MSU Baseball Drops Game Two To Florida

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI Sports/MSU Athletics) – A near-record-setting crowd packed Dudy Noble Field in Starkville but the Mississippi State baseball team couldn’t get a win in game two against Florida.

A crowd of 13,004 marked the 10th-largest in program history and the highest attendance of the season. The fans saw spirited pitching performances from State, but MSU lost 2-1 to No. 6 Florida.

“It was an outstanding crowd, really thankful for everybody who came out and supported today,” MSU head coach John Cohen said. “I was disappointed that they couldn’t see a win”

The Gators now lead the series two games to one. The finale will be Sunday at 2 p.m., televised on ESPNU.

Preston Brown and Trevor Fitts highlighted the positives on the mound for the Bulldogs.

“Overall, pleased with the effort,” Cohen said. “The kids are battling their hearts out right now. Pleased with the effort but not happy with the performance.”

With the win, Florida improved to 30-10 overall and 11-6 in the SEC, while MSU fell to 22-18 and 6-11 in SEC play.

Brown (5-4) pitched 6.1 innings, allowing nine hits and two earned runs, with two strikeouts and no walks. Fitts finished the contest, facing 10 batters in 2.2 innings of relief.

“Preston was outstanding today,” Cohen said of Smith. “However, you have to score more than one run in this environment. One run will not win you the game often.”