In its first game after parting ways with head coach Chris Lemonis, the Mississippi State baseball team exploded for an 18-5, run-rule victory over Memphis on Tuesday night.
Pitching coach Justin Parker notched his first win as interim coach as the Bulldogs (26-19, 7-14 SEC) totaled 16 hits with six going for extra bases. 10 of the 18 runs scored by Mississippi State came in the fourth inning to help break what would be a shortened, seven-inning game open.
Leading the charge were Reed Stallman and Ross Highfill, who each hit home runs. Stallman finished with five RBI while Highfill had three. Hunter Hines, Bryce Chance, Ace Reese, and Sawyer Reeves each grabbed a pair of hits.
On the mound, Noah Sullivan struck out five through three shutout innings. Jacob Pruitt then entered the game in relief and earned the win with three punchouts over 1.2 innings of work.
Tuesday’s win at Dudy Noble Field made for one of the largest Mississippi State has had this season. During the season opener, the Bulldogs defeated Manhattan 17-3. They beat then-No. 20 Southern Miss 18-3 on March 5 and Southern 16-2 on April 15.
Earlier this week, athletic director Zac Selmon announced the program would be relieving Lemonis of his duties as the team saw a recent unraveling. In the week before his departure, Mississippi State allowed No. 23 Ole Miss to come back and win the Governor’s Cup before dropping two of three against then-No. 11 Auburn.
Lemonis, who finished his time in Starkville with a 232-135 overall record, led Mississippi State to its first national title in 2021. But afterward, the team began to slip and only managed 42 conference wins compared to 69 conference losses.
Looking around the state
Over in Hattiesburg, a Jake Cook home run led No. 22 Southern Miss (32-13, 15-6 Sun Belt) to a 9-4 win over New Orleans. The Golden Eagles recently surpassed the 30-win mark for the 23rd consecutive season, a national best. In Oxford, No. 23 Ole Miss (32-13, 12-9 SEC) handled Austin Peay by a score of 6-3. Austin Fawley hit his 13th home run of the season, which is fifth in the conference.
Next up
Mississippi State, Southern Miss, and Ole Miss all return to league play this weekend. The Bulldogs host Kentucky with first pitch of game one being Friday at 6 p.m. Southern Miss welcomes Arkansas State to Pete Taylor Park. That series begins Friday at 6 p.m. Ole Miss will be the lone team on the road, traveling to Oklahoma, with game one set for Friday at 6:30 p.m.
