Wednesday, March 12
Biloxi, Miss. (Keesler Federal Park)
5 p.m.
Mississippi State
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Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
State Downs Nicholls In Midweek Matchup
March 12, 2025 | Baseball
BILOXI – Mississippi State finished 2-0 in the Hancock Whitney Classic after a 2-1 win over Nicholls Wednesday night.
The MSU offense mounted just four total hits from four different Diamond Dawgs in the matchup, but it proved to be enough to support a strong State pitching effort. Bryce Chance, Aaron Downs, Michael O'Brien and Dylan Cupp all had hits for the Bulldogs. O'Brien had MSU's lone extra-base hit with a triple. State's first run came courtesy of a third-inning RBI ground out from Ace Reese that scored Gatlin Sanders. Aaron Downs made the score 2-0 an inning later when he scampered home on a wild pitch.
State's hurlers made the most of the two runs. Noah Sullivan made his first career start on the mound as a Diamond Dawg and punched out a pair over three scoreless innings. Nolan Stevens grabbed 2 ⅓ innings of relief work and struck out two to earn his first win of the season in his first pitching appearance of the year. Kevin Mannell tossed 1 2/3 shutout frames for the Dawgs while Ryan McPherson picked up his first career save after four punchouts in two innings of work.
On Deck: Mississippi State hosts Texas for a three-game series to open SEC play. Friday's first pitch is set for 6 p.m. and Saturday is slated for 2 p.m., both games will be broadcast on SEC Network+. The series finale is set for a 1 p.m. start and will air on SEC Network.
Game Notes:
Bottom 3rd
Gatlin Sanders scored on a ground out from Ace Reese.
MSU 1, Nicholls 0
Bottom 4th
Aaron Downs scored on a wild pitch.
MSU 2, Nicholls 0
Top 5th
Christian Westcott scored on a single down the left field line by Karson Irvin.
MSU 2, Nicholls 1
Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the baseball program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching 'HailStateBB' on X, Facebook and Instagram.
The MSU offense mounted just four total hits from four different Diamond Dawgs in the matchup, but it proved to be enough to support a strong State pitching effort. Bryce Chance, Aaron Downs, Michael O'Brien and Dylan Cupp all had hits for the Bulldogs. O'Brien had MSU's lone extra-base hit with a triple. State's first run came courtesy of a third-inning RBI ground out from Ace Reese that scored Gatlin Sanders. Aaron Downs made the score 2-0 an inning later when he scampered home on a wild pitch.
State's hurlers made the most of the two runs. Noah Sullivan made his first career start on the mound as a Diamond Dawg and punched out a pair over three scoreless innings. Nolan Stevens grabbed 2 ⅓ innings of relief work and struck out two to earn his first win of the season in his first pitching appearance of the year. Kevin Mannell tossed 1 2/3 shutout frames for the Dawgs while Ryan McPherson picked up his first career save after four punchouts in two innings of work.
On Deck: Mississippi State hosts Texas for a three-game series to open SEC play. Friday's first pitch is set for 6 p.m. and Saturday is slated for 2 p.m., both games will be broadcast on SEC Network+. The series finale is set for a 1 p.m. start and will air on SEC Network.
Game Notes:
- Noah Sullivan made his first start on the mound.
- Nolan Stevens made his first appearance on the mound of the season.
- Jackson Owen made his first career start.
- Michael O'Brien hit his first career triple.
Bottom 3rd
Gatlin Sanders scored on a ground out from Ace Reese.
MSU 1, Nicholls 0
Bottom 4th
Aaron Downs scored on a wild pitch.
MSU 2, Nicholls 0
Top 5th
Christian Westcott scored on a single down the left field line by Karson Irvin.
MSU 2, Nicholls 1
Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the baseball program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching 'HailStateBB' on X, Facebook and Instagram.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Stevens, Nolan (1-0)
L: Jordan, Harper (2-2)
S: McPherson, Ryan (1)
Batting:
RBI: Irvin, Karson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Westcott, Christian 1
SB: Westcott, Christian 1
HBP: Irvin, Karson 1 ; Mock, Logan 1
Batting:
3B: O'Brien, Michael 1
RBI: Reese, Ace 1
SH: Chance, Bryce 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Downs, Aaron 1 ; Sanders, Gatlin 1
SB: Chance, Bryce 2
Game Leaders
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3
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1
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Players Mentioned
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