136 seasons. 11 SEC titles. 13 appearances in Omaha. And yet, Mississippi State still had never felt the rush of emotion after winning a national title.
Until Wednesday night.
In a one-sided game three, the Bulldogs put to rest all doubt of their capability, crushing Vanderbilt, the defending national champion, 9-0, as they captured not only the first NCAA championship in program history, but the first team national title in the history of Mississippi State athletics.
“We knew going into this game that we had the opportunity to do something that had never been done,” Mississippi State right fielder Tanner Allen said postgame. “We just came together, played with each other and left it all on the field and let God take over.”
Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis had a handful of reliable arms revving to go in the bullpen throughout Wednesday’s contest. But he had no reason to call upon them until the seventh inning, as starter Will Bednar was nothing short of spectacular.
Bednar, voted as the Most Outstanding Player of the CWS, saved the best of last. In his final start of the season, of his collegiate career, the sophomore, who had allowed at least two earned runs in four of his last five starts, held the mighty Commodores hitless through six innings. He walked just three, and struck out four.
“I kind of just treated it like it was any other outing, to be honest with you,” Bednar said. “[To
win the] MVP was unreal. I didn't really expect it. That was just a surreal feeling to get that.”
When Bednar’s day finished, Landon Sims was right there to keep the no-hitter intact for another inning, and completed the game with...
To read Riley Zayas' full analysis column on the College World Series final, head to College Baseball Nation
Comentários