What Stood Out This Weekend for Mississippi State Baseball against Georgia

It was an important series for MSU how did they fare?

STARKVILLE, Miss. — The Mississippi State Bulldogs desperately needed a series win after their midweek loss to Central Arkansas. They got just that: a series win and once again were close to getting a sweep. 

It was a wild weekend at Dudy Noble Field; what stood out?

Friday Night Ace

Khal Stephen was once again dominant on Friday night as he tossed 6.2 innings, allowed one run, and struck out seven. The Indiana native got rocked in his first SEC start against LSU as he allowed five runs in two innings of work, and it was uncertain if the Purdue transfer could be a reliable starter on the weekend. 

However, he put all that doubt to rest as he has been fantastic in three straight outings. With the injury to Nate Dohm, someone needed to step into that ace role, and Stephen has done so well. 

Possible Closer

Against Florida, MSU could have easily swept the series but fell short after blowing two ninth-inning leads in games one and three. Mississippi State pitching coach Justin Parker tried Brooks Auger, Tyler Davis, Nolan Stevens, and Evan Siary, and none of them could get the job done. 

Parker elected to give Cam Schuelke a try on Friday night, and he delivered. The Michigan native tossed 2.1 scoreless innings and secured an MSU win. 

Other arms will need to step up, but it was encouraging that Schuelke showed the necessary composure to close out games. 

Davis also pitched well in the late innings in game three as the lefty tossed three scoreless innings. 

Controversy 

The story of game two quickly became less about baseball and more about the umpires. It was a 2-2 game in the top of the eighth, and Amani Larry threw out the go-ahead run at the plate. 

After the play, catcher Johnny Long had words with the runner, and the benches ultimately cleared, leading to 11 total ejections. Mississippi State caught the worst end of that as they were forced to play pitchers in left and right field. 

Khal Stephen (left field) and Luke Dotson (right field) also batted in the bottom of the ninth after UGA took a 3-2 lead, and they both struck out. It is hard to blame an entire game on one play, but it hampered them. 

They were also without Long and Logan Kohler in game three. 

Connor Hujsak and Bryce Chance

These guys have two things in common: they both went through slumps earlier this season, but both are on fire right now. These two guys have been a pivotal part of the MSU offense in SEC play and have stepped up while others have struggled.

The pair combined for six hits and RBIs this weekend. 

Hunter Hines 

Hines has had an illustrious career at MSU, as he dominated in his first two seasons. The first baseman went through a slump earlier this season but came out of it and returned to his old self. 

However, the lefty is again struggling at the plate, and it could not be at a worse time. The offense for MSU still played well this weekend, largely thanks to Hujsak stepping up. 

The offense still can do more if Hines plays like he is capable. He finished the weekend with two hits, an RBI, and six strikeouts. 

It was a wild weekend for Mississippi State, but it was successful. The pressure does not stop as next week is even more vital as they travel to their rival Ole Miss next weekend. 

The Bulldogs are back in action Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network+ against UAB.