After a magical run that saw the Mississippi State University baseball team earn a trip to Omaha for the College World Series, the Diamond Dogs entered the 2014 opening weekend on Valentine’s Day with lofty expectations. Boasting rankings as high as No. 2 in some publications along with the second-ranked recruiting class, many fans undoubtedly look for the Bulldogs to make a return to the NCAA tournament. 
Despite all the pressure on the team to perform and what head coach John Cohen called a “bad offensive weekend,” MSU was able to earn a series victory over Western Carolina University.
“We have a lot of new offensive pieces just trying to figure things out,” Cohen said. “But we got the big hits when it mattered and did a nice job with the strike zone and creating walks and pressure.”
The Bulldogs opened the series on Valentine’s Day with a 3-2 loss, the first opening day loss since the 2003 season.  The Diamond Dogs made a comeback bid in the ninth inning sparked by a two-run rally but fell short. The starting pitcher for WCU was excellent for eight innings, allowing three hits and no runs. 
The Bulldogs ended the night with 12 strikeouts total, an occurrence Cohen said must be avoided in order for the team to win.
“We really struggled against a good pitcher. We gave them a couple of opportunities, and they took advantage of them,” Cohen said.
The Catamounts drew first blood in the first inning, earning two runs off RBI-singles from Jacob Hoyle and Luke Gragg. 
After allowing back-to-back walks to start the second inning, starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff was relieved by lefty Ross Mitchell.
Mitchell would remain on the mound for a career-best eight innings, fanning seven WCU hitters in the process. The Catamounts would not score again until Cody Jones’s RBI single brought in Aaron Attaway in the seventh inning.
MSU made a run of its own in the ninth when senior Alex Detz drew a leadoff walk. Senior Brett Pirtle followed with a hit and junior slugger Wes Rea sent a two-run single up the middle. 
After the Bulldogs’ second out, pinch hitter Cody Brown was able to reach base after drawing a walk, but the comeback bid ended with Jacob Robson’s fly-out to left field.
After the tough opening day loss, MSU earned its first win of the season with a 6-1 victory over WCU at Dudy Noble on Saturday. 
 Right-hander Trevor Fitts recorded the first win of the season after allowing seven hits and one run with a career-high 11 strikeouts. 
Closer Jonathan Holder was also able to earn the first save of 2014, striking out two of the four hitters he faced in his efforts.
Cohen said Fitts’s work in the early stages of the game was important for the team, and the junior set the tone for the day.
“We needed this because the kids were looking at each other thinking ‘Are we ever going to score.’ The monkey is off our back there, and I hope now our kids can relax a little bit and just go play,” Cohen said.
MSU started its scoring in the fourth inning with a leadoff single by Pirtle, followed by an RBI-triple by Cody Brown. Junior college transfer Jake Vickerson earned his first RBI of the year after a pair of walks with a two-run single.
WCU trimmed the deficit to 3-1 in the fifth, but the Maroon and White extended the lead in the eighth inning with three runs off five Catamount relievers. 
Holder would get the final out in the eighth before retiring the side in order to close out the game.
The Bulldogs earned the series-clinching win Sunday with a 7-2 victory, marking Cohen’s 500th career victory as a head coach.
Several freshman pitchers made their collegiate debuts in Sunday’s win. 
True freshman Dakota Hudson started the game for MSU, making him the first freshman to start on opening weekend since Chris Stratton in 2010. 
Hudson would get a no-decision in his first start after conceding one run on four hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
Hudson said he relied on the experience of veteran Bulldogs in Sunday’s win.
“It was a great experience to be able to throw on this stage,” Hudson said. “The coaches and some of the older players helped me prepare for the moment a lot, so I wasn’t really nervous.”
Two other freshmen, right-handers Vance Tatum and Austin Sexton, also made their debuts Sunday, holding WCU scoreless through 2 1/3 innings. 
Pirtle was quick to give the young group praise for their performance in the series clincher.
“They’re awesome. They pound the zone, and they give the team a chance to a win. They did really well, and I’m proud for them,” Pirtle said.
With the game still scoreless in the bottom of the third, Rea was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, giving MSU an early 1-0 lead. 
Pirtle cleared the bases on the next at bat with a triple down the right field line. Senior C.T Bradford added the final run of the frame after driving in Pirtle on a squeeze bunt, putting the score at 5-0. 
The squad’s last two runs came in the eighth via redshirt junior catcher Zach Randolph’s RBI single and a bases-loaded walk by Detz.
Senior Ben Bracewell picked up the win in the final game of the series after pitching 1.1 innings of relief.  
The Bulldogs return to the diamond to host Memphis Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Dudy Noble Field.