LIVE BASEBALL UPDATES: MSU vs. Florida at the SEC Tournament (Wednesday, 5-26-21)
The following preview is courtesy of Mississippi State media relations:
The No. 3 Mississippi State baseball program will open its stay at the SEC Tournament with a 9:30 a.m. first pitch against No. 12 Florida at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Wednesday (May 25).
The Diamond Dawgs (40-13) are coming off of a series sweep of Alabama last weekend to post its fourth 20-win SEC season and first back-to-back 20-win conference seasons in the program's storied history. Florida (36-19) defeated Kentucky in the opening round of the SEC Tournament to earn a spot in the double-elimination field.
Junior Tanner Allen is enjoying one of the best offensive seasons in the country and was named the SEC Player of the Year, while fellow outfielder Rowdey Jordan earned second-team All-SEC honors. Second-year freshman Landon Sims was a second-team All-SEC pick, as well as a Newcomer All-SEC pick. Brandon Smith will get the start in the opening game of the SEC Tournament for the second time in his career, as he didn't factor in to the decision in MSU's 17-inning victory over LSU in 2019.
Florida is led by outfielder and first-team All-SEC pick Jud Fabian's 20 home runs and 46 RBIs, while Nathan Hickey is hitting .304 with a team-high 47 RBIs and .432 on-base percentage. Hickey has walked 41 times and struck out 38, also reaching via hit-by-pitch eight times. Hunter Barco will get the start on the mound for the Gators and owns a 9-2 record and 92 strikeouts on the year.
You can find the latest score and live play-by-play updates of Wednesday's game right here on Cowbell Corner. Again, first pitch is set for around 9:30 a.m. central and live updates will begin then.
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Here are your starting lineups:
No. 8 Mississippi State Bulldogs (40-13)
- Rowdey Jordan - CF
- Tanner Allen - RF
- Logan Tanner - C
- Luke Hancock - 1B
- Kamren James - DH
- Scotty Dubrule - 2B
- Kellum Clark - LF
- Tanner Leggett - 3B
- Lane Forsythe - SS
Brandon Smith - P
No. 13 Florida Gators (36-19)
- Jacob Young - LF
- Nathan Hickey - 3B
- Jud Fabian - CF
- Kris Armstrong - DH
- Kendrick Calilao - 1B
- Sterlin Thompson - RF
- Josh Rivera - SS
- Cory Acton - 2B
- Mac Guscette - C
Hunter Barco - P
Alright, let's play ball!
TOP of 1 - Florida batting
- Young doubles to left-centerfield. Runner at second, no outs.
- Hickey singles to right. Young moves up to third. Runners at first and third, no outs.
- Fabian walks. Hickey moves up to second. Bases now loaded, no outs.
- Armstrong flies out to shallow center. All runners hold. Bases still loaded, one out.
- Calilao struck out swinging. Bases still loaded, two outs.
- Wild pitch. Young scores. Florida leads 1-0. Hickey moves up to third. Fabian moves up to second. Runners at second and third, two outs.
- Thompson grounds out to first. Inning over.
- MID 1 - Florida 1, MSU 0
BOTTOM of 1 - MSU batting
- Jordan lines out to short. One out.
- Allen lines a double to right-center. Runner at second, one out.
- Tanner grounds out to first. Allen moves up to third. Runner at third, two outs.
- Hancock RBI single to right. Allen scores. Tie game 1-1. Runner at first, two outs.
- James grounds out to third. Inning over.
- END of 1 - MSU 1, Florida 1
TOP of 2 - Florida batting
- Rivera singles to left-center. Runner at first, no outs.
- Acton flies out to center. One out, runner still at first.
- Guscette singles to right. Slow roller to the right side and just beat the shift. Rivera advances all the way to third. Runners at first and third, one out.
- Young sacrifice fly to center for the second out. Rivera scores. Florida takes a 2-1 lead. Runner at first, two outs.
- Hickey singles to right fireld. Guscette advances all the way to third. Runners at first and third, two outs.
- Fabian walks. Hickey moves up to second. Bases loaded, two outs.
- Armstrong two-run single to right. Guscette and Hickey both score. Florida now leads 4-1. Fabian moves up to third. Runners at first and third, two outs.
- Calilao grounds out to third. Inning over.
- MID 2 - Florida 4, MSU 1
BOTTOM of 2 - MSU batting
- Dubrule grounds out to short. One out.
- Clark flies out to right. Two outs.
- Leggett grounds out to first. Inning over.
- END of 2 - Florida 4, MSU 1
TOP of 3 - Florida batting
- Thompson solo home run to right-center. Florida now leads 5-1.
- Rivera singles to left-center. Runner at first, no outs.
- MSU to the bullpen. Cam Tullar on to pitch.
- Acton walks. Rivera moves up to second. Runners at first and second, no outs.
- Guscette sacrifice bunt. Rivera moves up to third and Acton moves up to second. Guscette out at first. Runners at second and third, one out.
- Young two-run single to center. Rivera and Acton score. Florida leads 7-1. Runner at first, one out.
- Hickey singles to left. Young moves up to second. Runners at first and second, one out.
- Fabian fouls out down the left-field line. Nice running, sliding grab by MSU SS Lane Forsythe. Two outs, runners at first and second.
- Armstrong two-run double to left. Looked like it went off the glove of MSU LF Kellum Clark. Young and Hickey score. Florida now leads 9-1. Runner at second, two outs.
- Calilao with a slow roller to third and it's an infield single. Armstrong moves up to third. Runners at first and third, two outs.
- Thompson strikes out swinging. Inning over.
MID 3 - Florida 9, MSU 1
BOTTOM of 3 - MSU batting
- Forsythe grounds out to second. One out.
- Jordan popped out to first. Two outs.
- Allen grounds out to the pitcher. Inning over.
- END of 3 - Florida 9, MSU 1
TOP of 4 - Florida batting
- MSU to the bullpen. Cade Smith now pitching.
- Rivera popped out to first. One out.
- Acton grounds out to first. Two outs.
- Guscette grounds out to third. Inning over.
- MID 4 - Florida 9, MSU 1
BOTTOM of 4 - MSU batting
- Tanner singles to center. Runner at first, no outs.
- Hancock grounds to third for a fielder's choice. Tanner out at second on the play. Hancock reaches. Runner at first, one out.
- Hancock moves up to second on a wild pitch. Runner at second, one out.
- James with a hard-hit ball to short and it's not handled. Error and goes into left. Hancock held at second. Runners at first and second, one out.
- Dubrule grounds to short and it's a fielder's choice. James forced out at second. Hancock moves up to third. Dubrule reaches. Runners at first and third, two outs.
- Clark grounds out to second. Inning over.
- END of 4 - Florida 9, MSU 1
TOP of 5 - Florida batting
- Young grounds out to third. One out.
- Hickey flies out to left. Nice diving grab on the warning track by MSU LF Kellum Clark. Two outs.
- Fabian grounds to third and it's through the legs of MSU 3B Tanner Leggett. Error. Runner at first, two outs.
- Fabian steals second. Runner at second, two outs.
- Armstrong walks. Runners at first and second, two outs.
- Calilao chops one to third and MSU 3B Leggett steps on the bag for the force out. Inning over.
- MID 5 - Florida 9, MSU 1
BOTTOM of 5 - MSU batting
- Leggett bunts back to the mound and is thrown out. One out.
- Forsythe grounds out to short. Two outs.
- Jordan strikes out swinging. Inning over.
- END of 5 - Florida 9, MSU 1
TOP of 6 - Florida batting
- MSU to the bullpen. Eric Cerantola on to pitch.
- Thompson flies out to center. One out.
- Rivera singles to left. Runner at first, one out.
- Acton walks. Rivera moves up to second. Runners at first and second, one out.
- Guscette grounds slowly to third and is thrown out. Rivera moves up to third on the play. Acton moves up to second. Runners at second and third, two outs.
- Young strikes out swinging. Inning over.
- MID 6 - Florida 9, MSU 1
BOTTOM of 6 - MSU batting
- Allen grounds out to second. One out.
- Tanner grounds to third. Throw to first is offline and it's an error. Tanner reaches. Runner at first, one out.
- Hancock grounds sharply to first. Florida first baseman steps on the bag and throws to second to get Tanner. Double play. Inning over.
- END of 6 - Florida 9, MSU 1
TOP of 7 - Florida batting
- MSU to the bullpen. KC Hunt now pitching.
- Hickey grounds to the right side into the shift. But it's not fielded cleanly by MSU 3B Leggett. Error. Hickey reaches. Runner at first, no outs.
- Fabian singles to center. Hickey moves up to second. Runners at first and second, no outs.
- Armstrong singles to right. Hickey gets to third, Fabian to second. Bases loaded, no outs.
- Calilao sacrifice fly to center. Hickey scores. It's now 10-1 Florida. Fabian moves up to third. Armstrong holds at first. Runners at first and third, one out.
- Thompson two-run double to right. Fabian and Armstrong score. It's 12-1 Florida. Runner at second, one out.
- Rivera singles to left. Thompson scores on the play. It's 13-1 Florida. Rivera thrown out at second trying to get to second on a throw home. Bases empty, two outs.
- Acton singles to right-center. Runner at first, two outs.
- Guscette flies out to left. Inning over.
- MID 7 - Florida 13, MSU 1
BOTTOM of 7 - MSU batting
- James flies out to right. One out.
- Dubrule strikes out swinging. Two outs.
- Cumbest pinch hits for Clark and is hit by a pitch. Runner at first, two outs.
- Skinner pinch hits for Leggett and singles to left. Cumbest gets to third. Runners at first and third, two outs.
- Skinner takes second base on defensive indifference. Runners at second and third, two outs.
- Forsythe flies out to right. Ballgame. (There is a 10-run rule after 7 innings at the SEC Tournament)
FINAL: Florida 13, Mississippi State 1
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