Mississippi State on
OMAHA, Neb. — Go bananas, Mississippi State Bulldogs! You’re one win away from the College World
Jordan Westburg hit a grand slam, doubled and drove in seven runs and Mississippi State continued its surprise postseason surge by beating North Carolina 12-2 on Tuesday.
wins at the CWS, are off until Friday. Win then or on Saturday, and they’ll be playing for the national championship next week.
This game was all about Westburg, the freshman who two weeks ago came up with the “Rally Banana” that’s become the Bulldogs’ goodluck charm in the NCAA Tournament. His seven RBIs, on the slam in the second inning and three-run double in the eighth, tied a CWS record.
“I think we had a good banana today. That’s all I can say,” Westburg deadpanned.
Westburg crushed a breaking pitch Austin Bergner left hanging, and the ball landed in the seats above
When Westburg returned to the dugout, a teammate handed him his Rally Banana.
Westburg came up with the Bulldogs’ alternate mascot during a regional game against Oklahoma gling when he went into the tunnel and grabbed a banana. Instead of eating it, he put it on his head in hopes of turning the Bulldogs’ luck. It must have worked. Mississippi State won, Westburg and his banana got some TV time, and the meme took off.
CWS,