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College World Series: Mississippi State 5, Indiana 4 -- The Bulldogs and the Bullpen Do It Again

The way that John Cohen uses his bullpen is proving to be unconventional. It's also working

USA TODAY Sports

Someday, someone is going to come up with an easy way to describe what Mississippi State's bullpen has done this year. Because it has been nothing short of amazing. The Bulldogs and head coach John Cohen decided long ago that the bulk of the work would end up falling on the relievers -- and it has so far worked almost to perfection.

And it worked to perfection again Monday night, as Chad Girodo threw 6.1 innings of solid baseball, striking out 10 and allowing two earned runs. That's a quality start if he starts. But like most of Mississippi State's games, the critical innings that allowed the Bulldogs to claw their way back into this one were pitched by a reliever.

The offense came in a three-run eighth inning that gave Mississippi State its 5-4 lead. And with the come-from-behind nature of the win, and the last-minute dramatic flourish -- a final out that was barely picked by first baseman Wes Rea -- the Bulldogs have started to draw a favorable comparison.

That's a tall order, but it's starting to seem like one that's not too far off the mark. The bullpen has until Friday to rest, and one more win gets Mississippi State to the championship series. You have to like their chances.