NCAA Baseball Tournament: Mississippi State 5, Central Arkansas 3 -- Upset Averted

You kind of wonder what was going through the minds of the Mississippi State players when they found themselves trailing Central Arkansas, 2-1, through the middle of the fifth inning. After all, Central Arkansas had taken two of three from the Bulldogs in the regular season.

It ended up not lasting long. Central Arkansas took their lead in the top of the fourth during a nightmarish inning for the Mississippi State defense; the Bulldogs had tied the game by the bottom of the fifth and took the lead one inning later. Despite four errors and allowing 11 hits, State managed to limit the Bears to three runs and get the early win.

They might not be as fortunate in the next game. South Alabama easily defeated Mercer on Friday to move into the winners' bracket, and the Jaguars are a good enough team to better capitalize on the kinds of mistakes Mississippi State made against Central Arkansas. If the Bulldogs want to advance, they better hope that Friday night's game serves as both a win and a wake-up call.