STARKVILLE — So how does the best fielding team in the nation commit four errors on the biggest stage of the season?
After taking a 7-3 lead in the fifth inning of Saturday’s Super Regional opener, Notre Dame’s infield made a mess of trying to retain the advantage in the bottom frame, booting a potential double-play ground ball that eventually led to three Mississippi State runs and an eventual 9-8 victory for the No. 7-seeded Bulldogs.
Fighting Irish coach Link Jarrett attributed the rare fielding mishaps to a different playing surface on Dudy Noble Field’s infield compared to South Bend’s Frank Eck Baseball Stadium. Shortstop Zach Prajzner, the catalyst of the botched double play ball in that fifth inning, didn’t attribute the error to any particular element.
“It’s hard to win when you make those kind of mistakes,” Jarrett said. “It’s not impossible. We were on the verge of doing it. But it wasn’t the normal style of baseball that we play.”
But logic would say a raucous, NCAA Super Regional-record 14,385 people screaming throughout MSU’s win Saturday played at least a significant factor. Especially considering Notre Dame hasn’t played in front of more than 1,500 fans in any game all season.
“It makes it tougher to pitch, to make plays,” MSU coach Chris Lemonis said. “Sometimes (harder to) swing or stay off pitches. In certain moments, it’s hard to hear, hard to talk … I thought our crowd was huge. I’m glad they were on our side.”
Considering MSU starting pitcher Will Bednar couldn’t make it past three innings after the Fighting Irish patiently waited back on his slider and Chase Patrick couldn’t limit damage as the first man out of the bullpen, the Bulldogs could only breathe a sigh of relief that their offense capitalized on Notre Dame’s fielding miscues.
Of course, this is Super Regionals. MSU isn’t going to apologize for any postseason victory, and nor should it. Instead of staring at a 0-1 best-of-three series deficit, MSU’s big boppers came through with timely hitting and the backend of the bullpen restored order after Notre Dame had a leadoff runner reach for the first five innings. When the Bulldogs wake up Sunday, they’ll be in a position to clinch their third straight College World Series appearance.
“It’s one of those games that’s gonna be decided late,” Lemonis said. “It’ll be like that tomorrow. Two really good teams, two really good offenses, two well-coached teams. It’s gonna be like that all day.”
Perhaps the worst part of the long game for Notre Dame is that its best bullpen weapon, Tanner Kohlhepp, may not be available for the rest of the series after throwing 77 pitches in Saturday’s loss. Jarrett ruled Kohlhepp out for Sunday’s matchup and conceded it would be difficult to throw him again even if Notre Dame forces a Game 3 Monday.
MSU had to use its best reliever too, of course. Landon Sims threw two shutout innings to preserve the win for the Bulldogs Saturday, but the difference is, Lemonis said he anticipates Sims pitching again sometime this series, maybe even as soon as Sunday if MSU has a lead late.
That isn’t to say the series is over. Notre Dame hasn’t lost back-to-back games all season. Saturday’s projected starter Christian MacLeod has fought through command fluctuation at various points this season, and if the Fighting Irish proved anything today, it’s that they know how to string across runs. And now that the players and coaches have experienced the Dudy Noble Field atmosphere, maybe they’ll be better equipped to handle adversity in Game 2.
“National championship-caliber,” Jarrett said of how he perceived Saturday’s Game 1 matchup with MSU. “Point-blank. Atmosphere, personnel, strategy, talent. That’s what it’s about.”
Hodge is the former sports editor for The Dispatch.
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