STARKVILLE — With six games remaining in the regular season, the goals have shifted for the Mississippi State baseball team.
At 24-24 (8-16 Southeastern Conference), MSU is No. 100 in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), meaning an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament is a long shot. MSU’s players have embraced a potential spot in the SEC tournament as a way to cling to postseason hopes.
“It looks like if we want to make any noise, we have to do it with a run in the SEC tournament,” MSU relief pitcher Trevor Fitts said Thursday. “That’s fine. We just have to take care of business these last few weeks and make sure we get a spot in Hoover so we can make a run. I still believe in this team, and I think we are capable of that.”
An 8-7, 12-inning win against No. 1 LSU on Saturday moved MSU into a tie with Alabama (23-24, 8-16) for the No. 11 spot in the conference. The Crimson Tide took two of three games from the Bulldogs on March 14-15 in the opening SEC series of the season and holds the tiebreaker if the teams are tied. The top 12 teams in the league qualify for the SEC tournament, which begins Tuesday, May 19, in Hoover, Alabama. Georgia (7-16) and Tennessee (7-17) would miss the tournament if the standings hold through the end of the season.
MSU will face Ole Miss (25-24, 11-13) this weekend and Tennessee (18-24) on May 14-16 in Knoxville, Tennessee, to close the regular season.
Asked about his team’s final two weeks, MSU coach John Cohen focused on seeing improvement from the Bulldogs, who came within a slip by pinch runner Matt Spruill from taking two of three games from LSU.
“There’s plenty of baseball left,” Cohen said. “We have seen glimpses of being good, but this league chews up glimpses and spits them out. We have to find players who have the makeup to compete in this league every single game. That’s what we have to find over the last few weeks.”
Collins coming along
After missing the first month of the season recovering from offseason wrist surgery, catcher Gavin Collins continues to progress.
Collins, who’s batting .204, slugged his second home run of the year Saturday.
“Gavin is getting there,” Cohen said. “He’s still hurt, I think he’d tell you that. His wrist is a day-to-day thing, but he’s fighting through it. When you see him get hold of one like that, it shows he might be right there and he might be ready for a breakout, which would be huge.”
Reynolds on fire
Ten days ago, Luke Reynolds was batting .143 and was buried deep on the bench. These days, he’s one of the hottest hitters in the SEC. After a 4-for-4 showing against Arkansas on April 26, Reynolds hasn’t let up. The Forest native is 13-for-19 in his last five games, and he has raised his average to .296.
“The coaches keep giving me opportunities and I’m seeing it well,” Reynolds said. “I’m just trying to take advantage of my opportunity and trying to help this team win baseball games.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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