Mississippi State is used to facing the best pitchers college baseball has to offer.
All year, coach Chris Lemonis has seen opponents deploy their aces against the Bulldogs: Ty Madden from Texas on opening day. Jaden Hill at LSU in the Southeastern Conference opener. Gunnar Hoglund and Doug Nikhazy of Ole Miss in last weekend’s massive rivalry series in Starkville.
“We’ve just had to face so many good arms,” Lemonis told reporters Thursday.
And as long as they remain in the midst of a grueling SEC schedule, the Bulldogs won’t be getting a break anytime soon.
This weekend, in fact, they’ll face their toughest pitching test of the season as No. 4 Mississippi State (28-8, 10-5 SEC) hits the road to face No. 2 Vanderbilt (29-6, 11-4) from Friday to Sunday in Nashville.
“They’re pretty good,” Lemonis said sardonically of the Commodores.
Pitchers Kumar Rocker (8-1, 1.64 ERA) and Jack Leiter (7-0, 0.98) compose a duo Lemonis called one of the best tandems in the history of college baseball on the mound. They’ll match up with the Bulldogs’ Christian MacLeod (3-2, 2.83) and Will Bednar (2-1, 3.55) on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
“These two are obviously very good and are pitching very well,” Lemonis said of the pair of Commodores.
MacLeod was strong in Friday’s game against Ole Miss, allowing two runs in five innings, but Bednar struggled Saturday with six earned runs given up in three frames. Lemonis expressed confidence that the sophomore will rebound after a solid week of throwing and a strong bullpen session.
“I think he’s going to run up there and have a good game,” Lemonis said.
It’ll likely take a great performance to match Leiter, who no-hit South Carolina on March 20 and ran off a string of 20 straight hitless innings before LSU snapped the streak on April 2.
Knowing there won’t be many hits going around all series, Lemonis said he’s prepared for the Bulldogs — tied for the SEC lead in stolen bases with 50 — to be aggressive on the bases. That doesn’t just mean steals — it can also mean taking an extra base on a wild pitch or hustling to turn a single into a double.
“I foresee us having some close games there this weekend, so fighting for that extra base may be what we have to do a little bit more,” Lemonis said.
That will hold especially true given Vanderbilt’s strength is not only in its 1-2 punch on the mound. The Commodores also bring the SEC’s No. 1 batting average (.306) and slugging percentage (.522) into the series. By comparison, Mississippi State is eighth in the league in average at .281, and the Bulldogs as a team slug .451, good for ninth.
But where the visitors have the advantage, Lemonis said, is in the deep, dominant bullpen Mississippi State has run out all year. Ace reliever Landon Sims, who boasts a 0.37 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 24.1 innings, is the main reason why Lemonis feels the Bulldogs have an advantage from the sixth inning through the ninth.
Overall, Lemonis said, both teams are both well balanced and well matched. He felt a similar way with the Bulldogs’ two massive home series in the past month — the sweep at the hands of Arkansas and the series win over Ole Miss. In the first set, the Razorbacks outclassed the Bulldogs; in the second, Mississippi State outperformed its rival.
This weekend, Lemonis said, one of the two teams is going to step it up. He hopes it’ll be the Bulldogs.
“Somebody’s going to have to outplay the other guy,” he said.
NCAA recommends 50 percent capacity for postseason
The NCAA has recommended — but not yet mandated — no more than 50 percent capacity at baseball and softball regional and super regional tournaments, according to a report by The Tennessean.
Dudy Noble Field has been operating at full capacity since Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced restrictions would ease March 2. The Bulldogs hosted 13,338 fans for Saturday’s game against Ole Miss.
Host sites for baseball will be released the week of May 10. Lemonis said Thursday he hadn’t looked much into the Bulldogs’ case but felt confident Mississippi State can earn a bid.
“We know with our facility, with our fan base, with our administration, we’re going to win all the extra stuff,” Lemonis said. “It’s our job to have enough wins on there to be a national seed.”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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