Relying on freshman arms to carry the load, the Mississippi State Bulldogs pieced together a shutout to knock off the Vanderbilt Commodores 3-0 to claim their seventh SEC Tournament title in Hoover Sunday.
A wild pitch in the bottom of the third allowed Adam Frazier, the tournament MVP, to score, and it proved to be the only runs the Bulldogs needed to pick up the victory.
Brandon Woodruff, the freshman who drew his second start of the tournament, worked around trouble in the top of the first to throw three scoreless innings before handing the ball to Ross Mitchell.
Mitchell, who earned the victory, pitched five scoreless innings to keep the Commodores at bay.
Frazier drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the fourth, and Brent Brownlee hit a sacrifice fly to round out the scoring for the Bulldogs.
Vanderbilt threatened with runners on first and second with no outs in the top of the ninth to chase Mitchell. Caleb Reed came in, inducing a double play ground ball. Reed then plunked the next hitter, and MSU coach John Cohen decided to bring in his all-everything pitcher, Chris Stratton.
After a runner reached on a fielder's choice, Stratton took care of business.
Cohen became the first person to win an SEC tournament as a player and a coach.
Earlier in the day, the Bulldogs learned they would not host a regional. They will learn their fate tomorrow afternoon.