Hail State: the Bulldogs open the State Farm Classic with an 8-3 victory over Texas

Luke Hancock and Rowdey Jordan each homered, and the #7 Mississippi State Bulldogs opened their 2021 campaign with an 8-3 victory over the #9 Texas Longhorns in the opening game of the State Farm College Baseball Showdown in Arlington, Texas.

Landon Jordan(no relation to Rowdey) opened up scoring in the second with an RBI single off of Texas SP Ty Madden to score Hancock. After a few more blows by the Bulldogs, including RBI singles by Hancock and Drew McGowan, Texas sophomore Ivan Melendez opened up scoring for the Longhorns with a missile to left field in the bottom of the fifth. A double by Cam Williams and singles by Silas Ardoin and Murphy Stehly threatened as they loaded the bases with no outs, but it was quickly extinguished as Mississippi St reliever Landon Sims came in and struck out the next three batters.

The Bulldogs scored twice in the top of the 8th with the home run by Jordan and a Josh Hatcher RBI double to score Tanner Allen. Texas scored twice in the last of the ninth on hits by Melendez and Ardoin.

Texas SP Ty Madden (0-1) went four innings, gave up three, and struck out five.

Mississippi State SP Christian MacLeod also went four innings, gave up just one run, and struck seven.

Mississippi State P Landon Sims (1-0) went four, gave up no runs, and struck out 10.

Texas plays again tomorrow at 7pm in a contest against #8 Arkansas.

Mississippi State's next game is also tomorrow, in an 11am contest against #10 TCU.