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No. 4 Diamond Dawgs blast Grambling 12-0 in seven innings

3rupauk8_400x400by: Robbie Faulk04/01/26RobbieFaulkOn3

Ahead of a top 5 series at Dudy Noble Field, a No. 4 Mississippi State team just needed to avoid any disasters against Grambling.

While State had to adjust to an inconsistent pitching staff from Grambling, the Bulldogs got the offense to get them to a big lead and the pitching staff did its job in a 12-0 win in seven innings.

Six State pitchers combined to surrender just two hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts. The group was led by another solid 2.0 inning start for Chris Billingsley as he allowed just a walk and struck out two batters.

Jack Bauer retired all four batters he faced for the second-straight midweek and he had three strikeouts. Jack Gleason struck out both batters he faced while Brendan Sweeney pitched a perfect fifth inning.

While the no-hitter would break up against Peyton Fowler in the sixth inning, he struck out two batters in his State debut. Parker Rhodes pitched the seventh inning and gave up a hit and walk but got a double play and a groundout to end the threat and preserve a shutout.

Offensively, there was some good and bad for the Diamond Dawgs facing the erratic pitching of the Tigers. State racked up 11 strikeouts as a team including two each from Jacob Parker and Reed Stallman.

“After that game, candidly, I let them have it a little bit and they need that,” head coach Brian O’Connor said. “They need to continue to be reminded about what the foundation of the program is all about. Part of that foundation is great players come ready to play with the right approach everyday no matter what. I just didn’t feel, from an offensive standpoint, our approach was what it needed to be.”

The Bulldogs had nine hits as a team with seven walks and five hit batters. Ryder Woodson had two hits with two doubles and two RBI. Gehrig Frei had two hits, three RBI and a double and James Nunnallee came off the bench to deliver a 2-for-2 showing with an RBI.

For the second-straight game, catcher Andrew Raymond hit a home run. This time, his homer came as a pinch hitter when he hit a solo shot in the fifth inning.

“Showing up to the field the same person everyday is important,” Raymond said. “Whether I’m in the lineup or not, I’m still taking good BP swings. Staying ready is very important for that.”

The win pushed State to 25-4 on the year and the Diamond Dawgs have now won 20-straight games at Dudy Noble which is the most since 2012-13. State has also brought home nine-straight victories as a team over the course of the last three weeks.

This weekend, the two Bulldogs will battle in Starkville as No. 5 Georgia comes to town for a three-game series. The series begins on Thursday night at 6 p.m. O’Connor wants to see a better effort by then.

“We won the ball game, but my responsibility is to educate them what it takes to be our best,” O’Connor said. “Maybe tonight taught some of them a lesson of not only what it takes to be our best, but also when their time is done here and they want a shot to accomplish their dreams, you’ve got to bring it every day.”

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