The 2022 college baseball season kicked off on Friday afternoon with #24 Long Beach State defeating #3 Mississippi State, 3-0 at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville.
The 10,223 fans who made their way to The Dude on Friday were part of a new program record for attendance at a home opener. MSU’s Landon Sims lived up to the hype as a starter, striking out a career-high 13 and allowing just one run – a solo homer in the 7th inning – and no walks in 7.0 innings on the mound. Sims was charged with the loss despite a lights-out pitching performance by the right-hander.
Offensively, the Diamond Dawgs were held to one hit on the night, which came off the bat of true freshman designated hitter Hunter Hines, who was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double in the bottom of the seventh.
Sims along with Logan Tanner talked about the loss postgame and what the Dawgs have to do to bounce back. Game 2 of the three-game set is Saturday at 2pm. Video is courtesy of Hail State Athletics.