Where Mississippi State Baseball is Ranked After Week 5
STARKVILLE, Miss. — The Mississippi State Bulldogs upset the previously number two-ranked LSU Tigers this past weekend in Starkville. The Bulldogs dominated this series, winning 10-4 on Friday and 15-5 run-rule on Sunday.
MSU came into the weekend with little to no expectations after dropping their fifth nonconference game earlier that week, a 5-4 loss to South Alabama. Nate Dohm, who had been the Bulldogs' Friday night starter, would also be unavailable to pitch against the Tigers.
However, the Bulldogs did not fold to the adversity, which has been a struggle the past two seasons for MSU. In 2022 and 2023, Mississippi State seemed to lack the toughness that the previous College World Series teams had, but this weekend, every time the Bulldogs had a chance to quit, they prevailed.
Nolan Stevens embodied that toughness on Friday night as the freshman threw 5.2 innings and did not seem fazed in high-leverage situations. The California native showed remarkable poise as he struck out eight and only allowed a run during his outing.
Saturday looked like it would be a short day at Dudy Noble Field as LSU jumped out to a 9-1 lead by the third inning. The Tigers were having their way against MSU pitching, but the Bulldogs rallied and fell just short of an epic comeback by losing 9-8.
However, they left no doubt on Sunday as the Bulldogs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. The Tigers tied it in the fifth, but MSU got the last laugh by scoring eight unanswered runs.
This weekend was good enough to get Mississippi State back into the polls before they get ready to host Memphis on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network+
D1 Baseball- 21
Baseball America- 16
Perfect Game- Not Ranked
