The Mississippi State University baseball team took a trip to College Station to take on No. 7 Texas A&M this weekend, only to return without the victory.
The Bulldogs started the series off with a 6-3 loss against the Aggies in Game 1. Not only was the loss to a high-ranked team, but this loss also gave MSU a record of 0-1 for away games this season.
After pulling off a convincing 5-1 win in Game 2, the series was tied 1-1 and MSU had a shot at taking a series victory in College Station.
Going into the third and final game of the series, fans had expectations that the Bulldogs would take down another top 10 team. After taking two games off No. 9 LSU the weekend before, the Bulldogs were confident they could emerge dominant over the Aggies.
With the third game determining the series, the stakes were high for the series finale. However, as Texas A&M scored little by little, the Bulldogs left their side of the scoreboard at zero until the last inning.
The Aggies had two weapons that pushed scores on the board. Both Braden Montgomery and Cade Sorell had innings that propelled Texas A&M’s score forward. Montgomery hit a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the first and a two-run homer to right field in the bottom of the fourth.
Aggie’s Sorrell hit a solo home run to right field in the bottom of the fifth, and with help from Gavin Grahovac, made it home in the bottom of the seventh. There was only so much that MSU’s defense had to offer, and the batting lineup is what really made the team struggle.
At the end of the final game, senior infielder Logan Kohler hit a single that resulted in a singular run for the Bulldogs. However, this small advance was not enough to give the Bulldogs a victory, sending MSU walking away from Game 3 with a 6-1 defeat.
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With a stronger rotation, the Bulldogs may have been able to drive more power into the offense and score more runs. This exact scenario is what head coach Chris Lemonis may be taking into consideration before heading into the next game.
This weekend, the Bulldogs will have another chance at a conference win on the road as they head to Gainesville, Florida, to take on the Florida Gators. With a 3-3 record in conference matchups, this series is vital for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The series begins Friday at 5:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
