Mississippi
Mississippi State baseball isn’t elite team and what else we learned in LSU series sweep
Mississippi State baseball has lost a third straight SEC series to begin the 2025 season.
The Bulldogs (16-12, 1-8 SEC) were swept at No. 6 LSU (26-3, 7-2) this weekend. They lost 8-6 on Thursday, 2-1 on Friday and 17-8 on Saturday. It is tied for the worst start to SEC play in coach Chris Lemonis’ seven seasons.
Here’s what we learned about MSU from the series.
Mississippi State baseball is not an elite SEC team
The Bulldogs have had three tests against top SEC teams and failed all of them. They were swept at home by No. 7 Texas, lost two of three games at No. 9 Oklahoma and now were swept again.
The expectation is for Mississippi State to compete at that level, but it hasn’t since the 2021 national championship. The Bulldogs are 1-11 in Quad 1 games this season with only three wins against opponents with a .500 or better record as of Sunday.
The schedule lightens up next weekend with unranked South Carolina (17-11, 1-7) visiting Dudy Noble Field. That will be a test of how low Mississippi State is in the SEC.
Pico Kohn can’t solve all of Mississippi State’s problems
Pico Kohn has been the bright spot for Mississippi State. He gives MSU a chance to win each game he pitches, but isn’t getting enough help.
The reigning SEC Pitcher of the Week was sharp again on Friday, pitching five innings with two earned runs, eight strikeouts, five hits and no walks. His 2.66 ERA ranks sixth in the SEC among qualifying pitchers, and he’s tied for the conference lead with 40.2 innings pitched.
Mississippi State is 12th in the SEC in runs scored, ninth in runs allowed and 14th in fielding percentage. Mississippi State doesn’t have a solid second starting pitcher.
On Thursday, MSU’s bullpen blew a 6-2 lead. MSU struck out 18 times in Friday’s game. On Saturday, starting pitcher Karson Ligon couldn’t make it out of the first inning as the Bulldogs fell behind 8-0.
Mississippi State is 4-10 in games decided by three runs or less.
Hunter Hines has improved since benching
Starting first baseman Hunter Hines was benched for two games of the Astros Foundation College Classic one month ago because of his cold bat. Since then, he’s been significantly better.
He’s on a team-best seven-game hitting streak. Hines batted 4-for-8 with five walks, two home runs, two RBIs and four runs against LSU. He’s now one home run away from tying Will Clark for the second most career home runs in program history.
Hines’ batting average has risen from .211 on March 2 to .306 after Saturday.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
Mississippi
Mississippi College Baseball Wins Series vs. West Florida for First Time
Mississippi College baseball has won the series against West Florida for the first time ever
The Choctaws have been playing UWF since 2015
MC won the first two games and put on a bit of a comeback in game 3
Next: GSC at Delta St., then Conference Tournament
Mississippi
George County High School senior killed in Highway 26 crash, MHP says
GEORGE COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) — A George County High School senior is dead after an SUV hit him while bicycling on Highway 26 Friday night.
Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) officials said at 8:15 p.m. the MHP responded to a fatal crash on Highway 26 in George County.
Those officials said a Ford SUV traveling west on Highway 26 collided with 18-year-old Tyree Bradley of McLain, Mississippi, who was bicycling.
Bradley was fatally injured and died at the scene, MHP officials said.
The crash remains under investigation by the MHP.
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Mississippi
Mississippi State Drops Series Opener at Texas A&M Despite Late Chances
Some losses feel like they drag on longer than the box score suggests, and Mississippi State’s 3-1 opener at Texas A&M fits that category.
It wasn’t a blowout. It wasn’t a game where the Bulldogs looked outmatched.
It was just one of those nights where the early mistakes stuck around and the offense never quite found the swing that could shake them loose.
The frustrating part is how quickly the hole formed. Two solo homers and a wild pitch in the first two innings put Mississippi State behind 3-0, and that was basically the ballgame.
Against a top tier SEC team on the road, spotting three runs that early is a tough ask. The Bulldogs didn’t fold, but they also didn’t cash in when the door cracked open.
“I liked our fight. I think we’re really just working through some things offensively, and trying to stay together,” Mississippi State coach Samantha Ricketts said. “This team still believes, and we’re going to battle and fight every chance we get, and I think I saw a lot of that. I’m encouraged for what that means for us moving forward, but, you know, they’re a good hitting team, and we’ve got to be able to shut them down early. I don’t think Peja [Goold] had her best stuff, but she continued to battle out there and find ways to get outs.”
They had chances. Two runners stranded in the fifth. Two more in the sixth. Another in the seventh. Des Rivera finally got the Bulldogs on the board with an RBI single, but the big hit that usually shows up for this lineup never arrived.
It wasn’t a lack of traffic. It was a lack of finish.
If there was a bright spot, it came from the bullpen. Delainey Everett gave Mississippi State exactly what it needed after the rocky start.
“That was just a huge relief appearance by Delaney to keep us in it,” Ricketts said. “It’s really good to have her back and healthy these last few weeks because these are the moments where we really need her and rely on her. We know that she’s going to be a big part of the remainder of the season going forward as well.”
Three hitless innings, one baserunner, and a reminder that she’s quietly putting together a strong stretch.
There were individual positives too. Nadia Barbary keeps climbing the doubles list. Kiarra Sells keeps finding ways on base.
But the bigger picture is simple. Mississippi State is now 6-10 in the SEC, and the margin for error is shrinking. Nights like this one are the difference between climbing back into the race and staying stuck in the middle.
They get another shot this morning with the schedule bumped up for weather. The formula isn’t complicated.
Clean up the early innings, keep getting quality relief, and find one or two timely swings. The Bulldogs didn’t get them Friday. They’ll need them today.
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