Mississippi State’s inability to win two postseason games in a row provided the end its 2003 campaign, which concluded with an extra-inning loss to North Carolina.
After beating Alabama two games to one on the final weekend of regular season play, the Bulldogs clinched their 17th straight appearance in the Southeastern Conference Tournament as a no. 4 seed.
Slated to go against Mississippi in the first round on Wednesday, MSU had to wait until Thursday to take the field due to unrelenting rain at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. Head coach Ron Polk took advantage of the delay, announcing that the extra day of rest would be enough to start Paul Maholm on the mound rather than Alan Johnson.
MSU vs. UM (May 22)
Thomas Berkery’s two-out 11th-inning homerun put an abrupt end to Thursday’s back-and-forth contest between Mississippi’s tournament representatives. Berkery’s blast broke a four-to-four tie that the teams carried into the bottom of the 12th inning with Rebel Brae Wright and Bulldog Jamie Gant battling for the win.
“I had seen him busting our guys in a little bit with the fastball,” Berkery said. “I wasn’t trying to hit a homerun or anything. I just tried to put a good swing on it.”
Not only was the homerun the first of the tournament, it became the true freshman’s first long ball facing an SEC pitcher.
“It’s a big one-a clutch time to get that,” Berkery added. “I would have taken it any time, but getting it right here is really sweet.”
After closer Jonathan Papelbon allowed two hits that brought in two runs charged to Maholm, MSU trailed 4-3 going into the bottom of the ninth. Steve Gendron singled, advanced on a wild pitch, and tied the game on a Craig Tatum double. With one out and the bases loaded, pinch hitter J.B. Tucker had a chance to win the game in regulation. Instead, Tucker dribbled a grounder down the third base line, and UM third baseman Brian Pettway fielded it, stepped on the bag, and threw to first in time for the double play.
MSU vs. LSU (May 23)
Johnson’s three-hitter in seven and two thirds innings against Louisiana State wasn’t nearly enough thanks to four errors from his teammates. LSU remained in the winners’ bracket with its 7-2 victory over State, which dropped to the losers’ bracket and consequently needed four straight wins-two against the Tigers-to win the tournament.
MSU batters smashed pitches all night off complete-game winner Nate Bumstead, but only 11 of those fell for base hits, and eight Bulldogs got stranded on base.
“It was a game where we just hit it right at them,” Polk said. “We found real-estate 11 times, but the times we didn’t, we still stroked the ball really well.”
MSU vs. UM (May 24)
Jeff Lacher kept Mississippi scoreless for the first four innings, and Gant picked up his second win in as many appearances as MSU beat the Rebels 4-1. With the win, the Bulldogs earned at least one rematch against LSU.
Lacher’s four-and-two-thirds-innings effort fell one out shy of the win. When Lacher gave up three singles in the fifth to allow a run, Gant picked up the slack and limited the Rebels to two hits in the last four and a third innings. Gant’s second solid performance assured him a spot on the SEC All-Tournament Team. Second and third basemen Berkery and Steve Gendron also made the honorary team.
MSU vs. LSU (May 24)
LSU ended State’s hopes of a second tournament championship in three years with its 17-5 mercy-rule slaughter of the Dawgs.
It took starter Todd Nicholas only 14 pitches to give up five runs on four hits and a walk with no outs in his last performance of the year. Saunders Ramsey managed to record five outs but was shook up for nine runs (five earned) as MSU again committed four errors.
The Bulldogs’ elimination from the tournament meant they would have to sit and wait to see if they’d be one of the 16 teams to host a regional. A day later, the selection committee announced that three SEC schools would host: Auburn, LSU and MSU.
-MSU vs. MTSU (May 30, 2003)-
MSU outscored Middle Tennessee State 10-4 at Dudy Noble Field Polk-Dement Stadium in front of 10,284 fans, giving them a match-up with North Carolina the next day. The Bulldogs scored four runs in the first inning and five in the fifth as Maholm picked up his ninth win.
“Whenever you go out there with a four-run lead, it’s huge, and you just try to go out there and throw strikes,” Maholm said. “In the seventh inning they put up some runs. Thankfully we had enough run support to fend that off.”
MSU vs. UNC (May 31)
State’s one-run deficit quickly turned to five with Greg Mangum’s grand slam in the fourth, and the Tarheels took a 10-5 decision over MSU. Brett Cleveland turned in four solid innings pitching for the Bulldogs, allowing Polk to save much of his bullpen.
MSU vs. Missouri (May 31)
MSU kept its season alive with a 10-5 win over Missouri in an elimination game. Gant lasted a career-best six and one-third innings in relief to pick up his sixth win versus one loss. Three Bulldogs had three hits each, and Gendron led the offense by going four-for-four.
MSU vs. UNC (June 1)
Papelbon failed to convert a save opportunity for the third straight time, and North Carolina came back from a 6-2 deficit to end State’s season in an 11-inning game. Going into the day, the Bulldogs knew they would have to beat the Tarheels twice to advance to the Super Regional.
UNC trailed by three entering the top of the ninth, but Sean Farrell’s two-run homer with two outs and two strikes tied the game. Centerfielder Joseph Hunter robbed a go-ahead homerun from the following batter, Sammy Hewitt, by timing a leaping catch to perfection.
Down 8-6 in the bottom of the 11th, Berkery singled and Hunter got hit by a pitch to put men on first and second with no outs. Matthew Maniscalco, starting in his 246th consecutive game as Bulldog shortstop, bunted both runners over to scoring position. MSU had two chances for a game-tying base hit, but Gendron flied out to shallow left, and Matthew Brinson grounded out to wrap things up.