Hey. I have a great idea. Can we avoid having the Mississippi State Bulldogs face the Florida Gators on two fronts in the same weekend? Please? Is that something that we can somehow avoid as we move forward.
Because I’m very much not a fan of how this weekend turned out for the Bulldogs on both of those fronts.
Let’s dive in to what happened.
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Table of contents
What happened to Mississippi State this weekend?
Let’s take a look at a couple SEC series, shall we?
Specifically, we’re going to look at how the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Florida Gators faced off in some close matchups that had late-inning hysterics and acrobatics and insanity.
If you think that applies to the Mississippi State baseball team, you’d be right. If you’re thinking that also happens to apply to the Mississippi State softball team, you’d once again be right.
Let’s go over all of that.
Chris Lemonis, Mississippi State baseball came up short on road against Florida
We’ve got a series recap available, but in case you don’t want to leave this page, let’s do a quick rundown of this road series against the Gators:
The Big Picture: Mississippi State dropped a close series against No. 6 Florida in Gainesville, falling short in Games 1 and 3 despite a dominant 12-2 victory in Game 2.
Game-by-Game:
- Game 1: Florida walked it off 7-6, erasing a late 6-2 MSU lead with 5 runs in the 8th and 9th.
- Game 2: MSU’s bats erupted for 12 runs and 5 HRs, including 2 each by Dakota Jordan and Connor Hujsak, evening the series with a 12-2 win.
- Game 3: Florida’s Jac Caglianone crushed a 2-run walk-off HR in the 9th, clinching the series 4-3.
The Highlights:
- MSU’s Connor Hujsak had a monster Game 2, going 3-for-5 with 2 HRs and 6 RBIs.
- Bryce Chance consistently produced for MSU, going 4-for-12 with 3 RBIs in the series.
- MSU’s pitching staff racked up 28 strikeouts over the 3 games.
The Bottom Line: While Mississippi State showed their offensive potential and solid pitching depth, Florida’s timely hitting and late-game heroics ultimately decided the hard-fought series.
What’s Next: The Bulldogs look to bounce back in a midweek home game against Central Arkansas before hitting the road again for another SEC series.
Samantha Ricketts, Mississippi State softball unable to upend Florida Gators in Starkville
In many ways, this series strongly resembled the baseball battle down in Gainesville. And of course, we have a series recap of the MSU softball team challenging the Florida Gators. But in case you aren’t interested in moving to another page, then here you go.
The big picture: Mississippi State (25-9, 6-6 SEC) went toe-to-toe with No. 10 Florida (31-5, 7-2 SEC) in a compelling series that featured late-inning drama, but the Gators emerged with a hard-fought series win in Starkville.
Game-by-game
- Game 1: MSU overcame a 12-6 deficit by exploding for 7 runs in the 6th, capped by Paige Cook’s walk-off 2-run homer, to stun Florida 13-12.
- Game 2: The Bulldogs mounted another 7th-inning rally, scoring 3 times to bring the tying run to the plate, but Florida held on 8-5.
- Game 3: The Gators scored 3 runs in the top of the 7th to rally past Mississippi State 7-6 and clinch the series.
By the numbers:
- 43: Total runs scored in the series between the top offenses in the SEC
- 7: Runs scored by MSU in the 6th inning of Game 1, their largest comeback in years
- 5: RBIs in the series for Florida’s Jocelyn Erickson, who delivered multiple clutch hits for the Gators
The stakes: Mississippi State was aiming for a statement series win against a Top 10 opponent to boost their NCAA Tournament resume. While the Bulldogs showcased their potential, they couldn’t quite get over the hump.
The bottom line: In a matchup of two potent offenses, Florida’s ability to rally late in Games 2 and 3 proved to be the difference. Mississippi State’s young core is trending in the right direction but still learning how to close out big games.
What’s next: Bulldogs aim to bounce back on the road
Looking ahead: Mississippi State will look to reset and get back in the win column with a four-game road trip.
- Wednesday: The Bulldogs travel to UAB for a single game (5 p.m. CT)
- Weekend: MSU heads to Columbia for a three-game series against No. 22 South Carolina (Apr. 5-7)
Around the internet
My beloved Houston Astros are off to an abysmal start to the 2024 MLB season. I, for one, would like the Astros to win more games. Getting swept the New York Yankees is less-than-ideal.
Basically, this weekend was bad for teams that I enjoy supporting.
Also, this end of game social media graphic confuses me when you add in the social media copy. It’s for a final score, but the social media manager didn’t pair language that reflects that in the tweet (post?) itself.
For a lot of folks, that isn’t a big deal. It’s not even a big deal to me, I just think the post could be a little clearer. Maybe.
Also, hey, you want to see the perfect April Fools content for college football? Here you go:
This is a horribly unsafe, reckless idea. And yet, I want it. Make it happen. Somehow. Please?
Today’s Tunes:
Beaumont by Hayes Carll.
There are many songs that I’ll say are a perfect song. This is a perfect song. Hayes Carll is such a down to earth sort of songwriter and everything in his work feels grounded and approachable. I can’t say enough about how much I enjoy hearing his work and having it resonate around in my head for the rest of the day.
I’m all on board for the way that simplicity and tangibility seem to be intertwined with perfectly placed lyrics in all that Carll does. I’m also on board with spelling Carll with two L’s instead of just one.
I’m here for that.
There’s a lot from Hayes Carll that I enjoy listening to, but given the way that he’s singing about places that are very familiar to me and feel connected to much of my life, this one might be my favorite song of his.
Shoutout to Beaumont. Shoutout to Pasadena and all of its chemical plants and refineries. Shoutout to Houston. Shoutout to Murphy, which has several little bars located on it. And shoutout to Hayes Carll.
What’s that? You want another song that touches on places that I’m familiar with and also happens to be located in Texas and in some ways has similar vibes because Texas singers and songwriters are among the best in the world?
Okay, fine, but this guy isn’t actually from Texas.
Let’s also listen to Comal County Blue by Jason Boland.
This one touches on slightly different parts of my life. I spent a few summers working in central Texas and loved the time I spent in and around Comal County (and nearby Hays County). Boland does a pretty good job of crafting a song that brings me back to that place in time as well as highlighting places and aspects of the area that feel very familiar.
If you can make it out to a bar to drink a Shiner or two on the Devil’s Backbone, I recommend it. If you do that while listening to Jason Boland and Hayes Carll, you’re qualified to be my best friend.
Boland’s songwriting makes the area feel real. He brings a more polished sound to a style of song that still resonates well with my soul. And I greatly appreciate his ability to construct a song that holds up well as it brings back old memories.
The Underdog Tribune 
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