Mississippi State Splits Doubleheader but Drops SEC Series at Arkansas

Mississippi State good and bad during a long Saturday against Arkansas at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.

The Bulldogs earned a convincing win in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader but couldn’t hold another early lead later in the day, falling 7-3 to Arkansas in the finale and losing the opening Southeastern Conference series.

State’s pitchers and hitters both had moments that suggested the Diamond Dawgs could compete with one of the nation’s top teams.

Late mistakes and missed chances turned momentum toward the Razorbacks in the deciding game.

By the end of the afternoon, Mississippi State was 16-4 overall and 1-2 in SEC play after dropping its first series of the season.

About all the Dawgs could take away were some good things in the first game Saturday, but Brian O'Connor's debut in the SEC wasn't what he wanted. With coaches that usually comes down to wins.

Tico shows off the glove in a scoreless frame pic.twitter.com/KjRlZ2XUtm
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) March 14, 2026

Arkansas rallies late to take finale

The rubber game began much like the earlier game. Mississippi State quickly grabbed a 3-0 advantage and appeared to be in control.

State jumped on Arkansas pitching early for the second straight game, chasing the starter and building a lead with timely hitting in the first two innings.

But momentum slowly shifted as the home team settled into the game.

Arkansas chipped away at the deficit thanks in part to defensive miscues and unusual plays that helped trim the margin.

A strange ball off the wall that was initially ruled a home run eventually put runners in scoring position. Soon after, a strikeout that turned into a run on a passed ball and another miscue allowed the Razorbacks to cut the score to 3-2.

The Bulldogs’ advantage finally disappeared in the fifth inning when Arkansas tied the game at 3-3 with an RBI single.

ACE REESE. PROFESSIONAL HITTER. ♠️ https://t.co/OO1lBPQLW0 pic.twitter.com/TAEQa41jyR
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) March 14, 2026

Eighth inning proves decisive

The game remained even until the eighth inning, when Arkansas seized control.

A walk to begin the frame set the tone for the rally. The runner moved into scoring position and eventually crossed the plate on a single to give Arkansas a 4-3 lead.

From there, the inning spiraled for the Bulldogs.

Walks and defensive issues opened the door for more runs, including a fielding error by Ace Reese that helped extend the rally. Arkansas added three more runs during the inning to push the lead to 7-3 and put the game out of reach.

Mississippi State struggled to generate offense after the early innings. The lineup managed only six hits and struck out 12 times while Arkansas’ bullpen shut down scoring chances the rest of the way.

The loss continued a difficult stretch for State in Fayetteville. The Bulldogs have now dropped six consecutive series to Arkansas dating back to 2019 and haven’t won a series at Baum-Walker Stadium since 2007.

Still, earlier in the day the Dawgs delivered one of their strongest pitching performances of the season.

Valincius dominates as State evens doubleheader

Before the frustrating finale, Mississippi State produced a strong showing behind left-hander Tomas Valincius.

The Virginia transfer delivered a dominant outing in the first game of the doubleheader, helping the Bulldogs earn a 7-2 victory that evened the series.

Valincius threw seven scoreless innings while allowing only two hits and striking out seven hitters. He also issued just two walks as he controlled the Arkansas lineup for most of the afternoon.

The outing came in his first career SEC start on the road, and it immediately set the tone for Mississippi State.

“It was a good feeling to pitch well,” Valincius said. “I had everything working, so I was just trying to stay aggressive by attacking the hitters and letting the defense behind me do all of the work. I trust my guys behind me.”

Early power gives Bulldogs the edge

Mississippi State didn’t waste time providing run support for its starter.

Ace Reese launched a three-run home run that gave the Bulldogs a quick 3-0 lead and quieted the crowd early in the game.

That early advantage allowed Valincius to pitch with confidence as he attacked hitters with a fastball that reached the high 90s.

The southpaw, who had previously served as a weekend starter at Virginia, continued to show why he has been one of the most reliable arms in the Mississippi State rotation.

After the strong outing, Valincius improved to 4-0 on the season with an earned-run average under two.

State head coach Brian O’Connor praised the performance after the win.

“Tomas Valincius was just a Bulldog today,” O’Connor said. “For him to go seven innings on the road and in this league was outstanding. I am really proud of him for the effort and for the entire team in the first game.”

Split day ends with mixed emotions

Despite the earlier win, the Diamond Dawgs didn’t have much time to celebrate before returning to the field for the deciding game.

The quick turnaround made the long afternoon even more difficult as the teams battled through the doubleheader schedule.

Valincius could only watch the finale from the dugout as Arkansas rallied for the late victory that clinched the series.

“We knew it was going to be tough because they have a very talented ball club over there,” Valincius said. “It goes back to the mindset of ‘whatever it takes and whoever it takes.’ You have to always go out there and be aggressive. Things did not go our way today.”

Mississippi State will try to bounce back quickly with a midweek home game against Jackson State at Dudy Noble Field before hosting Vanderbilt in another SEC series next weekend.