Much to the dismay of the many Mississippi State fans in attendance, the Bulldogs were tamed and sent home to Starkville with a 9-0 loss at the hands of the Aggies of Texas A&M on Wednesday morning.

Losing on Wednesday might not be the end of the season for Mississippi State, but going winless in Hoover doesn’t meet the standard that makes Mississippi State the program it is. It isn’t the end of the world. Mississippi State still has a Regional to prepare for, and, lucky for the Bulldogs, playing in the Southeastern Conference prepares for the ultimate prize of making a deep run in the tournament and a run at the College World Series.

So, let’s talk about it. What happened? Why did it happen? Where does Mississippi State go from here?

First, Mississippi State went with Ryan McPherson on the mound today despite Texas A&M going with their ace in Ryan Pranger. Coach Parker reiterated his trust in McPherson and his decision not to pitch Pico Kohn despite five days of rest after a successful outing last weekend in Columbia, Missouri. Given that Mississippi State gave up two errors early on, McPherson started hot but then imploded in the second inning when he gave up six runs, including a grand slam that it 6-0 Texas A&M. The decision to start him was one that Mississippi State fans might agree with. Still, it made sense when you factor in the fact that Mississippi State will be playing baseball somewhere next weekend, and the pitchers could use an extra few days of rest before returning for Regional play.

Second, a team playing in playoff games for the last month can have an off-game at the plate and be okay. Again, Mississippi State will be playing postseason baseball next weekend, and according to them, they still believe their best baseball is ahead of them. The bats weren’t doing what they’ve been doing, and that’s just baseball. With guys like Hunter Hines, Ace Reese, Noah Sullivan, Joe Powell, and Bryce Chance, the Bulldogs always have a chance at scoring enough runs to win a Regional and even have a chance at reaching the College World Series, depending on the draw. There’s not a one-seed, or a two-seed, for that matter, that wants to draw a pissed-off Mississippi State team in a Regional format.

Third, Mississippi State will be fine. You have to remember that this team doesn’t have a full-time coach. They have some guys banged up, but they still have momentum from series wins against Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Missouri over the last three weeks. This team doesn’t have what it takes to win a National Championship, but they’ve shown they can still compete with the best of them in baseball. Depending on matchups next weekend, Mississippi State has the track record of going into somebody’s stadium and walking away with a Regional Championship.

You never want to be one and done in Hoover, but Mississippi State ran into a Texas A&M team that needed to win the Southeastern Conference Tournament to reach a Regional, and the Bulldogs were the unlucky first team to run into the buzz saw. Baseball happens, and at this point in the season, short-term memory is crucial for the Bulldogs to succeed this postseason. Don’t let the stuff that happened today against Texas A&M become a second or season-ending loss in a Regional.

Mississippi State will await its postseason destination with the selection show on Monday at 11:00 on ESPN2.