Cowbell Corner

Mississippi State completes series sweep, awaits final SEC Tournament seeding

The Bulldogs won their regular season finale against Missouri 12-1, but now have to wait for the outcome of other games to learn when they'll play in the SEC Tournament.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Infielder Nate Chester (#13) during the game between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Dudy Noble Field at Polk-Dement Stadium in Starkville, MS.
Mississippi State Infielder Nate Chester (#13) during the game between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Dudy Noble Field at Polk-Dement Stadium in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Athletics

Mississippi State did what it needed to do and now the rest in fate’s hands.

The Bulldogs defeated Missouri 12-1 on Saturday, completing the series sweep and bringing their conference record to 15-15 (34-20 overall). Now they’ll wait for the conclusion of the Florida and Oklahoma games.

If both the Gators and Sooners lose, Mississippi State will jump up to No. 10 in the standings. If either team wins though, Mississippi State will be 11th. It may not seem like a big deal, but it’s the difference between playing South Carolina (15th) and Texas A&M (14th).

If both Florida and Oklahoma win (which at the time of this writing would require an Oklahoma comeback), the current pecking order would stand and Mississippi State would be the No. 12-seed in the SEC Tournament.

It really is turning out to be a fun Saturday.

Looking at the Bulldogs’ 12-1 win doesn’t reveal anything surprising. They hit three home runs in the game and led 6-0 after one inning of play. Karson Ligon picked up his sixth win of the season, striking out seven batters in five innings of work and Mississippi State’s pitchers allowed just four hits all game, but didn’t issue a single walk.

Noah Sullivan led the Bulldogs at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI on a home run and Hunter Hines extended his career home run lead in Starkville with a home run on Saturday.

We’ll know soon where Mississippi State lands in the final SEC standings, but it’s certain they’ll be playing on the tournament’s first day, Tuesday. Of the three possible options for Mississippi State, here are those game times:

  • No. 10 seed vs. No. 15 seed, 4:30 p.m.
  • No. 11 seed vs. No. 14 seed, 8 p.m.
  • No. 12 seed vs. No. 13 seed, 1 p.m.

DAWG FEED:

Published
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.

Home/Baseball