The Pitching and Dakota Jordan Stay Hot for Mississippi State Baseball
STARKVILLE, Miss. — The Mississippi State Bulldogs clinch the series and extend their winnings streak to eight with an 8-3 win over Evansville. It was more of the same for MSU as, once again, their starter deals, and today it was Khal Stephens's turn.
Chris Lemonis spoke on his start.
"I thought he had a pretty good slider early," Lemonis said. "He was able to get early outs"
The Purdue transfer never seemed phased by the vaunted Purple Ace lineup. Stephen only stuck out three, allowed only one hit, and surrendered no runs. Stephen had a bad start against Georgia Southern but has bounced back with consecutive good starts, and the Indiana native spoke on how he bounced back.
"A lot of it is confidence," Stephen said. "Every week we are working to get better."
Last year, Bulldogs hurlers were too dependent on the strikeout, which cost them. However, that trend seems to be gone this year, which is a good sign.
It was also a good sign for the Bulldogs that their sophomore outfielder continued his hot streak. Dakota Jordan showcased his gaudy power last year, but earlier this season, he struggled with picking up and hitting the breaking ball.
However, the Canton native has bucked that trend. He hit his seventh home run tonight, his third in as many games. Jordan drove in four more runs today; he has eight on the weekend.
The Bulldogs also did better today, hitting with a runner on base. The 7-9 hitters in the lineup also drove in a run tonight.
"I thought it was huge," Lemonis said. "(Jake) Gautreau has been tireless.... trying to get some guys going"
It was a rocky start for Lemonis and the Bulldogs to start the year as it appeared they hit rock bottom after suffering a two-game sweep to Austin Peay, but to the credit of the former Indiana manager, he has turned his club around.
The sudden hot streak could not have come at a better for MSU as they prepare to welcome the defending National Champions to Starkville next weekend. A few weeks ago, it seemed like a foregone conclusion who would win that series, but MSU has started to garner more attention for that old rivalry series.
However, MSU must focus on sweeping the series tomorrow, and Jurrangelo Cijnte will be on the mound for the Bulldogs tomorrow. Cijntje has been dominant in all three of his starts, and he hopes to lead the Bulldogs to a sweep tomorrow at 1 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.
