Mississippi State
1-0
Akron
1-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Akron | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Mississippi State | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | X | 11 | 14 | 0 |
Diamond Dogs Zip Past Akron 11-0 To Open 2011 Campaign
February 18, 2011 | Baseball
Devin Jones and Daryl Norris combined on a one-hit shutout Friday afternoon as the Baseball Bulldogs defeated Akron 11-0 in the 2011 college baseball season opener played before a crowd of 3,074 at Dudy Noble Field.
“It was real important for me personally to go out and set the tone for a good season,” said Jones, a junior right-hander from Eupora. “The team chemistry is two or three times better than it has been the last couple of years. The newcomers have really adapted to the program. This was a good way to start the season.”
Jones pitched a career-high seven innings. He allowed one hits and walked only one, while facing 22 batters. The pitch count was also efficient as the Eupora native only threw 68 pitches – less than 10 per at-bat.
“I know there are going to be bumps in the road,” said MSU third-year head coach John Cohen . “But I'm glad we could open up the season with a big win. I told Devin last week to give me 80 pitches and go six innings. He said 'I'll go seven innings with 80. That's what he did.”
The Bulldogs won their eighth straight season opener and eighth straight home opener. Friday's win came through the dominating pitching and a balanced 14-hit attack. All of which led to a very brisk two-hour ballgame.
“We won't have many days like today,” Cohen said. “We will have to focus on small ball, but it feels good to get this one in. We were able to get a lot of guys in and have them contribute today. We stayed focused and capitalized on every little play.”
New bats have been the focus on coaches and players during the Division I off-season. The new standards are expected to lead to a reduced number of home runs and an overall decrease in offensive production. Instead, MSU had a multi-home run opener.
“It was really good to see the offensive production today,” Jones said. “As a pitcher, you know that makes your job that much easier. We should be able to do more things offensively this season.”
The Bulldogs scored twice in the first inning and blew the contest open with six runs in the sixth inning and three more scores in the seventh inning.
For MSU, Nick Vickerson opened the scoring by slapping the second pitch of the contest for a lead-off home run. After a walk to Ryan Collins and a dropped third strike reached Brent Brownlee, Jaron Shepherd hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Colins.
In the sixth inning, the Bulldogs chased Akron starter Alex Loftin. Shepherd began things with a single and was advanced on a sacrifice-bunt. An RBI-single by C.T. Bradford plated Shepherd. Jonathan Ogden followed with a massive two-run home run to left center. A two-run double by Jarrod Parks and RBI-double by Brownlee capped the big inning.
In the seventh inning, a two-run single by Ryan Collins highlighted a three-run at-bat.
From the bullpen, MSU right-hander Norris threw the final two innings. In his Maroon and White debut, the true freshman struck out five batters and faced only seven to close out the win.
Bradford paced the Bulldogs with three hits in his MSU debut. Parks, Brownlee, Shepherd and Ogden each added multiple hits.
In Friday's opener, Akron defeated Lamar, 2-1.
On Saturday, the Bulldogs face Lamar at 11:30 a.m. and Akron at 3:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jones, Devin (1-0)
L: Alex Loftin (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Parks, Jarrod 1 ; Brownlee, Brent 2 ; Bradford, C.T. 1
3B: Parks, Jarrod 1
HR: Vickerson, Nick 1 ; Ogden, Jonathan 1
RBI: Vickerson, Nick 1 ; Collins, Ryan 2 ; Parks, Jarrod 2 ; Brownlee, Brent 1 ; Shepherd, Jaron 1 ; Bradford, C.T. 1 ; Ogden, Jonathan 2 ; Henderson, Demarcus 1
SH: Thigpen, Wes 1
SF: Shepherd, Jaron 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vickerson, Nick 1 ; Collins, Ryan 2 ; Parks, Jarrod 1 ; Shepherd, Jaron 2 ; Freeman, Cody 1 ; Bradford, C.T. 1 ; Ogden, Jonathan 1 ; Frost, Sam 2
SB: Collins, Ryan 2 ; Frost, Sam 1
CS: Bradford, C.T. 1
HBP: Stark, Taylor 1 ; Parks, Jarrod 1
PO: Henderson, Demarcus 1
