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Mississippi State baseball may have injured pitcher in NCAA tournament
TALLAHASSEE, FL — Mississippi State baseball made a surprising move with its starting pitcher for the NCAA tournament opener.
The No. 3 seed Bulldogs started Ben Davis in the Tallahassee Regional game against No. 2 Northeastern on May 30. He came through with one of his best outings of the season as MSU (35-21) won 11-2 at Dick Howser Stadium.
But it was a surprise that Davis started. The sophomore started three times this season, but not once since March, and has served mostly as a reliever.
After the game, interim coach Justin Parker hinted that it could have been spurred by an injury on the pitching staff.
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“It was a health-related move, and I can’t comment too much on it,” he said.
Parker also wouldn’t reveal who MSU will start at pitcher against No. 1 Florida State (39-14) on May 31 (5 p.m. CT, ESPN2).
What are Mississippi State’s pitching options against Florida State?
The shakeup to the Bulldogs’ pitching staff succeeded against Northeastern, but if a starter truly is unavailable, it could greatly affect their chances at winning the regional.
Pico Kohn (5-3, 4.13 ERA) is MSU’s ace who typically pitches the first games of series. Did Mississippi State hold him for the Florida State matchup, or is he injured?
Evan Siary (2-1, 4.13 ERA) is Mississippi State’s second-best starter, especially with how he came along in the second half of the season. He should be starting at some point in the regional, if he’s healthy.
Karson Ligon (6-5, 5.81 ERA) is MSU’s third starter but has struggled with inconsistencies. Still, he’d be expected to pitch at some point, if he’s healthy.
“The thing that we’re tracking is getting better every day,” Parker said. “Just got to take a look at it.”
Ben Davis pitched Mississippi State by Northeastern
Davis ran into trouble early in his start.
Northeastern took a 1-0 lead in the first inning after a walk and two singles. The Huskies scored another run in the second inning after an error by second baseman Gatlin Sanders.
After that, Davis was in command with three shutout innings. He was pulled after the fifth inning with MSU ahead 7-2. Davis allowed just one earned run with five hits, two walks and three strikeouts on a season-high 87 pitches.
“I thought just as far as the expectations, this guy’s been good for us all year in a multitude of different roles,” Parker said. “That’s what I expected him to do. He got better as the game went on.”
Freshman Ryan McPherson was the only other MSU pitcher utilized, and he threw four no-hit innings.
All five of Northeastern’s hits in the game were singles. The Huskies entered the NCAA tournament second in the country in stolen bases, but didn’t attempt a single one against MSU.
The fact that Mississippi State needed to use only two pitchers sets the staff up well. But with the mysterious injury that Parker wouldn’t expand on, it raises uncertainty as to its next options.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.