Mississippi State
26-7
UAB
22-11
No. 9 State Secures Midweek Win Over UAB
April 07, 2026 | Baseball
STARKVILLE - No. 9 Mississippi State rode a pair of early home runs and a steady bullpen effort to a 5-3 victory over UAB on Tuesday night at Dudy Noble Field.
The Diamond Dawgs (26-7) jumped on the Blazers early and never relinquished control, getting key swings from Ace Reese and Jacob Parker while piecing together the final five innings on the mound.
State wasted little time setting the tone. Bryce Chance opened the first inning with a double before Reese launched a two-run homer to right, giving MSU a 2-0 lead just three batters into the game.
After UAB trimmed the deficit with a solo homer in the third, the Bulldogs answered immediately as Parker delivered a two-run blast to right-center to push the lead to 4-1.
UAB (22-11) chipped away with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, cutting the margin to 4-3. A run-scoring double in the fourth and a sacrifice fly in the fifth kept the pressure on the Bulldogs.
Mississippi State's pitching staff responded from there.
After starter Chris Billingsley allowed two runs over 3 2/3innings, MSU turned to its bullpen, which combined to hold the Blazers scoreless over the final 5 1/3 frames. Jack Gleason (3-0) earned the win and Ben Davis worked the ninth for his fourth save of the season.
The Diamond Dawgs added a key insurance run in the seventh. Kevin Milewski walked, was bunted to second and later scored when Frei singled to center.
State finished with nine hits. Frei, Reese and Vytas Valincius all finished with two hits apiece. Reese drove in two, Frei collected one RBI and Valincius added an eighth-inning triple.
UAB threatened throughout, tallying eight hits but left 11 runners on base as the Bulldogs' bullpen repeatedly worked out of trouble to preserve the win.
Mississippi State returns to action this weekend hosting Tennessee for a three-game series starting on Friday at 6 p.m. on SEC Network+.
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: Gleason, Jack (3-0)
L: Justin Hicks (2-2)
S: Davis, Ben (4)
Batting:
2B: Landon Beaver 1 ; Brady Waugh 1
HR: Austin Pierzynski 1
RBI: Alex Dupuy 1 ; Brady Waugh 1 ; Austin Pierzynski 1
SH: Baylor Roberts 1
SF: Alex Dupuy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Landon Beaver 1 ; Wesley Helms 1 ; Austin Pierzynski 1
SB: Landon Beaver 1 ; Brady Waugh 1 ; Andrew Hunt 1
CS: Kevin Hall Jr. 1
HBP: Kevin Hall Jr. 1 ; Alex Dupuy 1 ; Landon Beaver 1 ; Mason Steele 1
Batting:
2B: Chance, Bryce 1
3B: Valincius, Vytas 1
HR: Reese, Ace 1 ; Parker, Jacob 1
RBI: Frei, Gehrig 1 ; Reese, Ace 2 ; Parker, Jacob 2
SH: Wyers, Drew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Chance, Bryce 1 ; Frei, Gehrig 1 ; Reese, Ace 1 ; Parker, Jacob 1 ; Milewski, Kevin 1
SB: Frei, Gehrig 1
CS: Woodson, Ryder 1
PO: Woodson, Ryder 1
