No. 9 Diamond Dawgs Claim 4-2 Victory Over No. 8 Texas Tech in Frisco Classic

FRISCO, Texas — No. 9 Mississippi State baseball claimed a 4-2 victory Saturday evening in a top-10 showdown with No. 8 Texas Tech in day two of the Frisco Classic at Dr Pepper Ballpark.

The Dawgs have now won six in a row as they improve to 10-1 on the season. Texas Tech now sits at 6-3 on the year.

Freshman right-hander JT Ginn (3-0) impressed yet again, picking up his third win in as many starts. Ginn allowed just two runs on three hits in seven innings of work. Ginn fanned eight Texas Tech batters and walked just one.

MSU capitalized on a pair of throwing errors in the top of the second to take a 1-0 lead. Senior Elijah MacNamee got the inning going with a single. He then reached second on one of the Red Raiders’ two throwing errors. Junior Dustin Skelton then reached on Texas Tech’s second error, which also scored MacNamee and gave MSU a 1-0 lead. Texas Tech tied it up in the bottom half of the second inning, as sophomore Dylan Neuse singled with one out and stole second base with two outs. A balk moved Neuse to third and he scored on a wild pitch.

The Diamond Dawgs scored one run in the fourth inning and a run in the fifth inning to make it a 3-1 ballgame. After two outs, sophomore Rowdey Jordan drew a walk. Junior Gunner Halter followed with a single to right-center field, with Jordan running on the pitch. Jordan was waved home and scored. A pair of walks started the fifth inning and Skelton reached on an infield single to load the bases with just one out. The Texas Tech shortstop committed the third error of the game for the Red Raiders to allow State’s third run of the game to score.

The Red Raiders scored a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to make it 3-2 in favor of MSU. Texas Tech’s Gabe Holt got the Red Raider offense started in the sixth with a single to right field. He then advanced to second on a wild pitch before stealing third and heading home on a fielder’s choice.

State then added an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning as Jordan singled to start the frame and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Halter. A wild pitch then moved him up to third before senior Jake Mangum collected the RBI with a sacrifice fly to center field.

After Ginn’s seven innings of work, junior right-hander Colby White was the first pitcher to come in relief. White struck out two of the three batters he faced in the eighth inning. Graduate student Cole Gordon then closed out the ninth to earn his third save of the season with a perfect inning that included two strikeouts and a flyout to end the game.

MSU held a 8-4 hits advantage in the contest. Mangum and Halter picked up an RBI apiece in the win.

For Tech, Junior right-hander Caleb Kilian (0-2) got the start and is charged with the loss. He allowed two runs—one earned—on four hits in 3 ²⁄₃ innings of work.

The final game of the Frisco Classic will start at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday with the Dawgs taking on Nebraska at Dr Pepper Ballpark.