What Stood Out This Weekend for Mississippi State Baseball?
The Mississippi State Bulldogs take the series over Air Force at Dudy Noble Field with wins on Friday and Sunday. The Bulldogs have struggled the last two seasons, and a series win was much needed for momentum and morale.
It was not a perfect weekend for MSU as there were some mistakes, but there were also encouraging signs from this team this weekend. What stood out during this weekend series?
The Bullpen
It is no secret that the Bulldogs struggled on the mound a season ago. However, MSU head coach Chris Lemonis brought former South Carolina pitching coach Justin Parker to help aid this issue.
Last year was a whirlwind for the MSU bullpen, but this weekend, the bullpen did their job, and some by allowing only four earned runs all weekend while pitching 11 innings.
The staff also gave up only five walks, another issue for the Bulldogs last year. Two arms that stood above the rest were JUCO transfer Cam Schuelke and former VCU transfer Tyler Davis.
Starting Pitching
Last year, it was a struggle on the weekend for Bulldog starters. MSU was never able to find three consistent starters.
This weekend was a breath of fresh air in that aspect, as Bulldog starters Nate Dohm, Khal Stephen, and Jurrangelo Cijntje all had quality starts. The trio combined for 15 innings and allowed three earned runs while striking out 23 batters.
Stephen had the best weekend start as he threw seven innings, struck out 11, and only allowed a run. Starting pitching is critical in the SEC, and while far from perfect, it was a solid start for the Bulldogs in that aspect.
Mental Mistakes
In each game, the Bulldogs made mistakes on the bases. Some were irrelevant, while others were significant. The significant ones came during the Bulldogs' 3-2 loss to Air Force on Saturday, as twice MSU ran themselves out of innings or stalled an inning.
This was also an issue a season ago, and in the future, MSU cannot afford to continue making these mistakes. Baseball is tough, and making avoidable errors makes things even more challenging.
The Lineup
There were some positives and negatives for MSU in their offense this weekend. A positive would be their 1-4 hitters, Amani Larry, Dakota Jordan, Hunter Hines, and Bryce Chance.
These four accounted for 20 hits and drove in nine runs. This part of the lineup was dangerous for MSU, as they possess elite power and some speed.
However, the bottom of the MSU lineup struggled as Lemonis tried different lineups all weekend. The top of the order for MSU can and will carry them this season, but for the Bulldogs to be great, they will need every hitter to do their role.
MSU will play a pair of midweek games against Austin Peay on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both games are slotted for a four p.m. CT first pitch.
