Image credit:
Hunter Hines (Danny Parker/Four Seam Images)

Mississippi and Mississippi State, the 2022 and 2021 national champions, are both trying to dig out from dismal seasons a year ago. The Bulldogs and Rebels finished 13th and 14th, respectively, in the SEC in 2023, missing not just the NCAA Tournament but also the SEC Tournament. The disappointment was especially acute for Mississippi State, which also missed the postseason entirely in 2022.

Both teams this spring started slowly: Ole Miss was 2-4, Mississippi State was 3-4. But both the Rebels and Bulldogs righted themselves and came into the start of SEC play with identical 13-5 records. With the conference season beginning this weekend and both teams hosting high-level opponents – No. 12 South Carolina for Ole Miss and No. 2 LSU for Mississippi State – it was time to find out the Rebels and Bulldogs had truly turned a corner or if their records were more a product of soft schedules.

On Friday night, both Ole Miss and Mississippi State passed their tests. The Rebels edged past the Gamecocks, 5-4, thanks to a two-run double from shortstop Luke Hill and a strong night on the mound. The Bulldogs knocked off the Tigers, 10-4, thanks to the best offensive performance any team has had this season against LSU.

Mississippi State can especially feel good after Friday’s victory. The Bulldogs beat LSU righthander Luke Holman, who came into the day having not allowed a run in 24 innings to start the season, the best mark in the country. They scored five runs (two earned) on 10 hits, including a Hunter Hines home run, against the junior.

Mississippi State kept up the pressure against the LSU (16-3) bullpen. It got a run against righthander Gavin Guidry and four more against lefthander Justin Loer. It finished the game with 16 hits, the most the Tigers have surrendered in a game this season.

Hines led the way, going 2-for-5 with two home runs. Center fielder Connor Hujsak added three hits and seven starters collected multiple hits.

Ole Miss, meanwhile, found itself in a more traditional, low-scoring Friday night game. Lefthander Gunnar Dennis threw five solid innings, holding the Gamecocks (14-4) to three runs, and kept the Rebels in the game.

Hill provided the big hit, as his two-run double in the sixth inning was the only one of Ole Miss’ nine hits that went for extra bases. But the Rebels did a good job of putting pressure on the Gamecocks, as they drew seven walks against just three strikeouts and stole three bases. With the South Carolina offense still not hitting on all cylinders – its top four hitters combined to go 0-for-16 with seven strikeouts and one walk – it was enough on Friday.

One impressive Friday night is not going to carry Ole Miss and Mississippi State back to contention in the SEC or the top of the sport. But it’s a start and a strong one at that.

For good measure, the good times in the Magnolia State carried over to Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles (12-6) opened Sun Belt play with an 8-4 victory against Marshall (6-11).

Ace Watch

Friday night is for the aces. Here we highlight some of the best pitching performances of the day.

Colin Atkinson, RHP, Sam Houston State: Atkinson threw an eight-inning shutout in Sam Houston’s 10-0, run-rule shortened victory at New Mexico State. He struck out nine batters, walked three and held the Aggies to two hits. Atkinson is 3-1, 1.76 with 30 strikeouts and nine walks in 30.2 innings. He now has 203 career strikeouts, ninth most in program history.

Jake Brink, RHP, Charleston: Brink threw eight scoreless innings to lead Charleston to a 4-0 victory against Wofford. The sophomore retired the final 14 batters he faced and finished the game with four strike outs, working around three hits and two walks. Brink improved to 3-0, 2.03 with 21 strikeouts and 13 walks in 31 innings.

Nick Pinto, LHP, UC Irvine: Pinto threw eight scoreless innings and No. 19 UCI defeated UC Davis, 1-0. He struck out seven batters and scattered three hits and two walks. Pinto is 3-1, 2.08 with 30 strikeouts and nine walks in 30.1 innings.

Kyle Robinson, RHP, Texas Tech: After a tough start last week against Texas, Robinson bounced back with seven scoreless innings to help No. 24 Texas Tech to a 2-0 victory at Baylor. He struck out eight batters and scattered three hits and two walks. Robinson is 3-2, 5.76 with 31 strikeouts and 13 walks in 25 innings this season.

Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas: Smith was dominant again for No. 1 Arkansas, throwing six scoreless innings in an 8-0 victory against Missouri. He struck out 10 batters, walked one and held the Tigers to two hits. He extended his scoreless innings streak to 15. Smith this season is 3-0, 1.57 with 50 strikeouts and eight walks in 23 innings.

Gage Ziehl, RHP, Miami: Ziehl helped Miami to a 14-1 upset against No. 14 North Carolina, as he threw a seven-inning complete game in the run-rule shortened game. He struck out six and held the Tar Heels to one run on five hits and two walks. Ziehl is 1-1, 5.04 with 29 strikeouts and 10 walks in 30.1 innings.

Around The Horn

• No. 3 Duke defeated No. 9 Clemson, 5-2, to open a top-10 showdown in Durham. The Blue Devils (15-3, 3-1) got a bounce-back start from ace Jonathan Santucci, who last week got knocked out in the third inning against Wake Forest but on Friday held the Tigers to two runs (one earned) in five innings and struck out 11. Clemson loaded the bases in the ninth inning but closer Charlie Beilenson (2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K) wriggled out of the jam to earn his eighth save of the season. It’s early, but Beilenson is on pace to break the Division I single-season saves record of 24, set in 2013 by UCLA’s David Berg.
• No. 10 Florida defeated No. 5 Texas A&M, 8-6, to open SEC play and hand the Aggies (17-1) their first loss of the season. The Gators (11-6) hit five home runs, including two from Jac Caglianone, and all-SEC closer Brandon Neely had a get-right game, throwing three scoreless innings for his first save of the season.
• No. 21 Florida State defeated Notre Dame, 8-4, to open ACC play and improve to 16-0 on the season. The win, combined with Texas A&M’s loss at Florida, leaves the Seminoles as the last undefeated team in the nation. Third baseman Cam Smith led the way for Florida State, going 3-for-3 with a double and a home run. He is now hitting .507/.573/.789 with five home runs.
• Oklahoma went on the road to defeat No. 11 TCU, 7-3. The Sooners (11-6, 4-0) fell behind early and trailed, 3-2, after six innings. But between the five scoreless innings they got out of the bullpen from righthander Kyson Witherspoon (5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K) and a four-run seventh inning, they were able to mount a comeback. As big of a win as it was for Oklahoma, the loss for TCU (15-3, 1-3) is at least as significant. The Horned Frogs were the runaway preseason Big 12 favorites and now have lost three of their first four conference games after last weekend dropping a series at Kansas.
• This weekend provides a showdown of the Volunteer State against the Yellowhammer State, as No. 17 Auburn travels to No. 8 Vanderbilt and No. 6 Tennessee visits No. 18 Alabama. On Friday night, the Tennessee schools got the better of the Alabama schools. Vanderbilt routed Auburn, 11-1, and Tennessee rolled to an 11-3 victory at Alabama. Tennessee’s A.J. Causey (6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K) and Vanderbilt’s Carter Holton (7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 K) both delivered quality starts.
• No. 15 Virginia used two big innings to beat No. 7 Wake Forest, 16-10. The Cavaliers scored seven runs in the second inning and eight runs in the sixth inning, showing just how deep and powerful their lineup is as they collected 14 hits and seven walks. The most important development of the game, however, was Virginia righthander Jack O’Connor, who threw three scoreless innings to finish the game. The Cavaliers need someone to step up in the bullpen and O’Connor, who started the year in the rotation, could be that emergent reliever.