Between fall scrimmages against outside competition, Mississippi State would open Dudy Noble for fans and media alike on Friday with an open intra-squad scrimmage as they took the field for the 5th series of the fall season. With games against Auburn and Western Kentucky behind them, Friday was another day to play against each other for development.
As it is with any scrimmage where you’re playing members of your own team, the actual takeaways might not be as concrete as games against outside competition, but Mississippi State had a lot of positives on Friday evening, and then some areas for improvement. Before I dive into a few thoughts and observations, you need to understand one thing about fall ball: it matters for development, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s a time for guys to get game experience while building and developing for the upcoming season. Nothing more or nothing less, so sure, it’s cool to go out and enjoy an afternoon at the ballpark, but just because you see something that might raise concern in-season doesn’t mean that issue will be around once Opening Weekend rolls around; those issues are usually ironed out, and baseball is ready to be played at the highest levels.
So, without further ado, let’s talk about a few observations from Friday’s scrimmage.
First, Coach O’Connor and his staff did a great job of dividing the teams between returning guys and newcomers to the program, so neither team had a true advantage. Notable names on the black team on Friday included Jacob Parker, Ryder Woodson, Duke Stone, Kevin Milewski, Jack Bauer, Ryan McPherson, Will Craddox, Nolan Grawe, and Wilson Anderson. Parker Rhodes started for the black team on the mound. In that group, Nolan Grawe’s speed on the base paths was noticeable on Friday. Pitching wasn’t that great, as guys like Jack Bauer and a few others struggled to find the strike zone despite throwing some heat.
On the grey team, Denton Lord started, followed by Landon Brown, among others. On the hitting side, a few guys stood out for their consistency at the plate: Burke-Lee Mabeus, Peyton Firgens, Michael Hanna, Chone James, and Jake Carbaugh. From that group, Burke-Lee Mabeus, Peyton Firgens, and Chone James really stood out on Friday with multiple hits and walks each. Peyton Firgens had a spectacular triple that scored in Chone James, leaving room for excitement for the upcoming season.
As for some random thoughts, I didn’t notice any ABS being used, but after seeing Mississippi State in Hoover last year, you can expect the Bulldogs to be aggressive once it is in play. Second, this Mississippi State team passes the eye test of a Coach Brian O’Connor-coached team: they have pitching depth this season, but also guys in the lineup who beat you in many ways, with both the long ball and small ball. Overall, this Mississippi State team has a lot of potential and could be a popular preseason pick to compete for the Southeastern Conference championship and make a return trip to the College World Series for the first time since 2021.
Mississippi State will host their final fall ball game against outside competition on Friday night as it welcomes the Little Rock Trojans to Dudy Noble Field. Little Rock entered the 2026 fall season looking to continue last season’s momentum, when they shocked Southern Miss in the Hattiesburg Regional before earning a trip to a Super Regional where they faced Troy. Troy has a lot of excitement heading into the 2027 season. Friday night will be a good test for both the Bulldogs and Trojans, as both have aspirations of reaching the College World Series.
Photo credits- Mississippi State baseball on X
