Mississippi State coach Chris Lemonis was looking ahead after No. 2 Arkansas hammered his No. 4 Bulldogs 8–2 Friday night in the opener of a three-game SEC series in Starkville, Miss.
Matt Goodheart, Cayden Wallace and Christian Franklin hit solo home runs in the first inning and Franklin added his sixth blast later as the Razorbacks (17-3, 3-1 SEC) defeated the Bulldogs (17-5, 2-2).
“It will be a good matchup the rest of the weekend,” Lemonis said. “Like I told the ball club, the best thing about baseball is you get to play again in 24 hours. We have to be able to throw that one away and able to have a short-term memory and be ready to play good baseball.”
The two teams are scheduled to play Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.
“They are good,” Lemonis said of the Razorbacks. “We know they are good. They have some guys who struggle a little bit, but they have a little bit of power, a little bit of speed and several pro guys.
“We have got to pitch better. We have got to pitch ahead in counts. We have to be the aggressor.”
The Bulldogs had only four hits against Arkansas starter Patrick Wicklander (1-0) and reliever Payton Pallette.
The Razorbacks are scheduled to throw Zebulon Vemillion on Saturday. Vermillion is coming off back-to-back eight-inning, one-run performances against Louisiana Tech and Alabama.
“It is good pitching, but I also felt like we had counts we could hit in and we just weren’t ready to hit and normally we do,” Lemonis said. “We have to be better tomorrow. I think their best arm is throwing tomorrow.”
Mississippi State started Christian MacLeod (2-2), who was roughed up by Arkansas and lasted just 3 2/3 innings. MacLeod pitched 6 innings against LSU last weekend and allowed just 3 hits and 1 run.
He allowed 5 runs against the Razorbacks on 6 hits and 2 walks.
“It was not the start we wanted,” Lemonis said. “Christian was so good last week, but didn’t get the same start this week. And when you give a good team like that momentum and their pitcher gets to pitch with a lead and we have to play from behind, it is just not great formula there.”
Lemonis was not happy with his pitchers Friday night.
“I told all the pitchers that I thought we pitched behind tonight a little,” Lemonis said. “Stone (Simmons) was good for a couple of batters there, but he has got really good stuff and he can pitch better than that.
“I thought Cam Tullar (2 strikeouts in 2/3 of an inning) was our one guy that had really good stuff tonight and we are going to need him the rest of the series."