Despite their 10-9 record since starting the season 18-0, Mississippi State baseball has plenty of reason to celebrate going into this weekend’s series against the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Bulldogs stole a game on the road against the Auburn Tigers last weekend and swept their midweek road series against the Memphis Tigers. Now, they will get a chance to return to the friendly confines of Dudy Noble Field and begin the task of making up ground in the Southeastern Conference divisional race.
Auburn
The Bulldogs hit the road in the SEC last weekend for the first time since their come-from-behind, extra-inning victory over Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Friday night’s 9-4 loss against the Tigers marked an unnaturally poor pitching performance by senior hurler Brooks Dunn. Dunn threw only three innings for the Bulldogs, giving up seven runs of nine hits and striking out only two. The Tigers would rack up 15 hits in the contest; the Bulldogs only eight.
The Bulldogs had earned a three-run lead in the top of the first frame on home runs by both Jeffery Rea and senior co-captain Thomas Berkery. However, Dunn would give up three scores in the bottom of the inning to negate the offensive onslaught. Dunn was charged with four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning before eventually being chased in favor of reliever Brett Cleveland, clinching the series opening victory for the Tigers.
Saturday, it would be the Bulldogs’ turn to hit for double figures, pounding out 14 hits in a 17-10 offensive slugfest to knot the series at one apiece. Brian LaNinfa would knock in six runs on four hits to pace the Diamond Dawgs, with leadoff man Jeffrey Rea adding three more.
Junior starter Josh Johnson lasted only into the fourth inning of the contest and gave up eight runs before being pulled in favor of Aaron Weatherford, who allowed just two runs over the final five innings.
“I was like, ‘I have to stop this,’ ” Weatherford said. “‘We have to get the momentum back in our dugout.’ I guess I’m the guy they were looking to to change that.”
In the Sunday finale, MSU scored first in the top of the opening frame when Rea crossed home plate on a double steal.
Auburn would rally for runs in the bottoms of both the first and second frames, but Jeff Butts’ RBI single in the fourth would help keep the Bulldogs in the game.
The Tigers’ bats proved powerful against the tired MSU pitching staff, and a fielder’s choice in the fifth would score the series-clinching run for the Tigers, taking the final game 7-3.
The Bulldogs managed seven hits in the finale, but scored only three runs.
“It’s just a matter of trying to put the line-up together and score some runs like we did (on Saturday),” Polk said.
Memphis
The Bulldogs took to the road again for their midweek series, a two-game stint against Memphis, and this time came up big.
First baseman and senior co-captain Brad Jones emerged from a month-long, injury-induced slump to crank out two home runs and six RBI in the Bulldogs’ Tuesday night 12-8 win.
“I’m still trying to compensate for my wrist being hurt,” Jones said, “but hopefully I’m working through that a little better now.”
The game would resemble a pitcher’s dual for the first five innings, with both teams knotted at one run apiece. MSU would burst the game open in the sixth, scoring eleven runs in four innings.
Memphis, managed by former MSU assistant coach Daron Shoenrock, attempted a comeback in the eighth, scoring five runs. Their bid would fall short, however, as Mitch Moreland would come in in relief of Brett Cleveland and strike out three of the game’s last four Tiger batters.
Wednesday night’s affair would again go to the Bulldogs, this time by way of a 5-3 decision.
Jones would again play a key role, tying the game at 1-1 in the second inning on a balk by Memphis starter Ben Grisham.
State would knot the game again at 2-2 in the sixth on a Brian LaNinfa home run, the first of two for LaNinfa on the night, and then eventually clinch a victory with a two-run double by Joseph Hunter in the seventh.
Arkansas
Even with their success in the Memphis series, the Bulldogs have plenty riding on their home series this weekend against the Razorbacks.
The Bulldogs currently stand at 7-7 in the SEC, .5 games behind Arkansas, and 2.5 games behind Alabama for the Western Division lead. A series loss to Arkansas at home would be disastrous for the Dawgs’ chances at capturing the conference crown.
“We feel like we’ve been on the road forever,” Jones said. “We’ve been in this little slump for a while, so hopefully we can carry some of this momentum over from the Memphis series.”
The Diamond Dawgs will enter the series shaken up a little bit. Right-fielder Andy Rice, who has been banged up for most of the season, will continue to play in a reserve role, while the recently-hot-hitting Brian LaNinfa is battling a pulled hamstring.
Despite the other injuries, Jones’ return to a productive spot in the line-up should help to solve some of the team’s recent plate woes.
“I think for this team to be a good as it can be, I’ve got to step up and produce more,” Jones said. “It’s going to take all of us to step up and get the job done.”
Arkansas (28-11, 8-7) has won its last three SEC series, but has not yet faced anyone in the Western Division. They lead the SEC in stolen bases and saves, indicating a team that pays attention to detail on both sides of the ball.
“Arkansas is a good team, and they’re going to be competitive,” Jones said, “but we’ve been in these situations before.”