Three big questions for MSU vs. LSU
Somehow, someway, Mississippi State is just two wins away from the program's 10th all-time trip to the College World Series.
Despite dealing with multiple injuries and a few off-the field issues, not to mention overcoming the loss of the 10 players who left after the 2016 season via the Major League Baseball Draft, here the Bulldogs sit trying to punch their ticket to college baseball's grandest stage. All that stands in MSU's way is longtime foe LSU.
Here are three big questions Mississippi State must answer this weekend as the Bulldogs look to escape the Baton Rouge Super Regional and make another June trip to Omaha.
1. Can State get another surprisingly good start?
Let's not forget how Mississippi State got to this spot.
Last week in the Hattiesburg Regional, everyone will recall that the Bulldogs lost their first game only to roar back and win four in a row. One of those four wins came via the left arm of ace Konnor Pilkington. He'll be expected to again shine for MSU tonight.
Yet the key game last week in Hattiesburg was Jacob Billingsley's gem he pitched in the first game on Monday to push the regional to a decisive seventh game. Against Southern Miss, Billingsley hurled a complete game, giving up just one run. Billingsley had never pitched more than five innings in a game prior to that contest. Billingsley's performance not only kept MSU alive, it saved the State bullpen so the Bulldogs had enough depth left to capture the regional. If State is to defeat LSU this weekend, Billingsley or someone else will likely have to have another impact performance.
Pilkington will likely, at the very least, eat innings tonight as he usually does. That should save MSU's bullpen several bullets for game two and a possible game three.
However if the Bulldogs can get a splendid start out of Billingsley, Cole Gordon or Denver McQuary at some point, State has to like its chances as that likely means the bullpen combination of Peyton Plumlee, Riley Self and Spencer Price could be fresh enough to pitch the Bulldogs past the Tigers.
2. Can MSU's bats stay hot?
One of the primary reasons Mississippi State got out of Hattiesburg was the resurgence of the Bulldog offense.
Dating back to the start of the Southeastern Conference Tournament through MSU's opening-round regional loss to South Alabama, State went five straight games scoring four or fewer runs. Then, as the Bulldogs won the final four games of the regional, MSU scored five runs against Illinois-Chicago, seven in the rematch against South Alabama, and eight runs in both games against Southern Mississippi.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out scoring runs in the game of baseball is important. However, it's even more important for this Mississippi State team than most others as it allows starting pitchers to go longer and save the few reliable bullpen arms. It also allows MSU the chance to go to some of its lesser-used arms
in the pen and save the strongest performers if the Bulldogs can build sizable enough leads.
Facing LSU's vaunted pitching staff led by Alex Lange and Jared Poche' means MSU might face an uphill climb to keep things rolling at the plate. Yet if the Bulldogs can keep swinging well, State's task in Baton Rouge gets much more manageable.
3. Is LSU just too good right now?
If the answer to this question is ‘yes', then disregard the other questions on this list.
Yet it is a definite possibility. Perhaps no one in the entire country is as good as LSU right now. The Tigers have won 14 straight
games. LSU hasn't lost a game in over a month with its last defeat coming on May 9 in a non-conference tilt against South Alabama.
The Tigers have pitched it well, allowing three or fewer runs in 10 of those 14 straight wins. In that same stretch, LSU's offense has scored nine or more runs on nine separate occasions.
Three of the wins over that period, as you'll likely recall, came in Starkville when LSU swept MSU to close out the regular season. The Tigers defeated the Bulldogs by scores of 3-1, 11-5 and 11-7.
Getting deep into the college baseball postseason is all about getting hot at the right time. It appears LSU is on fire just as it needs to be. If that keeps up, and it very well could, MSU's magical run might finally meet its end.