Been Here Before

OMAHA, Neb. – Mississippi State's mettle has been tested time and time again in 2021. Almost without fail, the Bulldogs have responded. MSU is now set for yet another challenge on Saturday night. It's the biggest one yet in fact. But the Diamond Dawgs are set to do what they've done all year – fight and not back down.

The Bulldogs dropped an 8-5 decision to Texas on Friday night in the College World Series. In a game that featured yet another late-inning MSU comeback, and a nearly 2 ½ hour rain delay, State fell just short. It leaves the Bulldogs and Longhorns to meet in a 6 p.m. Saturday game where the winner will advance to the CWS Finals.

The pressure is on. The Bulldogs' backs are now against the wall. In a way though, MSU is right at home.

"We've been in this spot a lot," Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis said. "It's just been a lot. We have responded. We're going to have to beat a good team [Saturday], but we're looking forward to the challenge."

Since the season began in February, State's season has been one marked by resiliency. From fighting through the travel issues created by an ice storm, to bouncing back from late deficits and tough losses, to a decisive Super Regional Game 3, all the way up to this past Tuesday's wild come-from-behind win over Virginia in Omaha; these Diamond Dawgs are all too familiar with hitting potholes, but keeping the figurative car in the road.

They're tough. When knocked down, they rise back up. It seems to be in this group's DNA. Though they came up short, the Bulldogs nearly proved that again on Friday and into the wee hours of Saturday morning.

State trailed 5-2 headed into the bottom of the eighth. The Bulldogs then struck for three runs in the frame to tie the game at 5-5 entering the ninth.

Texas' Ivan Melendez put the Longhorns right back in front with a three-run homer to seemingly sink MSU's hopes in the ninth. However, after a lengthy rain delay, the game restarted shortly after 1 a.m. CT and the Bulldogs again started punching.

MSU ended up getting the tying run to the plate in the home half of the ninth. State couldn't complete the rally, but the Bulldogs did provide further proof that this team just doesn't quit.

'Our kids came out of the rain delay and they were ready to play," Lemonis said. "They felt like they could win the game."

Unfortunately, MSU simply ran out of outs. However, they'll get at least 27 more on Saturday night at 6 p.m. to show the world once again what they've shown all year long. That is, you might be able push the Bulldogs off their feet, but you better believe they're going to get up swinging.

They're the never-say-die Dawgs, and they're cracking their knuckles in anticipation for their one last shot to play for it all.

"It's a big game," Tanner Allen said of Saturday's upcoming affair. "We've just got to show up and control what we can control, which is preparation for that game and don't let the moments get too big and play a full nine innings. If they hit us in the mouth early, we've just got to keep playing. I feel if we do that, we'll be fine."

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