Mississippi State saw its season come to a close in Charlottesville. It was a wild season for the Bulldogs, who seemed dead and buried just a month into it but battled and went further than many thought.
However, this team faced ongoing issues throughout the highs and lows. The overarching problem was this team did not have a killer instinct and struggled to put away games.
When MSU won the national title in 2021, the team was full of guys who had success their whole careers and understood how to win at the highest level. However, that did not exist on this squad, as there was little to no postseason experience, and veterans like Hunter Hines and Bryce Chance only experienced losing during their time in Starkville.
Players at a program as prestigious as MSU rarely have to learn how to win, but this group did. It was a steep learning curve as the Bulldogs dropped games at Florida, Ole Miss, and Arkansas that were avoidable.
Something always seemed to hold this team back, whether blowing a late lead in games or blunders on the base paths. However, all those issues appeared to be resolved down the stretch as State won 17 out of its last 24 games heading into the NCAA Tournament.
The Bulldogs' strong finish to the season put them in a position to host a regional. State has not lost a regional or super regional in Starkville since 2016, so getting to host was massive for this team.
However, the selection committee did not see State as worthy of a host site and chose to go in another direction. While a strong argument could be made as to why the Bulldogs deserved a spot in the top 16, it was no secret what kept them out.
Dudy Noble Field was empty because of inexcusable losses to Austin Peay, Georgia Southern, and Air Force. State would head to Virginia for a regional, which seemed like a favorable matchup.
UVA had an elite offense but struggled on the mound, and the Bulldog's pitching staff had become one of the best in the country as they held a team ERA of 4.12, which ranked 12th in the nation. While the pitching found its footing, the MSU offense took a step back.
A slow decline culminated in the SEC Tournament when the offense fell off a cliff. Without the heroics of Connor Hujsak, the Bulldogs would likely not have put up a run in their opening game in Hoover.
The hope was that a week off would pay dividends for the lineup, but it did not. The Bulldogs had to walk off St. John's in the opening game and stranded six runners in the last three innings in their first matchup with Virginia.
The offense exploded for MSU during its second matchup with St. John's, racking up 19 hits and scoring 13 runs. The good times did not last, as every issue this team faced all year culminated in its final game.
The offense went cold after a two-run home run from Dakota Jordan in the bottom of the first. A costly error from first-team All-SEC shortstop David Mershon gave the Cavaliers a 3-2 lead in the third.
Baserunning errors ended two scoring threats as Mershon singled to open the bottom of the sixth and stole second base. With a runner in scoring position and one out, State had a chance to tie the game with the veteran Hines at the plate.
However, Mershon was picked off at second base, effectively ending the inning. Jordan got a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth but was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning, and once again, took the bat out of the hands of Hines.
Despite the mental errors, State still only trailed by a run going into the top of the ninth, but then the wheels fell off. Tyler Davis (6-1, 2.80 ERA) was lights out for the Bulldogs all year, and the lefty was brought into the game with one out and nobody on base.
The VCU transfer did not have his best stuff in the heavy rain and allowed six runs to score. It was a devastating way to end a season with a reliable arm imploding on the mound.
However, it symbolized a year-long struggle for State as it seemed to invent ways to lose games this season. This was a good baseball team, but they were flawed, as they finished the season with 13 losses by one run, which stems from the team lacking winning experience.
Usually, there would be a lot of excitement for the next season, but State will be gutted due to the MLB draft. Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis did a nice job of getting this program back into the postseason, but he has a lot of work to do to build a roster for next season.
