Before the Mississippi State baseball team began preparation for a pivotal weekend series against powerhouse South Carolina, the Bulldogs played host to the South Alabama Jaguars Tuesday night. In a game that went to extra innings and only featured 11 hits, it was fitting that the only runs scored in the entire game were also the deciding runs in a matchup that quickly turned into a textbook pitchers’ duel.
For MSU, freshman Brandon Woodruff got the nod for his first collegiate start on the mound. The freshman did not disappoint, going six innings without allowing a hit before being replaced due to fatigue. After the game, MSU head coach John Cohen said he was very pleased with the way Woodruff performed on the mound against the Jaguars.
“I thought Brandon was obviously outstanding,” Cohen said. “He pitched brilliantly, and it’s really exciting to see where he started and where he’s going to end up being in the future.”
Much like his head coach, the freshman right-hander said he was content with his first start on the mound as a Bulldog.
“I was supposed to have a start before tonight, but it was rained out,” Woodruff said. “(The coaches told me) I was pitching yesterday (Monday), so I was able to get my mind right and come out and do well in my first start.”
Woodruff was replaced by redshirt freshman Ross Mitchell, who, along with junior Luis Pollorena, freshman Jonathan Holder, junior Chad Girodo and freshman Trevor Fitts, combined for six innings of scoreless pitching. The outcome of the game, however, was not decided until the bottom of the 12th inning when freshman Wes Rea belted a Tyler Huffer fastball into the Left Field Lounge, giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 victory against their non-conference opponent.
Rea said he was expecting Huffer’s fastball, and the walk-off win, which is the second straight for MSU, is something that can help the team.
“They tried to come inside three times in a row. The first two kind of caught me off guard, but I was waiting on it the third time and knew I had to do something with it,” Rea said. “We don’t necessarily like it like that, but it’s good for the team. You’re not going up to the plate trying to hit a home run, but you’re definitely looking for something to drive to move the runners up and give us a chance to score.”
After the game, Cohen said winning close contests like State has done lately is something that could help the team down the stretch of the regular season.
“I think the real positive from the whole thing is that any time you play in a close game, our kids are going to say ‘It’s a close game, we’re going to find a way to win,'” Cohen said. “This is so invaluable to our young guys. In this league, all of our games are going to be like this, and the fact that they’re experiencing games like this means a lot.”
The Bulldogs, who are 21-12, will now turn their attention to the No. 7 South Carolina Gamecocks, a perennial postseason team The Gamecocks (24-9) are highlighted by one of the nation’s best pitching staffs, which features six players who have an earned run average lower than 2.00. Among the pitching staff, Michael Roth, who is 4-0 with a 1.98 ERA, and Colby Holmes, who is also 4-0 with a 2.56 ERA, are widely known around college baseball as two of the best pitchers in the country.
When asked about MSU’s upcoming conference opponent, Cohen said South Carolina is similar to State in many different aspects.
“I think they feel like the strength of their club is on the mound and defense,” Cohen said. “They also have some guys in the middle that can really hurt you, and at any time they can break out.”
MSU’s three-game series against South Carolina will begin Friday at 6 p.m. in Columbia. Saturday, first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m., and Sunday’s contest is set to begin at 12:30 p.m.