What Stood Out for Mississippi State Baseball versus Auburn

What stood out as the Bulldogs swept the Tigers.

STARKVILLE, Miss. — The Mississippi State Bulldogs came into the weekend needing to make up conference games after a series loss to their rival, Ole Miss. This team was in a hole and had lost all the momentum it had built up, but it handled its business and got back on track. 

What stood out this weekend at Dudy Noble? 

Dynamic Duo

Khal Stephen should no longer surprise people as he continues to be dominant. Since his lousy start against LSU, the Purdue transfer has been on a roll. 

Stephen worked seven innings, allowed no earned runs, and struck out 11 batters. He had an electric last two strikeouts as he escaped a bases-loaded one-out jam. 

Jurrangelo Cijntje is the most talented pitcher on the staff, and the sophomore has been solid all year. However, Cijntje had his best start of SEC play in game two, allowing one run in 6.2 innings of work. 

These two starting pitchers ensure that MSU is in every game they pitch. They are what separates this team from the past two years more than anyone else.  

Clutch Hitting

Their ability to perform in clutch situations is a big knock on this team. They overcame that deficiency this past weekend by getting clutch hits in every game. 

Whether extending a lead or tying a game, Bulldog hitters came up big when the pressure was high. Also, the clutch hits from guys who were written off. 

Unexpected Heroes

A frustrating part of this team has been players underperforming relative to their ability. Two college baseball veterans have fallen victim to this as Amani Larry and Logan Kohler have been dreadful in conference play. 

In game three, Kohler stepped up to the plate in a bunt situation as runners were on first and second with nobody out. However, Kohler told MSU head coach Chris Lemonis that he wanted to hit, and the skipper let him swing away, and he smashed a ball into the right field gap to tie the game. 

Larry also had a significant moment in extra innings as the Louisiana native smoked a lead-off double off the left field wall. Both of these guys are better than their numbers say, and for MSU to reach their full potential, they must also. 

Offensive Woes

Getting clutch hits was a breath of fresh air, but the MSU lineup still left a lot of meat on the bone. They still get into too many slumps and go several innings with little to no action.  

Hunter Hines had a solid weekend at the plate, but the junior still has not reached his peak. This speaks to the amount of talent he has, but if he could ever get hot, watch out.  

The offense is still very inconsistent, which will haunt them if it is not improved. 

Much-Needed

The Bulldogs could have survived with just a series win over Auburn, but they desperately needed a sweep. They did their job, and now MSU sits at 10-8 in conference play. 

15 wins likely get them into the NCAA tournament, but due to their low RPI, they need to win every game possible. MSU could play themselves into hosting contention in the last month of the SEC schedule or miss the regionals altogether. 

Every goal this team has is right before them, and they must take advantage of it.