Mississippi State Dominates Louisiana to Advance to Super Regional

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State advanced to the NCAA Super Regional after a commanding 19-5 victory over Louisiana in the Starkville Regional final Sunday night at Dudy Noble Field. The Bulldogs, ranked 17th nationally, scored in seven innings and launched seven home runs to secure their 17th NCAA Regional championship, according to team officials.

Jacob Parker led the Bulldogs’ offensive assault, going 4-for-4 with five runs scored, two home runs, and four RBIs. Parker was named the regional’s Most Outstanding Player. Five MSU players recorded multiple hits, and four homered in the game. Ryder Woodson contributed three hits, including two home runs, and drove in four runs.

MSU started strong, with Gehrig Frei leading off the game with a home run. Parker followed with a solo shot, and Ryder Woodson added a homer in the second inning to give the Bulldogs an early lead. Mississippi State broke the game open in the fourth, scoring four runs, highlighted by a two-run homer from Ace Reese. The Bulldogs added five more runs in the seventh, including a three-run triple by Reed Stallman and a two-run shot by Woodson.

The Ragin’ Cajuns mounted a rally, scoring two runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth, but MSU responded with power hitting. Parker hit his second home run of the game in the eighth, and Vytas Valincius capped the scoring with a grand slam in the ninth. MSU’s Ryan McPherson earned the win, allowing two runs over five innings with seven strikeouts.

With the victory, Mississippi State (41-25) will face third-ranked Georgia next weekend in Athens, with a trip to the College World Series on the line. The regional drew nearly 58,000 fans over the weekend, including more than 9,900 for the championship game, according to officials.

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