BULLDOG BITS
Softball
BOCA RATON, Fla. – No. 23 Mississippi State dropped a pair of tight softball games on Saturday to close its time at the Paradise Classic in Boca Raton, Florida. The Bulldogs (3-2) were shut out, dropping a 2-0 game to Iowa and a 1-0 contest to Stony Brook.
Only one of the three runs allowed was earned. Against Iowa (3-0), an overthrow at first base that may have ended the inning allowed the Hawkeyes' two runs to score. It was ruled that the batter would have likely beaten the throw to first, so the first of the two runs was earned. Against Stony Brook (1-1), however a two-out error brought home the game's only score.
"Tough outing today," MSU head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "I thought the pitchers really looked sharp all weekend. The really did a good job of giving us a chance. We have to be able to pick them up with our bats and with our defense. We can't go away on both of those fronts, and that's what got us today. We're definitely going home with a lot to work on and, hopefully, a renewed focus and understanding that it's a long season. It's going to take focus, intentionality and a lot of urgency from everyone involved to get us going back on track with where we want to be."
The Bulldogs had opportunities in both games, stranding 14 runners between the two. State's best chance in the game with Iowa came in the fifth inning after Aquana Brownlee drew a one-out walk and Brylie St. Clair singled. However, the top of the lineup produced two straight ground outs to end the threat.
Against Stony Brook, the Bulldogs opened the first inning with a hit, but backto-back fielder's choices eliminated the lead runners to keep a lid on the offense. In the fourth inning, State again put runners on first and second, but Brownlee and St. Clair delivered a fielder's choice and a foul pop up that ended the inning.
Men’s Tennis
TALLAHASSEE, Fla., – The 24th-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team will travel to The Sunshine State for the second time this season where they will take on No. 15 Florida State on Sunday
at noon.
Head coach Matt Roberts' Bulldogs are off to an 8-1 start and enter the match riding a three-match winning streak, including a doubleheader sweep of Presbyterian and Jackson State their last time out this past Sunday.
MSU freshman Petar Jovanovic is 9-0 in singles play this spring and is currently on a 12-match winning streak that dates back to the fall. The winning streak is the longest by a Bulldog since Nuno Borges reeled off 31 consecutive victories in 2019.
Carles Hernandez earned his first career ITA singles ranking this week. Hernandez debuted at No. 84 sporting a 13-3 overall singles record with three victories over ranked opponents.
Nemanja Malesevic is coming off a strong performance last weekend in which he went 4-0 in singles and doubles and either clinched the doubles point or the match for the Bulldogs. Three of Malesevic's victories came against ranked opponents.
Malesevic defeated Presbyterian's then 63rd-ranked Dusan Milanovic in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 and also earned a win over then No. 87 Fynn Kuenkler of Tulane 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-0. With Hernandez's help in doubles, the duo downed Milanovic and Max Benson, who were ranked 22nd at the time, 6-1.
Hernandez and Malesevic climbed 24 spots in the ITA doubles rankings to No. 18 and are 9-3 for the year with three ranked wins to their credit.
They aren't the only doubles tandem from State making noise. Jovanovic and Gregor Ramskogler picked up two doubles wins last Sunday. Ramskogler now has 58 career dual match doubles wins, which is the second most in MSU history, only trailing Niclas Braun (2015-19) by two.
MSU currently holds a 10-8 overall series record over Florida State but have dropped the past two meetings. The Seminoles claimed a 5-2 victory in Starkville last spring and also won 5-2 in Tallahassee in 2020.
Florida State is 6-2 on the year and coming off a 5-2 home win against South Alabama on Friday. The Seminoles feature the nation's No. 3 singles competitor in Antoine Cornut-chauvinc as well as 38th-ranked Youcef Rihane and 71st-ranked Jamie Connel.