TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Dustin Skelton has spent more days with a sub-.200 batting average than he has in Mississippi State’s starting lineup. Those days are now a distant memory for the sophomore catcher.
The final weeks of May and first month of has Skelton in the lineup daily as one of MSU’s hottest bats, a streak continued by Friday’s home run in a 2-for-4, 4 RBI performance. His performance was ultimately lost in a 20-10 loss to Oklahoma (37-23), sending MSU to the loser’s bracket and thus elimination games for the rest of the Tallahassee Regional.
“I’m seeing it really well. I’m going through my approach that (assistant coach Jake) Gautreau has got us going through, making sure I’m letting the ball travel, let it get deep and hit it up the middle,” Skelton said. “I’m feeling really good at the plate right now.”
That approach showed in Skelton’s two hits Friday: his home run came over the 30-foot right field fence, the opposite field for the right-hander, but he drive in two more runs with a single to left field.
Skelton was not alone in his power surge: MSU hit four home runs in a NCAA tournament game for the first time since last season and for the first time in a NCAA tournament game since at least 2006. Left fielder Rowdey Jordan, right fielder Elijah MacNamee and first baseman Tanner Allen all hit balls over the right field fence Friday; it was Jordan’s sixth, MacNamee’s fourth and Allen’s fourth of the season.
“I was really proud of our offensive players: down 5-0 going to the bottom of the second, scored in the second, third, gave up two more in the fourth and came back with a four-spot,” MSU interim head coach Gary Henderson said. “I’m really proud of what we’re doing offensively, our guys have grown up and gotten a lot better.”
All Seminoles on deck
Florida State showed the signs of desperation Friday night: trailing Samford on its home field, it used four of its five healthy relief pitchers that entered the game with sub-5.00 earned run averages.
The hosting Seminoles still lost, 7-6, and planned on having the same guys available for the next day’s elimination game against MSU.
“We know we have a tough road but it’s not something we haven’t been in before,” Florida State coach Mike Martin said, referencing the Seminoles losing the first game of their regional last year before advancing to a Super Regional out of it.
“Y’all saw the same thing I did: let’s be sure to give credit where credit is due.”
Florida State turned to Clayton Kwiatkowski, Conor Grady, C.J. Van Eyk and Jonah Scolaro Friday to throw 49, 30, 28 and 34 pitches, respectively. Martin said the only one who would not be available for the Saturday game is Kwiatkowski.
The Seminoles needed that many relievers because starting pitcher Cole Sands exited the game with a shoulder injury after 2 2/3 innings.
MSU entered the Saturday game in a similar situation, having used seven relievers to cover the final 5 2/3 innings. The only ones that were truly taxed, and thus potentially unavailable for the Saturday game, were Zach Neff and JP France after 44 and 40 pitches, respectively.
As for the other hinderance — the 0-1 record — the Bulldogs weren’t as worried about that.
“1-0, 0-1, very comfortable. Our team is very capable of pulling out wins, obviously,” starting pitcher Konnor Pilkington said.
Shorthanded Sooners
Oklahoma got a glimpse of what its lineup without two of its better hitters in the second half of its Big 12 tournament run, hoping it wouldn’t see more of it in the regional. Yet, the Sooners took the field without starting outfielders Steele Walker (oblique) and Kyler Murray (hamstring); Oklahoma coach Skip Johnson said both remain day-to-day for the rest of the regional.
Sooner outfielders performed well in their absence: center fielder Cade Harris went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two walks while left fielder Blake Brewster went 3-for-5 with three RBI and a walk.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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