Numbers support Mississippi State’s small ball approach

Of the eight teams that made it to the College World Series, only Washington has fewer home runs on the season than Mississippi State.

Despite a second-inning grand slam in Tuesday’s 12-2 victory over North Carolina, the Bulldogs have continued to do most of their damage in Omaha with small ball.

Exhibit ‘A’ being MSU’s eight run inning versus the Tar Heels which included five singles, two defensive errors, a hit-by-pitch and an intentional walk before Jordan Westburg eventually cleared the bases with a two-out double.

Maybe it’s the rally banana or maybe it’s the baseball gods, but that recipe for success is simply making contact and letting the good ol’ boy fundamentals take care of the rest.  MSU interim head Coach Gary Henderson said, “We’ve been really fortunate, we got some help. We’ve got some soft contact that fell in, that’s a part of the game that’s absolute misery when it happens to you, and when it happens for you, you’re really grateful, you’re appreciative that the baseball gods have chosen that time to look down upon you and smile and we were able to take advantage of it and obviously, they helped us out with some extra outs and we made some hits when it mattered.”

MSU center fielder Jake Mangum said, “Just stringing together good at-bats. That’s a lot to do with baseball, but playing well right now and just keeping it going.”

MSU short stop Luke Alexander said, “I mean I really don’t know, but it may be the banana, I don’t know. But it’s weird, it’s just how we got big, hit that grand slam and then it was kind of quiet for a little bit and then it was like a light switch just came on. But I’m glad it happened.”

MSU pitcher Konnor Pilkington said, “We said in the dugout, oh, it’s just a bunch of rednecks having fun, playing ball. Seriously, I mean we’re just having fun, playing ball, taking it one pitch at a time, doing the basics, doing the simple stuff, making pitches, going from there.”

Mississippi State will take on the winner of North Carolina and Oregon State at 2 p.m. on Friday on ESPN.