STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State baseball team will miss the postseason for the first time since 2015.
A disappointing season for the defending College World Series champions ended Saturday as No. 1 Tennessee handed the Bulldogs a 10-5 defeat in front of 10,774 at Dudy Noble Field, a loss that wrapped up a third consecutive series sweep for an MSU team that closed the season losing 12 of its last 13 games.
The loss also guaranteed that the Bulldogs would miss the Southeastern Conference tournament this week in Hoover, Alabama.
“I’m just really disappointed,” Bulldogs coach Chris Lemonis said. “It’s been a crazy year. We’ve underperformed.”
Injuries to Landon Sims and Stone Simmons early in the season, and to Brooks Auger later on, dealt heavy blows to the Bulldogs’ pitching this year. Up and down performances from the bullpen exacerbated their defensive inconsistencies, and their poor form worsened down the stretch.
They were swept four times in SEC series.
It was perhaps fitting then that the team that finished the job against the defending champs was the team that many expect to take the crown for themselves in Omaha this Summer.
“That team has got a chance to win,” Lemonis said Friday night after the Game 2 loss. “They’re the odds-on favorite, I can tell you that. We haven’t played anybody like that since I’ve been here.”
The Vols asserted their offensive prowess throughout Game 3, scoring at least one run in each of innings two through six to build their lead, and they used their bullpen well to maintain it as well as kill momentum whenever the Bulldogs got runners on.
The Bulldogs also suffered a blow early in the game, as Brad Cumbest collided with Lane Forsythe while going for a pop-up during the top of the second inning. Cumbest was able to walk off without much help, but the senior had to leave his final game early. Jess Davis replaced him in the outfield.
The Bulldogs had plenty of offensive opportunities to get back in the game, particularly in the fourth inning as they loaded the bases twice, but they struggled despite outhitting the Volunteers 11-9.
Kellum Clark and RJ Yeager each hit solo home runs for the Bulldogs, while Luke Hancock, Kamren James and Kellum Clark each drove in a run. Clark went 3 for 4 and scored twice, while James and Yeager each had two hits.
Tennessee finished the regular season 49-7, 25-5 in the SEC, and will be the top seed in the SEC tournament. The Bulldogs finish last in the 14-team SEC at 9-21 with an overall record of 26-30.
Friday
No. 1 Tennessee 4, Mississippi State 3: The Bulldogs bounced back with a tough performance following a 27-2 drubbing on Thursday night before, but in the end it wasn’t enough as again the Bulldogs could not finish out a close game.
Bulldogs coach Chris Lemonis didn’t hesitate to give credit for the effort in a close loss to the top-ranked team in the nation.
“They competed,” Lemonis started. “Boy, Preston Johnson, he took the rock, and that’s probably the best I’ve ever seen him. Just as competitive as he can be, and focused. Probably wasn’t a wasted pitch all night long, man, he was just really good. The whole group was competing, and I give them a lot of credit for it because it’s been a tough run.”
Johnson hung in despite having to deal with some gamesmanship from the Vols, who seemed as if they were trying to get in his head a bit, taking steps out of the box routinely and engaging in some extracurriculars as well. It didn’t faze the pitcher, however, who let his game do the talking.
“I don’t like it,” Johnson said. “I don’t really think it messes with my rhythm, I just think it’s just not the thing to do. Just play ball. I get getting your reps, stepping out, taking a deep breath, stepping into the box, let’s hit, let’s play the ball, let’s play the game.
“They were taking a little too long, and just kinda throw everything off. But it is what it is.”
The Bulldogs came into this one with the added pressure of needing to win to have a chance to play in the Southeastern Conference tournament. Losing a close one has become a habit, as 12 of their losses have come by one or two runs.
“We’ve had a lot of these types of games here of late,” Lemonis added, “and it’s just … they knock you back a little bit when you put that effort forward and don’t finish.”
Johnson went 7 2/3 innings, throwing 113 pitches and striking out 10. He allowed seven hits and one walk. All four runs were charged to him, three during the eighth inning.
“It’s been something, you know,” Johnson said, reflecting after what might have been his last appearance on the mound for the Bulldogs.
Johnson pitched in 22 games last season during State’s run to the College World Series crown. He arrived in Starkville after a stint at Hinds Community College, fulfilling a lifelong dream.
“Since I was a little kid I’ve been wanting to play here,” Johnson said. “It’s been special. I’ve made a lot of connections, a lot of friends that will be in my wedding, that I’ll talk to for the rest of my life.
“The history we made last year is something special, something I’ll never forget and something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.”
The strong work from Johnson kept the Bulldogs alive against a Tennessee team that found no trouble hitting in the series opener. Quick innings by Vols pitcher Chase Burns added pressure, and it wasn’t until the seventh inning that the Bulldogs strung some hits together and built some offensive momentum. They took a 3-1 lead after a two-run double from Kellum Clark, and Blade Tidwell came in to relieve Burns.
Johnson got two quick outs at the top of the eighth inning and was left in to get the third despite throwing more than 100 pitches. A couple of hits got one run back for the Vols, and a gut-punch two-run home run by Drew Gilbert gave them a 4-3 lead.
KC Hunt relieved Johnson and did well to hold the line over the remainder of the game, but Tidwell’s work on the mound left no hope for the Bulldogs to mount a comeback. He secured the win with five punchouts over the final seven outs.
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