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Cowbell Corner

Tomas Valincius Carves Up Auburn in Mississippi State’s Series-Opening Win

Bryce Chance gave Mississippi State an early cushion, and Tomas Valincius did the rest in a dominant Friday night win over Auburn.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State pitcher Tomas Valincius was dominant in a 10-3 series-opening win against No. 6 Auburn.
Mississippi State pitcher Tomas Valincius was dominant in a 10-3 series-opening win against No. 6 Auburn. | Mississippi State Athletics

Some nights you can feel it from the first pitch. Tomas Valincius had that look again.

No. 11 Mississippi State’s ace hasn’t been bad by any stretch the last two weekends, but he also hasn’t been the version of himself that spoiled everyone through March and early April.

LSU tagged him a bit. Texas got three runs off him in five innings. Nothing alarming, just not the standard he’s set.

Against sixth-ranked Auburn, he snapped right back into form in a 10-3 win Thursday night.

Valincius carved through the Tigers for 6.2 innings, striking out 13 and walking nobody. He retired the first 13 batters he faced and looked completely in control from the jump.

It helped that he could breathe a little after the first inning, because Bryce Chance gave him a four-run cushion with a grand slam. Once that ball cleared the wall in left, Valincius settled into a rhythm that Auburn never really disrupted.

He didn’t give up a hit until the fifth. He didn’t give up a run until his final batter, when a two-run homer ended his night. Even then, he walked off to a standing ovation from 12,658 people who knew exactly what they’d just watched.

It was the kind of outing that reminds you why he’s been the anchor of this rotation all season.

And the Bulldogs didn’t waste it. Jack Bauer, another lefty from Illinois, took the ball and was perfect for the final 2.1 innings with two strikeouts. Between the two of them, Auburn never had much room to breathe.

The offense did its part by spreading things out. Mississippi State scored in five different innings and got at least one hit from eight different players.

The whole night really hinged on that two-out rally in the first. Blake Bevis singled, Noah Sullivan followed with another, Jacob Parker walked, and Chance unloaded the bases with his second grand slam of the year. Auburn starter Jake Marciano never recovered and took the loss after giving up four runs in two innings.

For Mississippi State, this one matters. It’s a series-opening win over a top-10 SEC team, and it strengthens a postseason résumé that already looked solid.

More than that, it was a reminder of what this team looks like when Valincius is Valincius.

They’ll try to take the series tomorrow at 7:30 p.m., and if their ace just reset the tone for May, they’re in a good spot.

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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.

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