What Stood Out this Weekend for Mississippi State Baseball Against Florida

What happened this weekend for Mississippi State in Gainesville?

Mississippi State Bulldogs' players run back onto the field to celebrate after winning the game / Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY

STARKVILLE, Miss. — The Mississippi State Bulldogs drop the series to the sixth-ranked Florida Gators. It was a weekend the Bulldogs could have easily swept as they outplayed the Gators 25 out of 27 innings. 

However, credit goes to Florida for not giving in and taking the series. What stood out this weekend on the diamond in Gainesville? 

Starting Pitching

The Bulldogs got a good start on Friday night from Khal Stephen. The Purdue transfer worked six innings and stuck out eight while only allowing two runs. 

Stephen is not flashy but stays in the zone and lets his defense work behind him. He gave up two solo home runs, but they never fazed him as he left the bullpen with a three-run lead. 

Jurrangelo Cijntje got the ball on Saturday and faced a daunting task. After the Friday night loss, there was a concern about a hangover effect on Saturday, but Cijntje did not allow that. 

The sophomore pitched seven innings, struck out eight, and allowed two runs. Once the Bulldogs jumped out to a big lead, Cijntje did an excellent job of competing in the zone. 

Connor Hujsak

The Bulldogs have two starts in their lineup, Dakota Jordan and Hunter Hines, but Hujsak is always in the middle of the action when the offense produces. The former VCU transfer has played an excellent center field and showed a lot of power by hitting two home runs on Saturday. 

Hujsak bats behind Jordan and Hines, so he has plenty of RBI opportunities. He took advantage of those oppturnties in game two by driving in half of the Bulldogs 12 runs. 

He is not the best player in the lineup, but the offense is at its best when he is involved. 

No Closer

It takes a different mindset to be a closer in the SEC. It is not simply based on talent but is more about handling the pressure in high-leverage situations. 

Friday night showed that the Bulldogs lack that as they turned to Tyler Davis and Brooks Auger, who have been mainstays in the back of the bullpen for MSU. Neither of them could get the job done, and ultimately, freshman Nolan Stevens would walk in the tying run and allow the game-winning single. 

Once again, after a dominant game-two win, the Bulldog bullpen was tasked with holding onto a lead. MSU led 4-3 going into the bottom of the ninth and had a chance for a statement series win, but Evan Siary, who had been cruising, hit the leadoff batter with a pitch, and then Jac Caglianone blasted a two-run home run to win it. 

Landon Sims set the 2021 team apart because if you had a lead with him coming in, it was all but over. Great teams do not need a dominant closer, but when they do not, it puts more pressure on the offense and the starting pitching. 

This weekend is both frustrating and encouraging for Bulldog fans. This team is clearly good enough to compete with any team in the country, but they have some glaring flaws that could hold them back in the future. 

The SEC schedule eases up a bit for Mississippi State as they face Georgia, Ole Miss, and Auburn in their next three series. MSU is back in action Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network+ against Central Arkansas.