STARKVILLE — Luke Alexander craned his neck toward the overcast sky and watched as what will almost certainly be the biggest moment of his Mississippi State baseball career soar away. Even he didn’t think it would come in this fashion.
Alexander doesn’t see himself as a hitter. It may be the tool he worked the most to hone over his summers, but he has come to embrace his reputation as a defensive player, an ace shortstop that does what he can with his routine trips to the plate.
Sunday had the makings of a day where he would do little. Five trips produced no hits and little excitement more than a sacrifice bunt attempt turning into an error. His final plate appearance may never be forgotten.
With his two-run walk-off home run to left field, Alexander sent 6,059 fans at Dudy Noble Field and his teammates into a frenzy with a 7-5 win in 11 innings and a series win over No. 3 Ole Miss (27-6, 7-5 Southeastern Conference). For a fleeting moment, Alexander the hitter is as revered by a legion of fans as Alexander the young man is revered by his clubhouse.
“He’s been a great teammate, a great freshman roommate, played with him all my life. He plays his butt off and it’s a lot of fun to be his teammate,” junior center fielder Jake Mangum said — the one who scored the game-winning run from first on Alexander’s bomb.
MSU has beaten Ole Miss in three straight season series. The Bulldogs won their first conference series this season.
The season to date had little to offer from Alexander from the plate. During the game his batting average dipped down to .224. He’s had his flashes, such as hitting .333 in the first SEC series of the season and a five-game hit streak in MSU’s run of wins in early March, but recent times served as the regression. Before Sunday, Alexander had three hits in his last 25 at-bats.
With one swing, the junior from Belmont changed the feel of a season.
“That’s something he gets to carry for the rest of his life,” MSU interim coach Gary Henderson said. “A Mississippi kid playing for Mississippi State against Ole Miss, the Sunday swing game and he runs a ball out of the yard in the 11th, not everybody gets an opportunity like that in life, to have a moment like that.
“You feel good about him, the confidence moving forward and knowing that you can show up in a big moment when it matters like that. He gets to take that with him and it’s something to have in the reservoir when you look at why you should be confident, he can look at that.”
Swings like that are why, through his struggles, Mangum still looked to Alexander as, “a catalyst for us, and we need him.” That confidence paid off, as Alexander delivered what he acknowledged was the biggest hit of his career when MSU (17-16, 4-8 SEC) needed it most.
As the record indicates, MSU had little time left to find itself. It was occupying the cellar of the SEC standings before hosting one of the nation’s highest ranked teams. For a few moments, all of that was forgotten; the amnesia may last the rest of the season.
“Coach Henderson was talking about how at this point in the year how teams can start winning ball games and turn their whole season around,” Alexander said. “That’s a good way to end that game and keep rolling with it.”
That hope points to a future which remains uncertain. One thing that’s known for sure: this was a day and a moment Mangum will never forget.
While teammates were jostling for position in a semicircle around home plate to greet Alexander the hero, Mangum had his back to them all, walking off as he let out a primal yell of celebration. He later shared a powerful embrace with Blake Smith, the senior reliever who is playing his final season at MSU, a reality Mangum is likely facing as well. As the team huddled one last time in front of the dugout before taking the party to the outfield wall, Mangum was detached, running his hand over his face to reveal a face overcome with relief.
Mangum may be the son of former Alabama football player, John, but his career has proven his dedication to MSU comes with no reservations. If he chooses to end his time at his beloved school this summer, he can leave with a series win over the in-state rival — all thanks to the bat of a friend, a former roommate and fellow Mississippi native looking to do the same.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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