Three Takeaways: Mississippi State Records Dominant, 16-2 Victory Against Arkansas State

Three takeaways from Mississippi State's incredible 16-2 victory.

It's been tough going for Mississippi State baseball since the Bulldogs were swept in their first SEC series of the season, leaving them on a three game losing streak.

But the team was able to bounce back with multiple high points in Tuesday night's 16-2 win over the Arkansas State Red Wolves in Starkville.

Here's a look into three takeaways from a needed win:

1. Bradley Loftin shines on the mound.

Among those on the mound for Mississippi State was Bradley Loftin, who performed extremely well. He threw a total of nine strikeouts this game and showed the coaches what he has to offer as a freshman. Head coach Chris Lemonis was very confident in how Loftin would perform ahead of time.

“Nice and calm, just pitched, you know he’s in the learning process-- learning how to pitch at this level and he’s really good. And when he pitches, which I thought he did instead of just throwing it’s just really tough to hit," said Lemonis after the game. "We just felt like we needed some momentum and to play good today and see where he’s at but you know he’s pitching better every day.”

2. Keeping things in rotation.

There has been a lot of switching around when it come to pitching this season and Lemonis is still settling into a consistent starting lineup. Something to take away from this is is that he does frequently rotate batters to ensure that the majority of the roster gets time on the field.

Especially in this contest, MSU kept a 16-0 score until the seventh inning. During games like this, coaches regularly give frequently benched players the opportunity to show their potential.

“We have a talented bench, it’s nice just to see those guys get a chance. Some of them sit around for a week or two and don’t play. They get after it, they work hard, they have a great attitude. It’s nice to see them get out there and get the opportunities" said Lemonis after the game.

Players like first baseman Von Seibert, catcher Bryce Hubbard, and pitcher Aaron Nixon were given a good amount of playing time and they played well. 

3. Not letting up.

The last takeaway from this amazing game how the Dawgs never let up on the team and continued their momentum. There were a couple instances where runners were inches from getting out but they used 100% of their energy to get to the base. 

Since the Bulldogs played like this for a team that could be deemed a lesser opponent, they will definitely be giving all they have to Vanderbilt during their series this weekend.