State Wins Twin Bill To Complete Sweep Of Hofstra

Saturday, February 14

Starkville

12 p.m.

Mississippi State

2-0

Hofstra

0-2

Hofstra

Mississippi State

Photo by: Hallie Walker/Mississippi State Athletics

State Wins Twin Bill To Complete Sweep Of Hofstra

February 14, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

STARKVILLE - No. 4 Mississippi State finished off an opening weekend sweep of Hofstra on Saturday in front of 12,667 fans at Dudy Noble Field.

The Diamond Dawgs (3-0) took the opener 6–1 before rallying for a 7–5 win in the nightcap to finish off the Pride (0-3) and extend their early-season momentum.

In Game 1, Mississippi State set the tone immediately as part of a three-run first inning that featured an RBI double from Ace Reese and a run-scoring single by Bryce Chance. The Bulldogs added two more in the fifth, highlighted by three doubles from Nunnallee, Reese and Stallman with the latter two each collecting an RBI.

Reese finished 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI while Chance added two hits and drove in one. Mississippi State totaled eight hits and drew four walks, consistently applying pressure.

On the mound, Tomas Valincius (1-0) was sharp in his season debut, allowing four hits over 5 1/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts and one walk. Brendan Sweeney closed it out for his first save, striking out five over the final 3 2/3 innings. Hofstra's lone run came on a ninth-inning solo homer by CJ Griggs.

The nightcap required more resolve.

Hofstra jumped out to a 3–0 lead in the first inning of Game 2, keyed by Griggs' three-run homer. Mississippi State responded quickly. Aidan Teel collected an RBI single in the first and Reese later launched a three-run homer in the second to give the Bulldogs a 4–3 lead.

After Hofstra briefly reclaimed a 5–4 advantage in the fifth, Mississippi State answered with a three-run bottom half. Aiden Teel singled, Chance drove in the tying run on a safety squeeze and Chone James pushed the Bulldogs back out in front for good with a two-run single.

Charlie Foster started the finale, allowing three runs over three innings. The bullpen steadied things from there. Chris Billingsley Jr. and Dane Burns bridged the middle innings before Jack Gleason (1-0) earned the win with 1 1/3 scoreless frames. William Kirk tossed two innings of one-run ball and Maddox Webb struck out three in the ninth to record his first save.

In the second game, Reese went 2-for-5 with a double, homer and three RBIs and the Bulldogs finished with 10 hits.

For the doubleheader, Mississippi State pounded out 18 hits and received 17 strikeouts from its pitching staff, showcasing both depth and power.

The Bulldogs will continue their homestand Tuesday against Troy before hosting Alcorn State on Wednesday with both games beginning at 4 p.m. and streamed on SEC Network+.

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