STARKVILLE — Southeastern Conference play was a struggle for the Mississippi State baseball team last season.
The Bulldogs won one series (South Carolina) and finished last in the conference, missing the league tournament in Hoover, Alabama, and missing the NCAA postseason. But MSU has been a different team in the first two SEC series this season.
After taking two out of three at Vanderbilt last weekend, MSU took two out of three from Georgia this weekend. With a 9-2 win Thursday and a 3-1 win Friday, No. 10 MSU clinched the series and looked for the sweep, but Georgia won 11-8 Saturday to salvage a game.
“It’s always big, but every game matters,” MSU coach John Cohen said. “All these three SEC games matter, every pitch matters. You just treat each one of them independently and I think our kids are doing a great job of that. I think they understand that every single pitch matters and every single game matters.”
This is the second time in Cohen’s eight seasons that MSU has won the first two SEC series (2014).
MSU finished 8-22 in the league last season and were swept three times (Florida, Ole Miss and Tennessee).
MSU (17-7-1, 4-2 SEC) used a two-run seventh inning Friday to win. Georgia (15-10, 2-4) starter Robert Tyler had a no-hitter, but was lifted in the seventh and MSU tied the game at 1 on an error and Nathaniel Lowe drove home the winning run with a single to right field.
Lowe, who played at St. Johns River (Florida) State College last year, wasn’t around to experience the struggles, but he has heard about them.
“A lot of guys say that we’re going to win as many games as they won last year in our first three weekends,” Lowe said. “It’s a big momentum boost and I’m glad I could be a part of it.”
Ryan Rigby (2-0) allowed one hit in three innings of relief to pick up the win. He struck out two.
Saturday, MSU led 2-1 in the third and 4-2 in the fourth, but Georgia scored a run in the sixth and three runs in both the eighth and ninth to push the lead to 11-5. MSU tried to mount a comeback with three runs in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough.
Junior center fielder Jacob Robson, who had four hits and two RBIs in the loss, said it was disappointing to not get the sweep.
“Winning a series in the SEC is a big deal regardless of the opponent,” Robson said. “We did a really good job Thursday and Friday, things just didn’t go our way (Saturday).”
MSU has lost both series finales and have really struggled. Junior left-handed pitcher Daniel Brown started against Vanderbilt, but freshman right-hander Keegan James got the start this time. Cohen said James’ ability to throw strikes was the reason, but he walked three in 1 2/3 innigns and MSU walked 10 as a staff.
Brown (2-2) pitched 3 2/3 innings in relief, allowing four runs on two hits to take the loss. He walked five and struck out five.
“We’ll find those guys that really want to compete and be in that moment and want to shove the ball in the strike zone with conviction,” Cohen said.
MSU is averaging 5.5 runs in SEC games with a .266 batting average. That’s largely due to a veteran, consistent lineup. Saturday, Cohen put six juniors and one senior in the lineup.
“They’ve been great,” Cohen said. “You look at a lineup and you see that many are juniors. When you have that kind of experience in your lineup I think there is a confidence, I think there’s a swagger and I think a leadership component is very important to your ball club.”
MSU travels to Pearl 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to take on in-state foe Southern Mississippi in Trustmark Park. MSU returns home for a three-game series with in-state rival Ole Miss Friday, Saturday and Sunday. MSU blew a five-run lead in the ninth in last season’s finale and Ole Miss won 8-7 in 10 innings.
Cohen said he has not focused on last season much and his concentrating on this year and recruiting. But the players have thought about how last season ended, and as senior second baseman John Holland put it, “It takes the pressure off,” winning the first two series.
“We’re already better than last year,” Holland said. “I think the first two SEC series is nice, especially against a No. 2-ranked Vandy. The confidence is there and it’s just fueling our fire.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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