jacob parker mississippi state changed the Starkville Regional title game fast. He homered twice and drove in four runs as Mississippi State beat Louisiana 19-5 on Sunday night at Dudy Noble Field, then moved on to the Athens Super Regional with a College World Series berth ahead.
Mississippi State finished with 20 hits and seven home runs, scoring in seven different innings while turning the championship game into a rout. Parker went 4-for-4 with five runs scored, two walks, a double, two home runs and four RBIs, and he was named the Starkville Regional's Most Outstanding Player.
Mississippi State Opens Fast
Gehrig Frei led off with a home run to right-center, and Mississippi State kept stretching the lead from there. Ace Reese added a two-run homer in the fourth inning, Ryder Woodson hit two home runs, and Vytas Valincius finished the scoring surge with a grand slam in the ninth.
Ryan McPherson earned the win, and the offense never let Louisiana settle in. Mississippi State won the game by 14 runs and claimed its 17th NCAA Regional Championship in program history.
Dudy Noble Field Crowd
The regional drew 57,794 fans across the weekend, with 9,901 in the stands for Sunday night's championship game. Louisiana finished 43-17, but Mississippi State controlled the bracket from the final day and sent the home crowd into the next round with a clear path to Athens.
That next step comes against Georgia, a three-ranked team, next weekend in Athens. Mississippi State will need one more postseason win there to keep its College World Series run alive.
