Next Opponent Looms
Mississippi State opened its NCAA Tournament regional with a convincing 10‑1 victory over Lipscomb, advancing to the winner’s bracket.
Right‑hander Duke Stone turned in a standout outing, fanning 10 batters over six innings while keeping the opposition scoreless.
The offense was sparked early, with Jacob Parker launching a home run in his NCAA Tournament debut and adding an RBI single.
Mississippi State built a three‑run lead in the fourth, stretched it with another run in the sixth courtesy of Gehrig Frei’s 10th homer of the season, and then pulled away with a five‑run seventh. Vytas Valincius and Ace Reese also contributed multi‑hit performances, underscoring depth in the lineup.
Lipscomb managed only a single run in the ninth, driven in by Blake Carter’s RBI hit.
The Bulldogs will now await the winner of the Cincinnati‑Louisiana matchup, meeting that team on Saturday at 8 p.m.
Lipscomb, meanwhile, is scheduled to play the loser of that same game on Saturday at 3 p.m. in a bid to stay alive.