Five numbers that explain why Mississippi State baseball missed NCAA tournament – The Dispatch

A uncommon NCAA match with out the Mississippi State baseball staff is about to start Friday.

The Bulldogs (26-30, 9-21 Southeastern Convention) missed out on postseason play for the primary time since 2015, failing to make — and even get all that shut — to an NCAA regional.

MSU’s struggles started firstly of the 2022 marketing campaign because the Bulldogs tried to defend their 2021 School World Sequence title. Accidents, an absence of pitching depth and a dearth of clutch hitting ultimately took their toll.

Mississippi State was swept in its closing three SEC collection, posting its worst convention report since an 8-22 mark in 2015. The Bulldogs missed the match for simply the second time since 2011.

Listed here are 5 numbers that present why MSU is sitting at dwelling as regional play begins.

6.07: Workforce earned run common

Mississippi State’s pitching struggled significantly in 2022, posting a 6.07 ERA as a unit.

That mark ranked one hundred and ninetieth nationally amongst 293 Division I groups and lifeless final within the SEC. Within the convention, Georgia’s 5.73 ERA was second-to-last.

A 27-run blow-up towards No. 1 general seed Tennessee on Might 20 skewed the Bulldogs’ numbers, however their pitching was nonetheless poor for a lot of the 12 months.

Lengthy Seashore State scored 13 runs at Dudy Noble Area within the opening collection. Georgia scored 11 and 12 within the first two SEC video games. Missouri averaged 10 runs per sport in a collection win over the Bulldogs in Columbia.

Two pitchers who wound up as starters completed the 12 months with ERAs over 5. Preston Johnson had a 5.47 mark, and Brandon Smith ended up with a 5.88 ERA. Cade Smith completed the season at 3.86.

The Bulldogs’ bullpen was even worse. Parker Stinnett, KC Hunt and Jackson Fristoe all posted ERAs over 6; 4 different MSU relievers mixed for a ten.27 ERA in 75 1/3 innings.

8: Wins towards NCAA match groups

In 2022, the Bulldogs posted simply an 8-21 report towards groups that certified for the sphere of 64.

Mississippi State performed rather less than half its schedule towards match groups, together with eight of 10 SEC opponents. 4 of these eight — LSU, Florida, A&M and Tennessee — swept the Bulldogs.

State received only one season collection towards a postseason-bound membership, taking two out of three from Auburn in April at Dudy Noble Area. The Bulldogs received a street collection at Ole Miss the next weekend however misplaced the following Governor’s Cup sport in Pearl for a season cut up with the Rebels.

The Bulldogs went a mixed 6-19 towards tournament-bound SEC groups.

In nonconference play, Mississippi State confronted three groups that made an NCAA regional. MSU misplaced to Southern Miss in Pearl, cut up two video games with Texas Tech in Biloxi and beat Binghamton handily at dwelling.

Total, the Bulldogs’ poor report towards high groups is a key purpose why MSU missed out.

9: Losses in one-run video games

Mississippi State went 7-9 in one-run video games in 2022, a statistic which by itself appears pretty respectable.

However in contrast with the Bulldogs’ penchant for profitable shut contests in 2021, it’s simple to see the place MSU got here up quick.

The primary nationwide title-winning staff at school historical past went a exceptional 12-3 in one-run video games, together with three such victories in School World Sequence bracket play.

The 2022 Bulldogs, although, couldn’t maintain that success.

Mississippi State struggled in shut video games from the beginning, shedding twice by one run at Tulane and by the identical margin at Georgia. MSU misplaced one-run video games to Auburn, LSU and Missouri.

Moreover, a number of video games — together with contests towards Florida and at Texas A&M — have been shut for seven or eight innings however ended up being determined by a number of runs.

These video games have been simply extra proof of the Bulldogs’ lack of ability to complete, and it value them in 2022.

20: Innings pitched by Landon Sims and Stone Simmons

MSU’s pitching employees was hampered by harm all season.

And no losses have been greater than that of ace starter Landon Sims and lockdown reliever Stone Simmons.

Sims tore his ulnar collateral ligament March 4 at Tulane; Simmons did the identical the next day. The 2 barely bought began on their 2022 season earlier than it got here to a untimely finish.

Sims made simply three begins as he seemed to construct on a dynamic 2021 season because the Bulldogs’ nearer. He took a hard-luck loss after 13 strikeouts over seven innings within the season opener towards Lengthy Seashore State and allowed 4 runs — only one earned — the next week in a loss to Northern Kentucky.

He was dealing in New Orleans earlier than injuring his UCL on a pitch within the fourth inning. Sims struck out 10 Inexperienced Wave hitters in 3 2/3 excellent innings earlier than departing. He underwent Tommy John surgical procedure in mid-March.

Simmons suffered his harm on the ultimate pitch of a scoreless eighth inning the next day as MSU blew a 10-2 lead en path to a painful 11-10 loss. The one-time Furman pitcher didn’t enable a run in any of his 4 1/3 innings, pitching behind Sims in every of his first two appearances earlier than being injured in his third.

Sims’ and Simmons’ accidents weren’t the one ones to chew the Bulldogs. KC Hunt missed greater than a month after being damage in his first begin, and freshman Brooks Auger was injured in April and in addition underwent Tommy John.

110: Ultimate RPI 

Mississippi State wound up at a paltry No. 110 in WarrenNolan.com’s closing Score Share Index, an indication of how far the Bulldogs completed from the match area.

Grand Canyon, for instance, was a shock choose for an at-large bid with an RPI of No. 50. Ole Miss’ RPI ranked thirty ninth, and the Rebels have been additionally a little bit of a shock when their presence within the area was introduced.

However the late-season skid along with just a few different components despatched the Bulldogs sliding down the rankings.

MSU’s nonconference energy of schedule ranked 273rd nationally. Opponents comparable to Grambling State (No. 276), Jackson State (No. 277), Princeton (No. 286), North Alabama (No. 288) and Arkansas–Pine Bluff (No. 299) introduced that quantity down.

So did Mississippi State’s Feb. 25 loss to Northern Kentucky, which completed the 12 months 19-35 and No. 249 in RPI.

Solely 10 Energy 5 groups completed decrease in RPI than the Bulldogs, virtually all within the Massive Ten.

Theo DeRosa reviews on Mississippi State sports activities for The Dispatch. Observe him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.