Through two weeks of SEC play, neither Mississippi State nor Ole Miss has been able to put together a win, combining for an 0-12 conference record.
In Starkville, Mississippi State (14-11, 0-6 SEC) was swept by No. 4 Vanderbilt (19-5, 6-0 SEC) losing 26-3 on Friday, 18-5 on Saturday, and 11-7 on Sunday.
Pitching continued to be a weak spot for the Bulldogs who gave up a whopping 55 runs in three games. With five errors in the series, fielding also proved to be another concern for Chris Lemonis’ squad. On a positive note, the Bulldogs recorded 26 hits against the Commodores but lacked the defensive prowess to record a win.
During a Monday afternoon appearance on SportsTalk Mississippi, Lemonis said he hopes his team can channel their frustration into a persistent fight to win. The first obstacle he wants to overcome is his team’s pitching deficiencies.
“We have to figure out our pitching staff. We have to figure out a little defensively, but we have to figure out our pitching staff.” Lemonis said. “We have performed at a really low level. I know we’ve had some injuries and we’ve had some things there, but the kids we have pitching are better than what they’re pitching right now.”
The Bulldogs will look to get back on track during a midweek match versus Samford on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT before welcoming No. 9 South Carolina to Dudy Noble Stadium for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday.
Fans can watch Tuesday night’s game on ESPN+ and can tune in to the Golden Triangle SuperTalk station, Delta SuperTalk station, and the SuperTalk Mississippi App to listen to the Bulldogs’ broadcast.
Ole Miss (15-9, 0-6 SEC) lost at home versus No. 3 Florida (22-4, 5-1 SEC) 9-7 and 12-8 during Saturday’s doubleheader, and then 7-4 on Sunday.
A lack of quality performances from bullpen pitchers plagued the Rebels during the first two games, as non-starters gave up 12 runs on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, untimely strikeouts and an inability to advance runners ultimately cost Ole Miss the game.
Though his team was swept, head coach Mike Bianco noted a silver linging between the series against Florida and the previous weekend’s against Vanderbilt: The Rebels actually put themselves in winning position in two of three games against the Gators.
“It’s just not good enough. We’re not playing well enough, but I thought we competed better.,” Bianco said. “We were in the games. We had chances to win at least two of the games but didn’t play well enough to do that. But, it was much better than we looked the week before.”
The Rebels will take on in-state rival Southern Miss in Pearl on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. CT and will have the opportunity to tack on a few conference wins this upcoming weekend when they travel to Texas A&M.
Those interested in watching Ole Miss and Southern Miss in the neutral site showdown can tune in to ESPN+, North Mississippi SuperTalk station, Jackson SuperTalk station, Hattiesburg SuperTalk station, Southwest Mississippi SuperTalk station, Tupelo SuperTalk station, Meridian SuperTalk Station, Mississippi Gulf Coast SuperTalk station, as well as SuperTalk Mississippi App for the Rebels’ broadcast.
