It didn’t take long for Mississippi State first baseman Hunter Hines to impact Friday’s series opener against Alabama, going yard for a three-RBI home run to center field in the bottom of the first inning.
The Bulldogs would go on to win the first of three games this weekend 13-3 in seven innings after the Crimson Tide found themselves trailing by 12 runs by the fourth inning.
“We’re really hard to beat when Hunter Hines plays like that and those guys start kicking in,” Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis said after the win. “You look at the big games Hunter’s had this year, when he hits like that we win. The Vanderbilts, the A&Ms, the LSUs. He shows you how talented he is. The last two years, that’s pretty much what he’s been.
“It’s fun because he has a smile on his face. It’s fun to see him back to his normal self a little bit.”
Hines finished the day 2-2 at the plate scoring three runs and drawing two walks. Five total Mississippi State batters recorded a multi-hit game on Friday — including Amani Larry who hit a grand slam to push the lead to 12-0 in the fourth.
Still, it was Hines’ opening homer that kicked off the scoring frenzy that would ensue as the team would go on to score 13 runs on 13 hits.
“[Hines] didn’t hit lefties all year, but the first two years his power came off of lefties more than anybody,” Lemonis continued. “It’s been a little strange for us and now he’s starting to do what he’s done in the past. I just think he’s in a really good spot with his swing right now and seeing the ball.”
The win improved Mississippi State to 31-15 (13-9, SEC) overall this season as the Bulldogs look to earn a series win during Saturday’s game two. The first pitch is scheduled and 3 p.m. ET on SECN+ before the two teams wrap up the series on Sunday.
After the weekend homestand against the Crimson Tide, Mississippi State will turn its attention to a daunting series road trip at No. 2 Arkansas. The Bulldogs will return home for the rest of the regular season to battle North Alabama in one final mid-week matchup before turning their attention to one final regular season series against Missouri. With the postseason looming, making the most out of this final stretch of games will be crucial for the Bulldogs moving forward.
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