inning. Alex Detz hit a grounder which scored Jake Vickerson, Brett Pirtle singled which scored C.T. Bradford, and Seth Heck singled which scored Pirtle. MSU had the 4-2 lead going to the 6th, where they made even more noise. C.T. Bradford singled which scored Demarcus Henderson, Alex Detz hit a sac fly which scored Jake Vickerson, and Seth Heck hit a single which scored Bradford. Mississippi State took a 7-2 lead heading to the 7th, where they added two runs off of an Alex Detz 2 RBI single which scored Matthew Britton and Demarcus Henderson. Alabama scored twice in the 8th, but couldn't hold on to get the win.

The Bulldogs are now 34-19, 17-11 and look to clinch the series Friday at 6:05 PM on the CBS Sports Network.

Mississippi State Poll Update - 5/13/14

After taking 2 out of 3 against Tennessee, Mississippi State moved up in the polls. Here are the rankings:

NCBWA - This Week: 21,  Last Week: 21

Coaches - This Week: 21,  Last Week: 21

Collegiate Baseball - This Week: 16,  Last Week: 18

Baseball America - This Week: 20,  Last Week: 21

The Bulldogs look to jump in the polls even farther with a weekend series versus Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Recap - #21 Mississippi State 4, Tennessee 3, 5/11/14

Trying to grab a crucial SEC series versus Tennessee, Mississippi State did just that, even though it required extras once again, 4-3.

Preston Brown was the starter for the Bulldogs and struggled early. He struck out one, but gave up three runs off three hits and was replaced by Lucas Laster after just one inning of work. Laster, on the other hand, had a terrific outing. He struck out five and gave up just three hits in 5 2/3 innings. Replacing Laster was Jacob Lindgren, and he had an even better showing on the mound. The struck out eight batters, giving up just three hits in 5 1/3 innings of work. It was a great weekend for Bulldog pitching.

Jacob Lindgren Struck Out Eight Batters Over 5 2/3 Innings in Mississippi State's 4-3 Win

The scoring started early, but didn't hold up for a high scoring ballgame. In the 1st, Tennessee scored twice, once off of a throwing error and another scored off of a fielder's choice groundout. The Bulldogs also scored in the 1st, because of an RBI single by Gavin Collins. Tennessee started off the 2rd with a bang, hitting a solo shot to take a 3-1 lead. The Bulldogs didn't score in the 2nd, no one scored in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th, but that all changed in the 7th. Wes Rea, who has been struggling at the plate all year, stepped up and hit a two run homer to tie the game up at 3, and that score would hold up into extra innings. No one scored in the 10th and 11th, but in the 12th, Mississippi State had the bases loaded with nobody out. Now, we have seen this situation before this weekend and it didn't work out so well, as there were no runs plated across, and this time it looked like that would be the same, with an Alex Detz fly out and Demarcus Henderson being called out at the plate on a fielder's choice, but no. Cody Walker stepped up to the plate and got ahead of the count 3-0, and after the UT pitcher threw one strike, Walker got walked, giving MSU the 4-3 victory. 

Cody Walker's Teammates Celebrate His Walk Off Walk in MSU's 4-3 Victory

Mississippi State improves to 33-19, 16-11 and will finish off their regular season on the road in Tuscaloosa, as they battle Alabama in a weekend series.

Recruiting Update - Pitcher Kale Breaux Commits to MSU

Out of Sulphur High School in Sulphur, Louisiana, pitcher Kale Breaux committed to LSU, but flipped today and committed to the Bulldogs of Mississippi State in the recruiting class of 2015. He was awarded a spot on the 2014 Underclassman High School Honorable Mention list and, according to his Perfect Game profile, throws an average 86 MPH fast ball, which is in the 90th percentile in the class of 2015. He plays for the summer team Texas Sun Devils, and looks like a key addition to John Cohen and Butch Thompson's pitching staff.

Recap - #21 Mississippi State 1, Tennessee 0, 5/10/14

The Six Seniors in the Class of 2014 Being Recognized on Senior Night Versus Tennessee

It was senior night for the Bulldogs of Mississippi State, who dropped game one of a crucial series against Tennessee, but grabbed game two in extra innings, 1-0.

Ross Mitchell started on the bump for the Bulldogs, and he had yet another stellar outing. He struck out five and gave up only two hits in 6 1/3 innings. Jonathan Holder replaced Mitchell on the mound and had an even better night. He struck out seven, giving up no hits in 3 2/3 innings pitched, and earning the win. 

Jonathan Holder Struck Out Seven Over 3 2/3 Innings in MSU's 1-0 Victory Over Tennessee

The Bulldog bats struggled once again, and a big reason is stranded runners, especially late in the game. Tied at 0 in the 7th, Mississippi State had the bases loaded with one out. A line out and a groundout later, the Bulldogs head back to the dugout still tied at 0 after stranding three runners. It continued in the 8th. With men on 1st and 3rd, still tied at 0, with two outs, Seth Heck grounded into a fielder's choice which stranded two more runners. When you thought it couldn't get any worse, it did, because it continued into the 9th. With men on 2nd and 3rd with two outs with a chance at winning the game, Matthew Britton struck out, stranding two more runners, totaling seven stranded runners in 3 innings. But, in the 10th, it changed. C.T. Bradford led off with a double, which was followed by an Alex Detz ground out which advanced Bradford to third, and Brett Pirtle being intentionally walked. Seth Heck stepped up to the plate and hit a grounder up the middle which got away from the shortstop and scored Bradford, giving the Bulldogs the 1-0 victory in 10 innings.

The Diamond Dawgs Mob Seth Heck After Hitting the Walk Off Single Versus Tennessee

Mississippi State improves to 32-19, 15-11 and will look to take the series Sunday at 1:30 PM on the CBS Sports Network.

Recap - Tennessee 4, #21 Mississippi State 2, 5/9/14

After a sweep on the road against Auburn, Mississippi State was looking to boost their confidence in game one against Tennessee, but failed to do so as they fall 4-2 to the Vols.

Trevor Fitts started for the Bulldogs and had a poor showing. He struck out one and gave up 4 runs in 3 1/3 innings pitched. Jacob Lindgren replaced Fitts on the mound, striking out one in 2/3 innings, and Ben Bracewell finished the job for MSU, striking out five in 5 innings.

At this point in the year, it sounds like a broken record, but State struggled offensively again tonight. The one player that came up big for the Bulldogs was C.T. Bradford, going 3-5 with an RBI and a run scored, but that was about it for the Bulldogs.

C.T. Bradford Went 3-5 With an RBI and a Run in MSU's 4-2 Loss Against Tennessee

One of the main things Mississippi State has struggled with all season is stranded base runners, and that was no different tonight. The Bulldogs stranded two in the 1st, one in the 4th, after four Tennessee runs, one in the 5th, one in the 6th, after a Bulldog run, two in the 7th, after another Bulldog run, three in the 8th, and three in the 9th, totaling thirteen runners. The Bulldogs just have not been able to step it up in that area of the game.

Mississippi State looks to grab game two of the series at 6:00 PM Saturday on CSS and ESPN3.

SEC West Standings and Predictions, 5/7/14

After Mississippi State's sweep of Auburn over this weekend, they put themselves back into the SEC West picture. Here are the standings (Rankings from Baseball America):

1. #11 Ole Miss - 15-9, (35-14)
2. #21 Mississippi State - 14-10, (31-18)
3. #15 LSU - 13-10-1, (35-13-1)
4. #19 Alabama - 13-11, (30-18)
5. Texas A&M - 12-12, (30-19)
6. Arkansas - 11-13, (30-20)
7. Auburn - 9-15, (25-23)

Here are each teams's schedule this weekend:

#11 Ole Miss - vs Georgia
#21 Mississippi State - vs Tennessee
#15 LSU - vs #19 Alabama
#19 Alabama - at #15 LSU
Texas A&M - at Arkansas
Arkansas - vs Texas A&M
Auburn - at Kentucky

Here are my predictions:

#11 Ole Miss - Georgia: Ole Miss Sweep

Ole Miss is hot right now. They can hit really well and, although they had a blunder on Sunday versus Arkansas losing 11-1, they took 2/3 and will continue to lead the West after this weekend. Although they took 2/3 vs South Carolina this past weekend, Georgia has been struggling with a 23-23-1 record. I just see Ole Miss dominating this series.

#21 Mississippi State - Tennessee: Mississippi State 2/3

Sitting one game behind first place in the West, Mississippi State needs at worst a 2/3 weekend with Tennessee. Coming off of a 2/3 weekend versus Kentucky, the Vols are looking for a statement series against Mississippi State, but I think the Bulldogs will be able to pull out 2/3, losing the Sunday game.

#15 LSU - #19 Alabama: LSU Sweep

Alabama started out the conference schedule with a fast start, dominating the West and moving up to as high as 8 in the nation, but they are starting to fall apart. They lost a series against South Carolina two weeks ago, and just got swept by Florida this past weekend. Although struggling in a series loss against Texas A&M last week, LSU will rebound at home and move into the 2nd place spot in the West with a sweep of Alabama.

Texas A&M - Arkansas: Texas A&M 2/3

Arkansas is starting to struggle after two straight series losses against Auburn and Ole Miss. Texas A&M is starting to really shine in conference play, after two straight series wins against ranked opponents, Mississippi State and LSU. I think Texas A&M travels to Fayetville and will continue their SEC success with a series win.

Auburn - Kentucky: Kentucky 2/3

Auburn is flat out bad. They may have a series win versus Arkansas, but that's about it. They have been swept by Ole Miss and Mississippi State, and they have a series loss against Missouri on their schedule. Auburn is really in a slump, and I don't think they can get out of it. Kentucky has really struggled as well. They have a series loss against Missouri and have gotten swept versus Ole Miss. But, they have series wins versus Florida and South Carolina, and are just better than Auburn.

Mississippi State Poll Update, 5/6/14

Although dropping a terrible midweek game to Jacksonville State, the Bulldogs of Mississippi State were able to bounce back with a series sweep over Auburn. Here are the rankings:

NCBWA - This Week: 21,  Last Week: 23

Coaches - This Week: 21,  Last Week: 23

Collegiate Baseball - This Week: 18,  Last Week: 28

Baseball America - This Week: 21,  Last Week: NR

Mississippi State jumped some spots in the polls this week and will look to jump even higher this weekend with a three game weekend series with Tennessee at Dudy Noble.

Recap - Mississippi State 12, Auburn 1, 5/4/14

Mississippi State hit the bats and pulled out the brooms in game three, completing the sweep of Auburn with a dominating 12-1 victory at Plainsman Park.

Preston Brown got the start, his second start since returning from injury. He struck out one and gave up two hits in 5 innings pitched. In the 6th, Brandon Woodruff replaced Brown and faced one batter before getting benched, a leadoff single. Jacob Lindgren replaced Woodruff and struck one out in 1 inning. Myles Gentry replaced Lindgren, gave up one run in 2 innings, and Ben Bracewell finished the job in the 9th, striking out two.

The Bulldog bats were hot. Very hot. Scorching hot. Burning hot. On fire. The hottest bat was arguably Matthew Britton. Britton went 3-5 with four RBIs and he scored a run. Gavin Collins also had a monster day, going 3-3 with an RBI, including a home run, and two runs scored. Reid Humphreys went 3-5 with two runs scored, Cody Brown went 2-3 with an RBI and a run, and Brett Pirtle went 3-6 with two RBIs and a run scored. It was a monster day for the Bulldogs.

Matthew Britton Went 3-5 With 4 RBIs in Mississippi State's 12-1 Victory Over Auburn

After a scoreless 1st, the Bulldogs got onto the board first with a Gavin Collins homer. In the 4th, Wes Rea got a sac fly and Matthew Britton hit an RBI single, scoring two runs and putting the Bulldogs up 3-0. No one scored in the 5th or 6th, and then the 7th inning happened. Auburn finally got on the board with a home run by Daniel Robert, but Mississippi State stole the show. The Bulldogs but up eight runs, yes, EIGHT runs in the 7th. It all started with a Brett Pirtle RBI single, scoring C.T. Bradford who was on third after a triple. Cody Brown hit an RBI single, scoring Pirtle. Alex Detz doubled, scoring Reid Humphreys and advancing Brown to third. Matthew Britton doubled, scoring Cody Brown and Alex Detz. C.T. Bradford then hit a sac fly, which scored Britton. Brett Pirtle hit a single, which scored Seth Heck. The inning finally ended with a fly out by Reid Humphreys, but State wasn't done. In the 8th, the Bulldogs scored again after a bases loaded walk by C.T. Bradford.

Mississippi State improves to 31-18, 14-10 and currently sits 2nd in the SEC West, one game behind Ole Miss. The Bulldogs return to Dudy Noble to face Tennessee this weekend.

Recap - Mississippi State 3, Auburn 0, 5/3/14

After a game one victory, Mississippi State wanted to continue their confidence, and they did just that with yet another 3-0 victory over Auburn.

Ross Mitchell, as he usually does on Saturday, started for the Bulldogs and he had yet another flawless outing. He struck out four and gave up four hits in a complete game, which is Mitchell's fourth complete game this season. Ross continues to mow down lineups.

Ross Mitchell Threw His Fourth Complete Game of the Year in MSU's 3-0 Win Over Auburn

Nobody in particular had a monster hitting night for the Bulldogs, and the Bulldogs struggled offensively, but was able to get runs on the board. Alex Detz went 1-4 with an RBI and scored a run and C.T. Bradford went 1-4 with an RBI, but that was about it for individual performances for the Bulldogs.

The only runs of the entire ballgame came in the 3rd inning. It started with a single by C.T. Bradford that scored Jake Vickerson. After that, Alex Detz reached on a fielder's choice which scored Derrick Armstrong, and Brett Pirtle doubled, scoring Detz. Beyond that, it was a pitching battle with no runs scored.

Mississippi State improves 30-18, 13-10 and will try to complete the sweep at 1:00 PM on the MSU Radio Network.

Recap - Mississippi State 3, Auburn 0, 5/2/14

After losing a tough series versus Texas A&M over the weekend dropping out of the polls, and losing a midweek game to Jacksonville State, Mississippi State looked to bounce back from this mess against Auburn, and they did just that in game one with a 3-0 victory.

Trevor Fitts started for the Bulldogs and he had a great outing. In 5 1/3 innings, he struck out three and gave up five hits. Jacob Lindgren replaced Fitts and he had an even better day. Lindgren struck out six in 2 2/3 innings. Jonathan Holder came in the game in the 9th and sealed the save.

Hitting wise, it was not an overall stellar performance for the Bulldogs, but C.T. Bradford, one again, played fabulously. He went 3-4 with 2 RBIs and scored a run. Cody Brown went 1-3 with an RBI and a run, and Matthew Britton went 1-3 and scored a run.

C.T. Bradford Went 3-4 With 2 RBIs in Mississippi State's 3-0 Victory Over Auburn

The game got off to a slow start with no one scoring through 3, but C.T. Bradford came up big with a solo home run in the top of the 4th to give MSU the 1-0 lead. After not allowing Auburn to score in the 4th, the Bulldogs came back up to bat and Cody Brown hit the second Bulldog Bomb of the day, giving Mississippi State the 2-0 lead. After two scoreless innings, MSU was able to get on the board again with a C.T. Bradford double, scoring Matthew Britton.

Mississippi State improves to 29-18, 12-10 and will play game two of the series in Auburn, Alabama at 6:00 PM on CSS.

Mississippi State Poll Update, 4/29/14

Although grabbing the Governor's Cup against Ole Miss Tuesday night, Mississippi State dropped a series versus Texas A&M, so they go down in this week's polls. Here are the rankings:

NCBWA - This Week: 23,  Last Week: 21

Coaches - This Week: 23,  Last Week: 22

Collegiate Baseball - This Week: 28,  Last Week: 20

Baseball America - This Week: NR,  Last Week: 20

Mississippi State's schedule this week includes a Wednesday night game versus Jacksonville State and a weekend road series against Auburn.

Recap - #20 Mississippi State, Texas A&M Doubleheader, 4/25/14

After a Thursday night rain delay, Mississippi State and Texas A&M played two Friday night, Mississippi State winning game one 5-1 and A&M winning two 6-3.

Game one started Thursday night with Trevor Fitts starting, and after a shaky 1st inning, he got hot. He struck out six and gave up one run in 6 innings. With the threat of bad weather coming into the Starkville area, they finished that night's action through 6 innings. Jacob Lindgren resumed the game for the Bulldogs on Friday and struggled. He gave up two walks and a hit and faced only four batters. Jonathan Holder finished the job for MSU, getting out of that 7th inning, striking out four and giving up one hit in 2 2/3 innings pitched.

Trevor Fitts Struck Out Six and Gave Up One Run in MSU's 5-1 Win Over Texas A&M

Seth Heck had the hot bat in game one, going 3-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Wes Rea also had a good day going 2-4.

This game was pretty much all Mississippi State, all the time. Mississippi State scored three runs in the 1st after a 2 RBI single by Gavin Collins and a wild pitch scoring Collins. The Bulldogs scored again in the 2nd after an RBI double by Seth Heck. After two scoreless innings for both teams, A&M got a run on the board in the 5th off of a wild pitch. In the 8th, Mississippi State finished the scoring with a solo shot by Cody Brown, sealing the 5-1 victory.

Game two showed a completely different story, as Texas A&M dominated the Bulldogs with a 6-3 victory. Ross Mitchell started for MSU, and had a very shaky outing. In 4 1/3 innings, Mitchell struck out two, but gave up five runs on seven hits. Myles Gentry replaced Mitchell on the mound and struck out four and gave up one run in 4 innings pitched. Vance Tatum finished the job, striking out one in 2/3 innings.

This game is another one where the Bulldog bats were hot, but no one could put a run across. Alex Detz went 3-5 with 1 RBI, Brett Pirtle went 3-4 with 1 RBI, which could've been more after he hit a home run that could have scored two, but it was a ground rule double in the 3rd. The Bulldogs didn't score any in that inning. Seth Heck went 2-4, and Matthew Britton went 2-4 with a run scored.

As I said before, this game was all Texas A&M. After two scoreless innings to open up the ballgame, Texas A&M was able to put a run across in the 3rd with and RBI single. After a scoreless 4th for both teams, it was a run friendly 5th. A&M scored four runs and MSU scored two, giving the Aggies the 5-2 lead. In the 7th, Mississippi State scored from a sac fly from Gavin Collins and in the 9th, A&M scored after an RBI single, finishing the game at 6-3.

Mississippi State is now 28-16, 11-9 and will look to win the series Saturday at 2:15 on FSN or ESPN3.

Recap - #20 Mississippi State 8, #16 Ole Miss 3, 4/22/14

                                         The Bulldogs Hoist the Governor's Cup

Mississippi State scored six consecutive runs in front of a stadium record breaking crowd at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Mississippi en route to an 8-3 victory over hated rival Ole Miss.

John Cohen and Butch Thompson surprised us all when they decided that JUCO transfer Lucas Laster would start on the mound for the Bulldogs, but boy, did he surprise us all. Although he gave up three runs and hit six batters, he struck out two and gave up just two hits in 5 1/3 innings. Freshman Vance Tatum replaced Laster on the mound and he struck out three and gave up just one hit in 3 2/3 innings.

The bats woke up for Mississippi State in Pearl, and Gavin Collins had a tremendous day. He went 3-4 with 2 RBIs. Also, Wes Rea woke up from hibernation Tuesday as he went 2-4 with 2 RBIs and scored a run.

Wes Rea Went 2-4 with 2 RBIs and a Run in Mississippi State's 8-3 Victory Over Ole Miss

Overall, it was a back and forth battle between the two teams. Ole Miss started with a run in the 1st and no one put anything on the board until the 3rd when Gavin Collins hit a 2 RBI single, giving MSU the 2-1 lead. After a 1-2-3 4th for both teams and a scoreless 5th, more was added to the board in the 6th. Although not getting a hit, Ole Miss was able to get 2 runs and the Bulldogs answered with 3 of their own, and they took the 5-3 lead. From there, it was all Bulldogs. 2 more were added in the 7th and another in the 8th sealed the victory for Mississippi State at 8-3.

Mississippi State improves to 27-15, 10-8 and will play a three game series versus Texas A&M, the first being Thursday at 6:30 PM on ESPNU. 

Mississippi State Poll Update, 4/22/14

After going 4-0 this past week with a sweep of Missouri, the Bulldogs jumped up in the polls this week. Here are the rankings:

NCBWA - This Week: 21,  Last Week: 22

Coaches - This Week: 22,  Last Week: NR

Collegiate Baseball - This Week: 20,  Last Week: 22

Baseball America - This Week: 20,  Last Week: 24

Mississippi State's schedule this week includes the Governor's Cup game Tuesday night in Pearl versus Ole Miss and a Thursday through Saturday home series against Texas A&M.

Recap - #24 Mississippi State 9, Missouri 7, 4/20/14

For the second time in the series, it took 11 innings to close a game out, but this time it required a late rally by Mississippi State on their way to a 9-7, extra innings victory over Missouri.

Brandon Woodruff was the starter for the Bulldogs on the Sunday game and he struggled yet again. He struck out two, but gave up five runs 4.1 innings pitched. Myles Gentry replaced Woody on the mound, and he faced only two batters before getting tossed, as he gave up a run. Ben Bracewell replaced Gentry, and he had a great day. He struck out seven and gave up only one run in 6 innings pitched. A good comeback for Benny after a bad Sunday game versus Ole Miss. Jacob Lindgren came in and threw a strikeout to end the game.

The Bulldogs came ready to play offensively. The led Missouri with fifteen hits, and the hot bat was C.T. Bradford. C.T. went 2-4 with 3 RBIs and he scored a run. This included a 2 RBI single that tied the game up at 7 in the bottom of the 9th after trailing 7-5. The Bulldogs were down 7-3 going to the 7th inning. Other hot bats were Brett Pirtle, who hit a solo home run in his first at bat, he went 3-6 with 1 RBI and scored 3 runs, Reid Humphreys who went 2-3 with 2 RBIs and scored 1 run, Demarcus Henderson who went 2-4 with an RBI and a run, and Seth Heck who went 2-5 with an RBI and a run. It was a big day.

 C.T. Bradford Had the Game Tying Hit in the 9th in MSU's 9-7 Comeback Win Over Missouri

Mississippi State grabs the sweep from the Tigers and improves to 26-15, 10-8. The Bulldogs will be back in action Tuesday in the Governor's Cup game vs Ole Miss in Pearl, Mississippi at 6:35 PM on the MSU Radio Network.

Recap - #24 Mississippi State 6, Missouri 2, 4/19/14

Mississippi State wins game two of the weekend series with Missouri, a crucial series for the Bulldogs, 6-2.

Ross Mitchell started on the mound for Mississippi State, and indeed he did have a stellar day. He threw a complete game, striking out three and giving up two runs. This was Mitchell's third SEC complete game in his six starts this year.

For the Bulldogs bats, Cody Brown was hot. He went 4-4 with 2 RBIs, scored a run and was walked. Special day for the freshman.

Cody Brown Went 4-4 With 2 RBIs In Mississippi State's 6-2 Road Victory Against Missouri

The Bulldogs will go for the sweep Sunday at 1:00 PM on the MSU Radio Network.

Recap - #24 Mississippi State 3, Missouri 2, 4/18/14

The last time these two teams met was in the 2013 SEC Tournament, where it took 17 innings to give Mississippi State the victory. This game went into extras, but only 11 as the Bulldogs snatched the 3-2 victory.

The Bulldogs went to Trevor Fitts to start on the mound for MSU, and he had a good outing. He struck out one and gave up one run through 2 2/3 innings pitched. Jacob Lindgren replaced Fitts on the bump and had a stellar day. In 3 innings, he struck out seven, gave up one hit and one run. Lindgren got into some trouble and Jonathan Holder replaced Lingo on the mound. Holder struck out six, gave up three hits and no runs in 5 1/3 innings pitched.

For the Bulldog bats, C.T. Bradford no doubt had the hot bat. He went 3-5, and had the game winning hit in the 11th, a single that drove Seth Heck home. Other good days included Seth Heck, who went 2-4 and scored two runs, Gavin Collins who went 2-5 with an RBI, and Brett Pirtle who went 1-5 and scored a run.

C.T. Bradford Went 3-5 and Had the Game Winning Hit in MSU's 3-2 Win Over Missouri

Mississippi State and Missouri play again Saturday at 2:00 CT on the MSU Radio Network.

SEC Baseball Schedule, 4/18/14 - 4/20/14

We are just past midway through the SEC baseball schedule, and here are the games being played for this weekend. (All times Central time, rankings from Baseball America poll)

#8 Alabama - at Tennessee (Friday - 5:00 PM, Saturday - 3:00 PM, Sunday - 1:00 PM)

Arkansas - vs #18 Vanderbilt (Friday - 6:35 PM, Saturday - 6:05 PM, Sunday - 12:00 PM)

Auburn - vs #11 South Carolina (Friday - 6:00 PM, Saturday - 4:00 PM, Sunday - 1:00 PM)

#9 Florida - vs Georgia (Friday - 6:30 PM, Saturday - 6:00 PM, Sunday - 11:00 AM)

Georgia - at #9 Florida (Friday - 6:30 PM, Saturday - 6:00 PM, Sunday - 11:00 AM)

#19 Kentucky - at Texas A&M (Friday - 6:35 PM, Saturday - 2:05 PM, Sunday - 12:05 PM)

#12 LSU - at #13 Ole Miss (Thursday - W, 4-3, Friday - 6:30 PM, Saturday - 1:00 PM)

#13 Ole Miss - vs #12 LSU (Thursday - L, 3-4, Friday - 6:30 PM, Saturday - 1:00 PM)

#24 Mississippi State - at Missouri (Friday - 6:00 PM, Saturday - 2:00 PM, Sunday - 1:00 PM)

Missouri - vs #24 Mississippi State (Friday - 6:00 PM, Saturday - 2:00 PM, Sunday - 1:00 PM)

#11 South Carolina - at Auburn (Friday - 6:00 PM, Saturday - 4:00 PM, Sunday - 1:00 PM)

Tennessee - vs #8 Alabama (Friday - 5:00 PM, Saturday - 3:00 PM, Sunday - 1:00 PM)

Texas A&M - vs #19 Kentucky (Friday - 6:35 PM, Saturday - 2:05 PM, Sunday - 12:05 PM)

#18 Vanderbilt - at Arkansas (Friday - 6:35 PM, Saturday - 6:05 PM, Sunday - 12:00 PM)

Recap - #24 Mississippi State 16, Alcorn State 2, 4/15/14

Mississippi State looked to bounce back after a tough series loss to Ole Miss, and they did just that Tuesday night in a 16-2 thumping of the Braves of Alcorn State.

Vance Tatum started for the Bulldogs and had a decent showing. He struck out four and gave up three hits and two runs in 3 1/3 innings pitched. Austin Sexton replaced Tatum on the mound and had a stellar night, striking out three and giving up three hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Alex Detz was by far the dominant hitter for MSU, going 3-4 with four RBIs and scoring two runs. Other solid performances included Wes Rea, who went 2-4 with an RBI, and Matthew Britton, who went 2-5 and scored two runs.

Alex Detz Hit 3-4, 4 RBIs, and Scored 2 Runs in Mississippi State's 16-2 Win Over Alcorn State

One sad note about this game was that it ended an era. This was the first ever game since early last season that the players of Mississippi State were beardless. Trevor Fitts noted on "Dawg Talk with John Cohen" that Coach Cohen told his team to shave as a result of the series loss to Ole Miss. Maybe this will spark some sort of run in the team moving forward.

Mississippi State starts a three game weekend series against Missouri in Columbia, Missouri on Friday at 6:00 PM on HailState TV.

Mississippi State Poll Update - 4/15/14

After going 2-2 on the week with a series loss to hated rival Ole Miss, Mississippi State dropped in the polls significantly. Here are the rankings:

NCBWA - This Week: 22,  Last Week: 19

Coaches - This Week: NR,  Last Week: 21

Collegiate Baseball - This Week: 22,  Last Week: 21

Baseball America - This Week: 24,  Last Week: 17

Mississippi State's schedule this week includes a home Tuesday night game versus Alcorn State and a  weekend series on the road against Missouri.

Recap - #19 Ole Miss 12, #17 Mississippi State 2, 4/13/14

After the improbable comeback victory on Saturday, the pressure of this game was intense. The pressure got to Mississippi State, and the result was a 12-2 beating by Ole Miss.

It was another TBA on the mound for the Bulldogs and they chose Ben Bracewell to start on the bump. It was a bad day for Benny. It was a bad start, giving up two runs in the 1st, and was tossed after giving up five hits and striking out one in 2 2/3 innings pitched. Brandon Woodruff replaced Bracewell on the mound, and he had an even worse day. In 2 1/3 innings, he gave up seven hits and seven runs and struck out zero. Junior College transfer Lucas Laster entered the game and gave up five hits and three runs and struck out one in 2 innings pitched. Myles Gentry finished the game pitching 2 innings, striking out two and giving up three hits.

Derrick Armstrong had another great day at the plate for Mississippi State, hitting 2 for 4 and scoring a run. That's about it for Bulldog hitting.

Derrick Armstrong Hit 2 for 4 in Mississippi State's 12-2 Loss to Ole Miss

Mississippi State drops to 22-15, 7-8 and will be back in action vs Alcorn State Tuesday night in Starkville at 6:30.

Recap - #17 Mississippi State 6, #19 Ole Miss 5, 4/12/14

15,586. 15,586 people. 15,586 people attended the heroic, unthinkable comeback victory at Dudy Noble Field on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, making it the largest on campus baseball attendance in NCAA history, as Mississippi State defeated Ole Miss 6-5 in ten innings.

Trevor Fitts got the start for the Bulldogs and he had another great day. He struck out one and gave up one in 4 innings pitched. Jacob Lindgren replaced Fitts on the mound in the 5th, and he struck out five in 3 1/3 innings. Jonathan Holder came into the ballgame and got into some trouble. He gave up 3 runs in 2 1/3 innings before Vance Tatum entered the game and got an out.

Now, let's talk about arguably one of the greatest comebacks in college baseball history. Tied 2-2 through 8, Ole Miss sent Braxton Lee home in the top of the 9th, only to get tagged out because of a cannon throw by Derrick Armstrong, ending Ole Miss' chance to score. In the bottom of the 9th, Mississippi State stranded three runners with a foul out by Jake Vickerson, sending the game to extras. In the 10th, Sikes Orvis hit a two run shot, followed by a sac fly, giving Ole Miss the 5-2 lead going to the B10. Mississippi State had to score at least three runs in one inning. Impossible. But, not on this historic day. It started with a Cody Brown double, followed by a Seth Heck double which brought in Brown. Alex Detz reached first off of a throwing error and Seth Heck reached third. Brett Pirtle then hit a sac fly, scoring Heck. Wes Rea stepped up to the plate with 2 outs and Detz on third. He doubled, bringing in Detz, and Gavin Collins stepped up to the plate. Matthew Britton came in to pinch run for Rea, and it happened. An RBI single that brought in Britton from second gave Mississippi State the improbable 6-5 extra innings victory.

Gavin Collins Got a Pie in the Face After Getting the Walk Off Hit in MSU's 6-5 Win vs Ole Miss

This game was memorable for the comeback, but what will make this game stand out is that it was in front of the largest on campus crowd in NCAA baseball history. 15,586 fans attended this game, breaking an attendance of 14,991 in a game against the Florida Gators almost 25 years ago on April 22, 1989. This game broke a record that stood for over 24 years, and that is something truly special.

The rubber game of the series is Sunday at 1:30 on HailState TV.

Recap - #19 Ole Miss 6, #17 Mississippi State 1, 4/11/14

Ross Mitchell got his first Friday night start of the year in front of the 7th largest on campus NCAA baseball crowd ever, but struggled in Mississippi State's 6-1 loss to 19th ranked Ole Miss.

Ross Mitchell was named the Friday night starter for Mississippi State's crucial mid-season series versus Ole Miss. He struck out 5 in 8 2/3 innings pitched, but gave up 13 hits, 2 walks and 6 runs in those 8 2/3 innings. Myles Gentry finished the job and got the last out of the game for the Bulldogs.

Ross Mitchell threw 5 strikeouts, but gave up 6 runs in Mississippi State's 6-1 loss to Ole Miss

For the Bulldog bats, it was another one of those strange nights where we hit well, but couldn't get a run across. Mississippi State accumulated 10 hits in the ballgame, but only put one run on the board. A surprise performer in the game was Matthew Britton who went 2-3 in the game. Britton has struggled throughout the season, and hopefully he can get things back together.

Mississippi State drops to 21-14, 6-7 and will battle the Rebels in game two of the series Saturday at 3:00 on FSN.

Recap - #23 LSU 2, #9 Mississippi State 1, 4/5/14

Terrible calls from the umpire and poor hitting led to a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to LSU Saturday night in Baton Rouge.

Ross Mitchell was the starter for the Bulldogs and had a spectacular night. He struck out one in 6 innings pitched. He had the game in control entering the 6th inning, with Mississippi State leading LSU 1-0. With a man on 1st with 1 out, a ball was grounded to Mitchell, and he picked it up in what is going to be an inning ending double play, but the ball slipped out of his glove and Ross was credited with an error. Later, an RBI single and a sac fly RBI gave LSU the lead and the momentum. Jacob Lindgren was called up in relief, and struck out 2 in 2 innings pitched.

The one run for MSU came from Demarcus Henderson, who hit an RBI single in the 4th, bringing in Brett Pirtle.

The one thing I will vividly remember in this game was John Cohen's first ever ejection as the head coach of Mississippi State. The home plate umpire didn't call a catcher's interference while Matthew Britton was at bat, leading to him running out of the dugout, and yelling his head off with veins popping out of his neck.

Yeah, he was pretty mad. Mississippi State drops to 20-12, 6-5 and will hope to grab one game in the series Sunday at 1:30.

Recap - #23 LSU 3, #9 Mississippi State 0, 4/4/14

LSU starter Aaron Nola strolled through the Mississippi State lineup Friday night en route to a 3-0 victory in Alex Box Stadium.

Aaron Nola had a terrific day. He pitched a no hitter through 5 innings, and gave up only two hits and two walks, striking out ten in 8 innings pitched. Absolutely insane. Joe Broussard came in to finish the job in the 9th, pitching a 1-2-3 inning.

After a Preston Brown shoulder injury and an announcement of Ross Mitchell starting, John Cohen and Butch Thompson surprised all of us with a Trevor Fitts start Friday night. Fitts gave up 4 hits, 2 runs, and struck out 1 in 2 innings pitched. Ben Bracewell then replaced Fitts and gave up 1 run and struck out 1 in 1 2/3 innings pitched. When Mississippi State fans thought things couldn't get any worse, Brandon Woodruff, who has been struggling all year, replaced Bracewell. And, boy, did he have a great night. He struck out 4 in 4 1/3 innings pitched. I sure hope he's back in his old form.

Trevor Fitts got the start in Mississippi State's 3-0 game one road loss vs LSU

Mississippi State drops to 20-11, 6-4 and will play game two of the LSU series at 6:30 on ESPNU.

Recap - #16 Mississippi State 5, Arkansas 1, 3/30/14

After a very underwhelming non-conferenceb schedule performance, Mississippi State pulled off their 3rd straight SEC series win on Sunday with a 5-1 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The Bulldogs started strong right out of the gate, when Alex Detz his a two run home run in the 1st inning. In the 5th, Mississippi State added to the lead when a Wes Rea single drove in Jake Vickerson to give MSU the 3-0 lead. In the 7th, Alex Detz got a RBI groundout, bringing in Gavin Collins and State's 4th run. The final run came when Derrick Armstrong flew out for a sac fly and brought in Brett Pirtle.

Trevor Fitts started for the Bulldogs and struck out three in 3.1 innings pitched, giving up the Hogs' only run. Jacob Lindgren replaced him, and he struck out eight in four innings pitched, and gave up only one hit. Jonathan Holder replaced Lindgren in the 8th and finished the job, earning his 4th save of the year, and Lindgren got his 3rd win of the year, improving to 3-0.

Jacob Lindgren threw 8 strikeouts in 4 innings during MSU's 5-1 win over Arkansas

Mississippi State improves to 20-10, (6-3) and is currently tied for 1st in the SEC with Alabama, Florida, and South Carolina. The Bulldogs face a tough road series as they play LSU in Baton Rouge, and game one is at 6:30 on CSS. 

Recap - #16 Mississippi State - Arkansas Doubleheader, 3/29/14

Mississippi State and Arkansas were set to play game one of a three game series Friday, but it was postponed due to bad weather expected in the Starkville area. So, game one was game two of a doubleheader that Saturday.

Preston brown started game one for the Bulldogs and threw four strikeouts in five innings, giving up  seven hits and four earned runs. Ben Bracewell finished the job for MSU, striking out six in four innings pitched.

Mississippi State actually hit pretty well game one, accumulating ten hits, but was unable to get a run across. It was one of those strange, mystical days in which Ron Polk would say, "That's baseball." State would lose game one, 4-0, which is the Bulldogs' first shutout since UCLA's game two 8-0 in last year's College World Series finals (sorry to remind you of that).

In game two, Ross Mitchell got his third consecutive SEC start, and he had a great day. He threw a complete game, his second this year, striking out two. Mitchell gets the win and improves to 4-1 on the year.

Two words described Mississippi State's day at the plate - Derrick Armstrong. Armstrong went 3-4 in both games, with a run and an RBI in game two. Brett Pirtle went 2-4 in game two, and although Zach Randolph had only one hit in game two, it was a 2 RBI single. State scored 4 runs in the 6th en route to a 5-1 victory.

Derrick Armstrong was 3-4 in Mississippi State's 5-1 game two victory over Arkansas

The rubber game of the series is Sunday at 1:30 on HailStateTV.

Recap - #21 Mississippi State 6, #6 Vanderbilt 3, 3/22/14

Surprise went through the Bulldog community when Ross Mitchell was announced the starter in game one of last Saturday's doubleheader against Georgia. After a complete game and giving up only one run, Ross Mitchell solidified his role as not only a reliever, but a starter as well. He was the first man on the mound for the Bulldogs last night, as MSU clinched the biggest series of the year with a 6-3 victory over #6, SEC foe Vanderbilt

It took Vanderbilt one inning to take a 2-0 lead, and it seemed like Ross Mitchell may be losing his starting role, but he bounced back in a big way. He pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out three, and gave up only two walks. Jonathan Holder strolled into the Dude with "God's Gonna Cut You Down" playing over the loudspeakers in the B8 with a man on second with one out, and in typical Holder fashion, he struck out two to end the inning. No wonder people call him "Johnny Baseball". Although he gave up a run in the 9th, Holder was able to get the save, his third of the year.

Ross Mitchell struck out three in 6 1/3 innings pitched in State's 6-3 win over Vanderbilt.

Unlike Friday night, Vanderbilt didn't help Mississippi State with defensive struggles, but the Bulldog bats were hot. The biggest play of the game came from Seth Heck with a 2 RBI double in the 3rd to give State the lead, and from that point, Mississippi State gained confidence and closed out the game.

Mississippi State looks to have their first series sweep over Vanderbilt since 2000 and their first 5-1 SEC start since 2003 Sunday at 1:30 with Trevor Fitts starting. Mississippi State improves to 17-8, 4-1, and Vanderbilt drops to 19-5, 2-3.

Recap - #21 Mississippi State 17, #6 Vanderbilt 2, 3/21/14

Yes, you read that correctly. Mississippi State defeated #6 Vanderbilt 17-2 on a Friday night at Dudy Noble Field.

Tyler Beede, who turned down a 2 million dollar contract by the Toronto Blue Jays out of high school, started for Vandy, and a surprise for Mississippi State as Preston Brown started in his first ever SEC game. Beede entered the matchup with a 0.84 ERA. After giving up 10 runs in 2 2/3 innings, his ERA went all the way to 2.06. That is insane. Beede is a projected top 10 pick in the MLB Draft, so clearly the Bulldogs were hot.

The Commodores had no doubt their worst game of the year defensively. They committed 5 errors throughout the game, and everything went Mississippi State's way.

The bats were hot for MSU, as the Bulldogs compiled 14 hits, compared to Vanderbilt's 8. Brett Pirtle had three hits, and Seth Heck had a monster game, going 2 for 2 with 4 RBIs, 2 walks, and 3 runs.

Sophomore, Memphis native Preston Brown had his first ever SEC start. Think about it, a pitcher's first ever SEC start against the 6th best team in the nation on a Friday night. The pressure's on. It sure didn't seem that way for Preston, though. He pitched 8 innings and threw 3 strikeouts. Brandon Woodruff threw one strikeout in the 9th.

Mississippi State takes game one of the three game series and improves their record to 16-8, 3-1. Vanderbilt drops to 19-4, 2-2. Game two of the series is Saturday night at 7:30 on ESPNU.

SEC Baseball Power Rankings - 3/16/14

After the first weekend of conference play, here are the power rankings around the SEC for the week of 3/9/14 - 3/16/14

1. Vanderbilt (18-3, 2-1)

Vanderbilt didn't have the strongest schedule, and their first SEC series vs LSU would show how good they really are. A 2 out of 3 series win is solid, but when it is against a team such as LSU, it's extraordinary. They will travel to Starkville to play a series with Mississippi State next weekend.

2. South Carolina (18-1, 2-1)

Before SEC play started, South Carolina would no doubt be the number 1 team on this list. The gamecocks got 2 out of 3 against Ole Miss, but it was not a very convincing series win. Don't get me wrong, Ole Miss is a good baseball team, but South Carolina did not play as well as they have played, especially in game one and through 8 innings in game 2. South Carolina will travel to Lexington to play a good Kentucky team next weekend.

3. LSU (17-4, 1-2)

LSU only took one in their opening series against Vanderbilt. They struggled throughout the series, and if they would be able to snatch 2 of 3, they would probably be number 2 on the list. The Tigers will have an opportunity to pick their SEC season back up against Georgia next weekend.

4. Ole Miss (17-4, 1-2)

Although they lost the series, Ole Miss played very well in their opening series against South Carolina, especially on the road. They should have taken 2 of 3, but a 3 run 9th inning for SC sent game 2 into extra innings before the gamecocks got the walk-off single. This is a good baseball team. Ole Miss should pick up a couple of SEC wins against Missouri in Oxford next weekend.

5. Tennessee (17-2, 2-1)

The vols are probably the surprise in the SEC right now. They lost only one game in their non-conference schedule and they picked up 3 wins in the week, one against Middle Tennessee State, and two against Missouri. Tennessee plays a hot Auburn team next weekend at home.

6. Mississippi State (15-8, 2-1)

And here are the Dawgs. State played a sloppy non-conference schedule, and they got walloped in game one in the Georgia series. But, with a strong complete game outing by Ross Mitchell, MSU was able to bounce back with a 6-1 victory in game 2, and took the series with a 4-1 game 3 victory. In my opinion, to show that they are as good as they were last year, Mississippi State is going to have to win 2 of 3 against Vanderbilt this weekend.

7. Florida (13-7, 2-1)

Florida had a solid 3-1 week with a series win against Arkansas. Arkansas has struggled up to this point, but they are still a good team. Florida plays a crucial game game against Florida State and a road series against Texas A&M next week.

8. Kentucky (14-6, 1-2)

Kentucky was having a very good year, but they dropped a disappointing series loss against Alabama. It really was a must win series for the Cats, as they could've gotten some wins before a tough series against South Carolina next weekend. If SC continues their solid play, Kentucky can find themselves in a hole with a 1-4 SEC record.

9. Texas A&M (14-7, 1-2)

Texas A&M had a great start to their week with a two game series sweep of Texas-Pan American, but they had a very bad series loss vs Auburn, who hasn't had a great year. Things only get tougher for the Aggies as they play Florida next weekend.

10. Alabama (12-6, 2-1)

Alabama picked up 2 of 3 against Kentucky this weekend, and it was a very big series win for the Tide. They play a road series against Arkansas next weekend, and we will see how good they really are in those 3 games.

11. Auburn (13-7, 2-1)

Auburn picked up a season boosting series win against Texas A&M this past weekend. The Tigers struggled up to this point in the season, and this series really was big for Auburn. They have a shot to pick up a couple more SEC wins against Tennessee in Knoxville next weekend.

12. Georgia (13-8, 1-2)

The bulldogs picked up two victories against Western Kentucky before playing the other SEC bulldogs in a three game series. Georgia was hot going into the series, winning 10 in a row. Georgia throttled MSU in game one, but lost the last two. Georgia showed that they're not that bad of a team, but they're going to have to pick up some extra wins a and improve their record to show us. They will have a difficult road series against LSU next weekend.

13. Arkansas (9-7, 1-2)

At the beginning of last year, Arkansas was ranked preseason number one. Jump forward a year, and they're 9-7 and coming off of a series loss to Florida. The Razorbacks actually played fairly well against the Gators, losing by only one run in each of Florida's wins, and they creamed Florida 9-3 in game 3. Arkansas will return home for a series with Texas A&M, which will be a good opportunity to pick up some wins.

14. Missouri (9-9, 1-2)

Missouri, Missouri, Missouri. The only SEC team without a winning record, and they had a losing record entering this week. The defeated Alcorn State twice, and I know, they have a baseball team, and they picked up a win in a series loss against Tennessee. The Tennessee win was good, but they got thumped in the two other games, losing by a combined 7 runs. It will get worse for Mizzou as they travel to Ole Miss next weekend.

Recap - Mississippi State, Holy Cross Doubleheader 2/22/14

After a Wednesday night loss to Memphis, Mississippi State needed something to feed off of, and they could do that in a four game series against Holy Cross. MSU won game one of the series 6-2, and was headed to a doubleheader on Saturday.

MSU's starting pitcher for game one was Trevor Fitts. He got into a jam in the first inning, giving up a double and a single to put runners on the corners with two outs, before Connor Perry struck out to end the top of the 1st.

MSU got on the board in the first inning, with Jake Vickerson and Alex Detz walking, Wes Rea getting hit by a pitch, and after Brett Pirtle flew out into a double play, Jacob Robson reached on an error, scoring Vickerson. Demarcus Henderson flew out to end the inning with a 1-0 MSU lead.

The 2nd inning showcased more Bulldog dominance. Once again, Trevor Fitts got out of a jam when the bases were loaded with 2 outs, and Andrew Barry grounded out to give the Bulldogs the bats again. Gavin Collins led off with a walk, followed by a Matthew Britton single, and Jake Vickerson lays down the sac bunt to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with Alex Detz up to the plate. Detz flew out, but Collins tagged up and scored, giving the Bulldogs the 2-0 lead, two outs, man on second with Wes Rea coming up to bat. Wes Rea, who was not hot with the bats in the first five games, blasted a two run homer giving MSU the 4-0 advantage. Brett Pirtle would fly out, ending the inning.

The 3rd inning put more runs on the board, but for the other side. Evan Ocello led off with a single, and much like Wes Rea, Brandon Cipolla hit one out of the park, cutting the Bulldog lead to two runs. Connor Perry would strikeout, Jack St. Clair would get a single, but would be out at second after a Shane Sandovol fly out.

No runs were scored for either team until the 6th inning when the Crusaders put another run on the board. Connor Perry led off and reached on an error, and after two groundouts, Anthony Critelli doubled, scoring Perry. Bobby Indeglia then grounded out, ending the inning with a 4-3 MSU lead.

The bats got hot for the Bulldogs in the bottom of the 7th. Brett Pirtle grounded out and Jacob Robson struck out to begin the inning, but Daniel Garner singled to put a runner on the bases. Demarcus Henderson then doubled, followed by a double by Gavin Collins, which drove in Garner and Henderson. Matthew Britton grounded out, ending the inning with a 3 run MSU lead.

Holy Cross didn't score in the 8th, but the Bulldogs scored once again. Jake Vickerson led off with a fly out, and Alex Detz walked putting a man on first with one out. Wes Rea then stepped on the plate and blasted yet another two run homer to give MSU the 5 run advantage. Pirtle singled, but Robson grounded out into a double play, ending the inning with an 8-3 Bulldog lead.

Wes Rea hit two home runs in Mississippi State's 8-4 doubleheader victory over Holy Cross.

Holy Cross led off the 9th inning with a walk by Bobby Indeglia, but Nick Lovullo flew out, and Andrew Barry struck out, giving Holy Cross two outs with Evan Ocello up to bat. Ocello singles, and Brandon Cipolla singled, driving in Indeglia, cutting the Bulldog lead to 4. Connor Perry then grounded out, giving MSU the 8-4 victory.

40 minutes later, both teams stepped back onto Dudy Noble Field for game two of the doubleheader.

MSU's starting pitcher was Austin Sexton, and he dug himself a hole early. Nick Lovullo reached on an error, Andrew Barry got a single (Lovullo was out at second), Evan Ocello walked, and Brandon Cipolla walked. Jack St. Clair then grounded out, but it brought in Barry to give Holy Cross the early 1-0 lead. Bobby Indeglia then was hit by a pitch and Anthony Critelli scored two with a single. Bill Schlich grounded out to end the top of the 1st with a 3-0 Crusader lead.

MSU also got on the board in the 1st inning. Jake Vickerson walked, CT Bradford flew out, advancing Vickerson to second, and Wes Rea hit an RBI single to put the Bulldogs on the board. Brett Pirtle was hit by a pitch and Daniel Garner flew out, but Demarcus Henderson hits an RBI single, driving in Rea, and cutting the Crusader lead to 1 run. Cody Walker flew out after Reid Humphreys walked, ending the inning with a 3-2 Holy Cross lead.

The Bulldogs scored again in the 2nd, when CT Bradford grounded out, driving in Matthew Britton who singled, tying the game at 3.

The runs continued to pour in in the 3rd inning, this time for Holy Cross. Cipolla doubled, and Indeglia singled, but reached 3rd on an error, and Holy Cross took the 4-3 lead. Anthony Critelli then doubled and drove in Indeglia. Schlich grounded out, and Voitik struck out to end the inning with a 5-3 Crusader lead.

More runs came in during the 4th for the Bulldogs. Matthew Britton walked, and Jake Vickerson singled, bringing up Wes Rea, who hit two home runs in game one of the doubleheader. For the third time in two games, Wes Rea hit a home run, this time three runs scored, giving MSU the 6-5 lead. Brett Pirtle and Daniel Garner grounded out, ending the inning.

No runs scored until the top of the 8th. MSU was trying to retain the one run lead they had, but failed. Indeglia grounded out, but Critelli singled. Schlich walked, and pinch hitter Connor Perry struck out. Nick Lovullo, who was hitless up to that at bat, then drove in Critelli with a single, and Andrew Barry also singled, driving in Schlich. Evan Ocello flew out, ending the inning with a 7-6 Crusader lead.

MSU didn't score in the bottom of the 8th, neither did Holy Cross in the top of the 9th. The Bulldogs were coming up to bat, needing at least one to continue the game.

Alex Detz grounded out, and Demarcus Henderson walked. Cody Brown singled, but Henderson, trying to run an extra base, was tagged out at 3rd. Jacob Robson then hit a high fly ball into foul territory, which was caught for the final out, giving Holy Cross the 7-6 victory.

Both teams play again Sunday on HailStateTV.