MSU Baseball Team Is 10-0 For Fifth Time In Program History

STARKVILLE, Miss. (MSU Athletics/WCBI Sports) – The No. 13 Mississippi State baseball team moved to 10-0 on the season with a 4-2 win against Arizona in the opening game of a four-game weekend series at Dudy Noble Field. The Diamond Dawgs are 10-0 for the fifth time in program history.

Preston Brown (3-0) recorded his fifth career quality start, allowing three hits and a run (earned), with seven strikeouts and three walks. Ross Mitchell andTrevor Fitts followed in relief. Fitts worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning and retired the final five batters in a row for his fourth save.

MSU came from behind for the seventh time by erasing an early 1-0 deficit with two runs in the third inning. Both runs scored on bases-loaded walks issued toJake Vickerson and Josh Lovelady.

The Bulldogs stretched the lead to 3-1 in the sixth inning when Vickerson singled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by John Holland. In the seventh inning, MSU made it 4-1 on a walk to Wes Rea and back-to-back singles by Luke Reynoldsand Vickerson.

A double and two walks chased Mitchell in the eighth inning. The first batter Fitts faced reached on an error. However, back-to-back strikeouts snuffed that threat and left three Wildcats on base.

MSU finished with eight hits. Reynolds, Vickerson and Lovelady each had multiple hits. Lovelady also threw out a base runner giving him a nation’s best 10 runners caught stealing this season. Meanwhile, Vickerson had his third-straight multi-hit game.

In addition, Seth Heck saw his career-best nine-game hit streak end but did reach base safely with a leadoff walk for his 40th straight game. The streak is the second-longest streak in the country.

Arizona finished with five hits, highlighted by leadoff man Scott Kingery’s two base knocks.

Starting pitcher Austin Schnabel (1-2) was lifted in the third inning and took the loss.

MSU will face Arizona at 11 a.m. Saturday in its debut on the new SEC Network. The Bulldogs then face Samford 35 minutes after that game on an SEC Network + broadcast.