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 â…“ 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.Â
MSU 1, Nicholls 0
Bottom 4th
Aaron Downs scored on a wild pitch.Â
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.
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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 â…“ 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.Â
MSU 1, Nicholls 0
Bottom 4th
Aaron Downs scored on a wild pitch.Â
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.
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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
AB
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1
RBI
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AB
4
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0
H
1
RBI
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AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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