No. 4 Mississippi State Balances Good And Bad Injury News Before Start of SEC Play

Expectations around No. 4 Mississippi State are sky high and, so far, those expectations are being met.

But there’s one thing that can derail even the best teams’ seasons: injuries.

The Bulldogs have remained relatively healthy through the first month of the season, but there have been a few injuries that go beyond the standard bumps and bruises athletes experience.

Some of the news is good, some is bad. However, Mississippi State still looks like a contender for a trip to Omaha in June.

Kevin Milewski returned to action in Saturday’s blowout win and launched his first home run of the season. Milewski had missed the last few weeks dealing with a sore back after starting at catcher for the season-opening series.

"If definitely felt good," Milewski said. "Not just to relieve some pressure, but seeing one go felt good. The time I was out, I was just trying to help anyway I could on the bench. I was just keeping guys up and rooting everyone one."

WELCOME TO THE PARTY, KEVIN MILEWSKI 💥 pic.twitter.com/he2e6HURI6
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) March 7, 2026

“It was good to get Kevin Milewski back in there and some other guys,” Mississippi State coach Brian O’Connor said in his post-game press conference.

That’s the good injury news. Unfortunately, there is some bad.

Aidan Teel still continues to miss games recovering from an illness last week.

“Today was the first day he had come to the stadium. He wanted to sit with his teammates on the bench. I don't know when his return is,” O’Connor said. “He's pretty sick. He's over it and he's not contagious but he lost a lot of weight. We'll have to see over the coming days on his availability.”

This might be a case where Teel sits out the midweek game against Tulane in Biloxi and returns to the lineup for the Bulldogs’ SEC opening series against No. 7 Arkansas.

The other bit of injury news is a lot more certain.

Right-handed pitcher William Kirk hasn’t appeared in a game since leaving a midweek game against Austin Peay. That absence was cause for fearing the worst and that was confirmed by O’Connor on Saturday.

“William Kirk the first part of the week will have ACL reconstructive surgery on his knee and will miss the rest of the year,” O’Connor said. “It is not the knee he had reconstructed last year. He actually caught his spike in the clay on the mound on his push-off and my heart breaks for the young man. I feel like he has a bright future and this is another big detour. He won't be available for the remainder of the year.

“You see kids persevere like he did last year and have the knee issue he had last year, for it to happen with the other knee, my heart breaks for someone who pours everything into it. And a freak accident happens. His attitude is good and he will make a positive comeback.”

Kirk was shaping up to be a midweek starter for the Bulldogs and long-term relief pitcher when needed. In three appearances this season, Kirk pitched 5.2 innings and allowed six hits, four runs (three earned), two walks and had five strikeouts to post a 4.76 ERA.