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Cowbell Corner

Bulldogs Dominate Jackson State in Complete Midweek Tune-Up

Mississippi State handled business in a 17-1 rout of Jackson State, using the midweek matchup to reset after its opening SEC series loss.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State pitcher Parker Rhodes winds up for a pitch during a 17-1 win against Jackson State.
Mississippi State pitcher Parker Rhodes winds up for a pitch during a 17-1 win against Jackson State. | Mississippi State Athletics

Midweek games aren’t supposed to tell you much, but they can remind a team of who it is.

After Mississippi State dropped its first SEC series of the season at Arkansas, a clean, low‑stress night at the park wasn’t the worst thing to have on the schedule.

The Bulldogs got exactly that in a 17-1 win over Jackson State.

The Tigers managed one hit and six total base runners in the seven‑inning game.

Maddox Miller and Parker Rhodes, who picked up the win, held the Tigers hitless through four. They weren’t overpowering, but they didn’t need to be. Fifty‑three pitches, 34 strikes, four combined strikeouts. It was efficient, simple, and exactly what you want on a Tuesday.

The offense did its part, too. Seventeen runs on 12 hits, eight walks, only two strikeouts, and runs in every inning but the sixth. It wasn’t complicated baseball. It didn’t have to be.

The only real hiccup came in the fifth, when Charlie Foster walked the first three batters he faced. He worked out of most of it. An infield fly, then a near double play that turned into Jackson State’s lone run, but it was the one moment where the Bulldogs looked even slightly uncomfortable.

Outside of that, Mississippi State handled the night the way a top‑10 team should. No drama, no lingering tension, just a team getting back to the basics after a tough weekend.

And maybe that’s the value of a midweek like this.

A reminder of what a good swing feels like, what a clean inning looks like, and how quickly things can fall into place when everyone is settled.

The Bulldogs looked like themselves again, and sometimes that’s all a Tuesday needs to be.

Pitching Decisions

  • WP: Parker Rhodes (1-0), 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 23 TP, 17 ST
  • LP: Jo Williams (0-2), 1.1 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 WP, 50 TP, 22 ST

Mississippi State Batting Leaders

  • Aidan Teel: 2-2, 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 2 BB, 1 SB
  • Gehrig Frei: 2-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB
  • Drew Wyers: 1-2, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 2B, 1 BB
  • Bryce Chance: 1-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B, 1 BB
  • Reed Stallman: 1-2, 3 RBI, 1 SF

Next Up

Mississippi State will stay in Starkville for its next SEC weekend series when Vanderbilt comes to town. The three-game series against the Commodores (13-9, 2-1 SEC) is set to begin at 7 p.m. Friday. Game two will be at 6 p.m. Saturday and the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Vanderbilt lost its midweek game to Indiana, 5-1 on Tuesday.

Friday’s game will air on SEC Network while the remainder of the series will be streamed on SECN+.

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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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