Diamond Dawgs Complete First Sweep of the Season Against Princeton
Mississippi State took all three games against the Princeton Tigers this past weekend, outscoring them 23-5 over the course of the series.
It was announced after game one on Friday night that the next two would be played today in a doubleheader, with the final game lasting only seven innings.
In the first game of a chilly Sunday morning, the Bulldogs had some struggles at the plate, only managing to win via a final score of 3-2. Head coach Chris Lemonis acknowledged this after the conclusion of game three, attributing part of it to the Princeton pitching staff playing well in the cold weather.
It was in game three, though, that the Bulldog bats were back to their expected selves, and it was a team-wide effort. After being sidelined for the past few games, R.J. Yeager made his presence felt in game three, going 2-3 with a double and a pair of RBIs. Yeager had high hopes coming into the season, and MSU fans are undoubtedly thankful for any signs that he might be getting comfortable in his new home.
"We're trying to find the right mix right now," Lemonis said postgame about his lineup shifts, "I can't tell you I have it. I don't know if I'll have it in a week. We've just been a little up and down, but it was nice for RJ to give us a good game today."
Kellum Clark was undoubtedly the hero of the weekend, racking up three home runs on his way to a perfect 3-3 in the final game of the weekend. It seems like he's back, Bulldog fans, and he's back with a vengeance.
Clark spoke with reporters after the game and had a strong message about what his second year in the maroon and white has meant to him after an offseason in which he struggled with some personal issues.
"I think it actually gives me a bigger appreciation of just life, because, you know, we're all competitors in this sport and we love it. We've spent literally 20 years trying to be the best we can ... but that doesn't really matter, because as long as I'm going home and I've got food on my table, I get to sleep at night, I can't really complain," Clark said.
Clark and the rest of the Bulldogs will face off against Binghamton tomorrow night in a midweek game before opening the SEC season slate at Georgia next weekend. Those games will begin at 6 p.m., 1 p.m., and 11 a.m. respectively and be aired on the SEC Network and SEC Network Plus.