STARKVILLE — Without much tangible evidence to support his claim, Mississippi State University baseball coach John Cohen is convinced this is the time his club will shine.
Coming off getting swept for the first time this season at South Carolina, MSU (21-15, 5-10 in Southeastern Conference), is facing what is arguably its most important stretch of the 2012 season when momentum will need to built as the second half of league play begins.
“We are so darn close right now,” Cohen said. “We are. I know that sounds crazy but we are going to make a run.”
MSU has only two hitters hitting over .300, are 2-9 away from Dudy Noble Field and can’t figure out who is taking the baseball for the series finale game.
Cohen believes his team can go 9-6 in the final 15 SEC contests, which consists of series versus University of Tennessee, University of Mississippi, University of Florida, University of Alabama and University of Kentucky. Cohen believes such a finish can get the Bulldogs into NCAA Regional consideration before the conference tournament begins in Hoover, Ala.
“We have a great opportunity to finally start playing the way we’re capable of,” Cohen said. “I’ve already spent more time talking to trainers and doctors than I ever have in my coaching career.”
Tonight’s matchup with Ole Miss in the annual Governor’s Cup game in Pearl at the home of the Double-A Mississippi Braves, represents the start of the opportunity Cohen is talking about.
The Rebels (24-12, 7-8) are ranked 20th in the latest Ratings Percentage Index giving MSU a chance at its fifth victory versus an RPI Top 50 school.
“Our kids have an appreciation for beating Ole Miss in everything especially our sport so they’ll do everything they can in this game,” Cohen said.
MSU right-handed freshman Brandon Woodruff has still yet to allow a single hit as a collegiate starting pitcher. Woodruff (0-0, 2.70) was pulled from the 2-0 victory over South Alabama University last week while still throwing a no-hitter through six completed innings.
“We want to take care of his arm and to tell you how stupid I am is that I didn’t even know the situation in the game right there,” Cohen jokingly said. “I know we did the right thing there. He is such a mature young man he absolutely knows how his body works and he understood that he didn’t have anything left.”
Woodruff, who was a fifth round selection by the Texas Rangers in the 2011 Major League Baseball draft, allowed just one walk and struck out eight USA batters in just 67 pitches. The prize high school product in the Magnolia state last year said he’d never been taken out of a game with a no-hitter still intact but did confirm he asked out after the sixth inning.
“I was expecting to go just three or four innings tonight and stretched it out tonight a little bit,” said Woodruff.
Tonight he’ll have the opportunity to record his first collegiate start against the hated in-state rival and quickly make a name for himself in his first season in Starkville.
“He has earned this opportunity and could be a factor for us on Sunday if things go well for him (tonight) in an extremely important game for us,” Cohen said.
Woodruff will face freshman right-hander Sam Smith as he will be making his seventh start of the season and 10th appearance of the year. Smith has posted a 2-2 record with 23 strikeouts and only five walks allowed in his 30 innings this season. Smith, who was selected to play in state of Selected to play in the Louisiana All-Star game last year, is coming off a win over Central Arkansas last week that saw him pitch 5.0 innings and allow one unearned run on two hits a walk and two strikeouts.
For Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco, it’s not a concern who finishes games but who closes them out as the Rebels have lost four games when leading after seven innings of play.
“We’ve been in position to win several conference games at the end and as I said there’s enough blame to go around,” Bianco said. “It’s not one particular guy. We got to figure it out. We got to figure out how to close the game out in a close game. We’ve done it, we’ve had some close game wins.”
MSU is the designated home team for this year’s game, set for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch and a live telecast by Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS).
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