The weather was perfect, the crowd was record-breaking and Mississippi State (22-15, 5-10 SEC) was victorious in its seventh-straight series win over Ole Miss. This followed an 8-7 walk-off win on Saturday and a winner-take-all 5-3 victory on Sunday.
The Diamond Dawgs made the big plays when necessary, whether that meant sending towering home runs to the Left Field Lounge or turning crucial double plays to escape bases-loaded jams. No moment was too large for anybody sporting the Maroon and White.
Freshman phenom Dakota Jordan was the latest hero of Starkville in Saturday’s thrilling victory, batting the Dawgs to victory just hours after English bulldog Dak was crowned the newest official mascot of the university. The left fielder stepped into the batter’s box with the bases loaded and just one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. His team was trailing by one run and desperately needed a big swing.
Jordan has constantly demonstrated that he can blast home runs well out of the stadium, but at that moment, he didn’t need to hit a moonshot to give Mississippi State the advantage. He smacked a hard-hit ground ball to the left side of the infield, and it rolled right through the gap between a pair of Rebels to easily plate the two runners needed for the victory. As 16,400 fans cheered, the Diamond Dawgs sprinted to the outfield in celebration.
Following the game, Jordan admitted that he didn’t remember everything from his big moment, but he credited the crowd for motivating the team.
“I saw my teammates coming towards me and I was just, like, pointing to the crowd,” Jordan said. “They came out, they did their thing and we did ours.”
Colton Ledbetter had arguably the most productive offensive outing of the day, blasting two home runs and drawing a walk to keep his team rolling. The centerfielder who, as a junior transfer, has had his fair share of big moments in college baseball, delivered constantly on some difficult pitches. When Ole Miss managed to climb out to a 5-2 lead halfway through the game, Ledbetter and teammate Hunter Hines responded with back-to-back solo home runs to regain momentum.
Saturday’s victory was capped off with an on-field Brett Eldredge concert that continued the fun at the Dude, but there was still plenty of work for Mississippi State to do to pick up another SEC series victory.
Sunday was a tale of some of the best pitching performances that the Diamond Dawgs have seen all year. Ambidextrous pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje started the game for his team and struck out players left and right. The freshman gave up just one run and three hits in 5.2 innings pitched, all while recording seven strikeouts.
Cijntje has primarily used his right arm over the past few weeks, but fans were in for a treat as they watched him switch sides between different batters. Head coach Chris Lemonis was impressed by his rising star’s outing in such an intense matchup.
“[Cijntje’s] work has been really good, and I thought him from the left side, I think that’s about as sharp as he’s been this year,” Lemonis said.
Texas transfer Aaron Nixon entered the game in relief in a big spot. Ole Miss was trailing 3-2, but the Rebels had the bases loaded and were threatening to bring in some runs. The visiting squad was only able to plate one run, as Nixon forced a ball into a double play that was turned, thanks to the quick reflexes of shortstop David Mershon.
Nixon picked a great weekend to be introduced to the state’s biggest rivalry, and as he said, he enjoyed it.
“I’ve never seen that rivalry other than football this last semester,” Nixon said. “It was just a great experience and I loved it.”
Offensively, Jordan and Hines returned to the plate with the same intensity that they brought on Saturday. Jordan recorded a soaring, three-run homer to give the Diamond Dawgs the early advantage, and Hines smashed the two-run shot that would seal the deal for the home team.
Hines said that his performance was inspired by many Mississippi State legends who have beaten the Rebels in the past.
“I just go out there and try to play the best I can because I know there’s been great players playing before me, and I just try to take advantage of their game,” Hines said.
Mississippi State will return to action in Dudy Noble Field with a midweek matchup against Southern University on Tuesday evening. The Diamond Dawgs will then travel south to Auburn this weekend.

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Brooks Surber | The Reflector

Baseball vs. Ole Miss