Cowbell Corner

Long Ball Leads the Way as Mississippi State Run-Rules Baylor in Season Opener

Mississippi State opened the 2026 season in dominant fashion, using four home runs to power a 10-0, five-inning run-rule win over Baylor.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Pitcher Peja Goold (#3) during the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
Mississippi State Pitcher Peja Goold (#3) during the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa. | Mississippi State Bulldogs

Mississippi State didn’t just open its season with power; it overwhelmed Baylor with it.

On a night when four balls left the yard and nearly every big swing turned into damage, the Bulldogs’ offense set the tone for a 10-0, five‑inning rout in the first game of the 2026 season.

The long ball wasn’t just a feature of the win. It was the win.

Nadia Barbary lit the fuse in the first inning, turning the Bulldogs’ fast start into a 2-0 lead with a no‑doubt shot that immediately put Baylor on its heels.

One inning later, freshman Abby Grace Richardson, making her first Division I start and her first appearance in center field, ambushed the first pitch she saw and sent it out as well.

"I'm really proud of the way they came out," Mississippi State coach Samantha Ricketts said. "I thought they were focused. They were excited. They were ready to play, and they just set in the tone in the beginning. One through nine and everyone in between – in the dugout – they were embracing their role and just being all in together for each other, and it was a lot of fun. A great start for the season for us."

Two innings, two homers, and a Baylor team already running out of answers. Then came the avalanche.

Mississippi State’s seven‑run third inning was a clinic in how quickly a game can break open when every mistake gets punished in the air.

Morgan Stiles delivered the biggest swing of the night, a three‑run blast that turned a comfortable lead into a blowout. Before Baylor could regroup, Kiarra Sells followed with a two‑run homer of her own. Eight of the Bulldogs’ 10 runs came via home run that’s a continuation of a trend from last season, when nearly 38 percent of their scoring came from the long ball.

While the offense stole the spotlight, Peja Goold nearly authored a headline of her own.

In her Mississippi State debut, she carried a no‑hitter to within one out of completion, striking out five and allowing just one hit and three walks. Baylor managed only two runners in scoring position all night, and none of them stayed there long.

"I'll tell you, I know our hitters are glad to not have to be face Peja anymore,” Ricketts said. “She has just been super focused since she got here, and it was fun to see her go out and attack some other hitters. You know, I love the way that she just got stronger as the game went on. Even when the score just continued to inflate. She stayed focused. She never lost it. She's a competitor. She mixes speeds, and she was throwing different pitches for all five innings. I'm so proud of her for her debut and excited to see what she continues to do for us in the Maroon and White.”

Stiles finished a perfect 3‑for‑3 with a walk, extending her hitting streak to five games. Barbary doubled after her early homer, pushing her own streak to five as well. Richardson added a second RBI, and Sells reached base twice. It was the kind of top‑to‑bottom power display that leaves a pitching staff with nowhere to hide.

Mississippi State has now won 13 straight season openers, five of them by run‑rule shutout. But few have looked as loud as this one. It was a night when the ball kept jumping, the lineup kept circling the bases, and the Bulldogs reminded everyone how dangerous they can be when their power shows up early.

They’re back at it Friday morning at the Getterman Classic, facing Northwestern State at 10 a.m. and Wichita State at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN+.

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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