After dropping their first SEC series to the LSU Tigers last weekend, the Mississippi State Bulldogs got back to their winning form Tuesday, defeating the Alcorn State Braves 7-6.
The game was not smooth-sailing for the Bulldogs, however, as they had to overcome a 5-0 deficit after giving up four runs in the top of the first inning.  Starting RHP Brandon Woodruff only went 0.2 innings, giving up three hits and three earned runs. 
Head coach John Cohen said he was disappointed in Woodruff’s performance but is looking forward to his future at MSU.
“Brandon’s last two starts have been rough, but I can tell you he is a very talented young man, and there is no doubt in my mind he is going to be a great pitcher here at Mississippi State,” Cohen said. “He is just going through a tough period right now.”
MSU fans were holding their breath after centerfielder C.T. Bradford left the game early with what looked like another injury. Bradford missed most of the season last year with a shoulder injury.
Luckily, Cohen said he believes it is nothing serious and Bradford probably could have stayed in the game.
“He got hit in the leg the other day, and he had a little pull in his hamstring right in that same area, so we are being a little cautious,” Cohen said. “He felt like he could run around out there, but we wanted to get Demarcus (Henderson) in there and just see where he is.”
The Bulldogs will go on their first road series this weekend as they face the No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats (16-4, 2-1 SEC) in Lexington.
MSU will certainly be feeding off their two-game win streak this weekend as it seems all the pieces are falling in place for the Bulldogs. One of those pieces is RF Hunter Renfroe, who has been red-hot at the plate the last few games. He is hitting .408 on the year with a team-leading six home runs. He has also been great on the base paths as he is tied with SS Adam Frazier for the team lead with six stolen bases.
The Wildcats, however, are not a team to be taken lightly. The Bulldog pitching staff will have to put up with the likes of Kentucky 2B J.T. Riddle who is hitting .378 and Austin Cousino, who is hitting .305 with four HRs on the year. Last weekend, Cousino amassed seven hits in the series against Florida in Gainesville.
The Wildcat starting pitching has been phenomenal on the year with all three weekend starters having an earned run average below 3.00. Wildcat ace, Jerad Grundy, is 4-1 with an ERA of 1.93 with an opposing batting average of .184.
All American A.J. Reed will probably be the most versatile player the Bulldogs have faced all season long. Reed is second on the Wildcats team in batting average, hitting .364, and leads the team with five HRs. Reed is also the Friday night starting pitcher for UK, putting up a 2-2 record with a 2.83 ERA.
However, the Bulldogs are certainly not intimidated. This Bulldog club has grown a lot over the past few games, and for the most part everyone will be back and healthy for the weekend. Senior Catcher Nick Ammirati said he thinks his team is ready for the challenge this weekend.
“I think we are all excited,” Ammirati said. “We have a lot of confidence off the LSU win, and I think we are going to have some fun down there.”