money Pitching concerns peak in Mississippi State baseball's ugly weekend vs. Vanderbilt
STARKVILLE — The last time Mississippi State baseball beat an SEC foe was on April 29, 2022, at Missouri. The Bulldogs have played 17 conference games since that win 331 days ago, and they've lost all of them.
Vanderbilt (19-6, 6-0 SEC) extended the skid by three this weekend, beating MSU 26-3 on Friday, 18-5 on Saturday and 11-7 on Sunday.
For a program riding stout defense and dominant pitching to a national title less than two years ago, Mississippi State (14-11, 0-6) has been unable to keep opponents off the board.
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Chris Lemonis blames himself
The last time Mississippi State battled Vanderbilt was in the finals of the 2021 College World Series. MSU won its first national title, putting the storied program at a new height.
Much has changed since then. The Bulldogs went 26-30 last season and have extended their SEC losing streak to 17 games with the poor start this season. In its six SEC games, MSU has been out-scored 90-26.
Despite the concerns about pitching and defense, coach Chris Lemonis is not blaming players. He’s pinned the blame on himself.
“We have to perform at a higher level,” Lemonis said after Saturday’s loss. “And that includes the coach.”
Lemonis said Friday, despite a good week of practice, he and his staff haven’t done enough to get the team prepared.
Jurrangelo Cijntje struggling in SEC, others just struggling
The decision to start Nate Dohm on Sunday was built off the first two games. If he didn’t need to be used out of the bullpen, he could start. However, in a tight game with a chance to grab a win, he was an option late in games.
The pitching woes made it easy to save Dohm − who allowed seven earned runs in 5⅓ innings − as MSU was blown out in the third two games.
“We’re not competing,” Lemonis said of the pitching. “We’re having guys run out there and not (getting) outs. Not any outs. It’s putting more pressure on the staff and the team every time it happens. I’ve got to make better decisions. These are hard decisions to make right now.”
Switch pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje was in his usual starting spot on Friday, but early struggles bit him again. Cijntje entered with a 2.25 ERA.
In his previous start against Kentucky, he allowed four runs − all in the first inning. He allowed three in the first against Vandy and bounced back with a scoreless second, giving hope of settling in as he did the week before. However, Vanderbilt jumped on him for another five runs (three earned) in a seven-run third. His ERA nearly doubled.
Landon Gartman provided the opposite on Saturday. He was strong through three scoreless innings. However, Vanderbilt scored eight runs in his next 2⅔ innings. Gartman’s ERA hasn’t dipped below 4.50 in six starts.
Chris Lemonis not concerned with offense
Entering the ninth inning Saturday, MSU cut the deficit to four. It was 18-5 when the offense came to bat again. Entering the fifth inning Sunday, the Bulldogs cut the deficit to three. It was 11-3 in the sixth.
While trailing isn’t ideal, Mississippi State has proven to have an offense capable of keeping games close. However, Lemonis’ bats haven't been given chances to make a splash in SEC play.
Vanderbilt’s pitching provided a tough matchup for MSU with a lefty-heavy rotation. Mississippi State still managed to collect five runs and nearly nine hits per game.
“We’ve got to get more outs on the mound,” Lemonis said. “I think we’ll be fine on the offensive side.”
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Woes peak for Mississippi State baseball, Chris Lemonis vs. Vanderbilt
