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What we learned of Mississippi State baseball, Hunter Hines in Astros Foundation College Classic

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What we learned of Mississippi State baseball, Hunter Hines in Astros Foundation College Classic


Mississippi State baseball came away with only one win this weekend in the Astros Foundation College Classic. 

The No. 16 Bulldogs (7-4) crushed Rice on Friday in a run-rule win but lost to Arizona on Saturday and No. 25 Oklahoma State on Sunday. The two losses came by a combined three runs.

Here’s what we learned about Mississippi State.

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Mississippi State is losing to its best opponents

Mississippi State has seven wins this season, but they’ve all been against its easiest opponents. MSU swept series vs. Manhattan and Missouri State and got its seventh win against Rice. All three of those teams are below .500 and have a combined record of 10-20. 

All four of the Bulldogs’ losses are to teams above .500: Southern Miss, Troy, Arizona and Oklahoma State.

MSU has another tough challenge this week hosting No. 23 Southern Miss (9-3) on Tuesday (4 p.m., SEC Network+). The Golden Eagles won two of three games this weekend at No. 22 TCU.

Hunter Hines benched by Mississippi State

Senior first baseman Hunter Hines played in the first two games of the weekend. He’s started in 180 of 183 games in his Mississippi State career.

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Hines has been a plus defender this season but has struggled at the plate. It bottomed out Tuesday, when he left nine runners on base in the loss to Troy.

North Alabama transfer Gehrig Frei started at first base against Rice and Campbell transfer Reed Stallman started versus Arizona. 

Hines, who’s fourth in program history with 56 home runs, returned to the lineup Sunday but went 0-for-4. He’s now batting .200 with two home runs and six RBIs.

Does Mississippi State need to adjust its starting pitching rotation?

Pico Kohn had another strong start against Rice, allowing three runs in 6⅓ innings. There’s no need to alter what he’s brought this season. 

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However, Karson Ligon and Stone Simmons both struggled in their starts this weekend. Ligon lasted only two innings, allowing five runs, one of them unearned, to Arizona. His ERA is now 7.36. Simmons was roughed up for six runs in 2⅔ innings by Oklahoma State, though three of them were unearned. 

If Mississippi State were to change its weekend rotation, Indiana State transfer Jacob Pruitt could be an option. Pruitt did not have a good debut, allowing three runs in one relief inning against Manhattan. But he started Tuesday against Troy in his next appearance and threw four brilliant innings with nine strikeouts and no walks. The Trojans’ only hit was a solo home run.

Ace Reese beginning to break out

A return to where Ace Reese starred as a freshman last season may have been just what he needed. 

The starting third baseman had a slow start to the season at the plate, but played his best series this weekend. Across the three games, Reese batted 6-for-12 with three home runs, six RBIs, four runs and one walk.

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Reese was on the All-Big 12 Freshman Team last season at Houston, the same city where the showcase was played. 

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.



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Mississippi

Mississippi College Baseball Wins Series vs. West Florida for First Time

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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

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George County High School senior killed in Highway 26 crash, MHP says

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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.

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The crash remains under investigation by the MHP.

See a spelling or grammar error in this story? Report it to our team HERE.

Copyright 2026 WLOX. All rights reserved.



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Mississippi State Drops Series Opener at Texas A&M Despite Late Chances

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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.

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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.

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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.

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If there was a bright spot, it came from the bullpen. Delainey Everett gave Mississippi State exactly what it needed after the rocky start.

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“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.

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They get another shot this morning with the schedule bumped up for weather. The formula isn’t complicated.

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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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