2021 College World Series: Mississippi State sets CWS strikeout record in win over Texas

(MSU Athletics)

Mississippi State set the College World Series single-game record with 21 strikeouts, but had to survive a shaky bottom of the ninth to hold off Texas 2-1 in the final game of the opening round at the College World Series. 

Texas trailed heading into the bottom of the ninth and had been handcuffed by MSU pitchers Will Bednar and Logan Sims.

Mike Antico led off the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run to right-center field to cut the MSU lead to 2-1.

Sims rebounded with a strikeout and groundout, but the final out did not come without drama.

Ivan Melendez singled on the 11th pitch of the at-bat to keep the Longhorns alive. Cam Williams then singled on an 0-2 pitch to put runners in the corners. Melendez and Williams were 0-for-6 with five strikeouts entering the final inning.

With the tying run at third and the winning run at first, Sims got Douglas Hodo III to ground out to second baseman Scotty Dubrule to end the game.

Mississippi State (46-16) scored both runs in the fourth inning. Dubrule had a sac fly and Brad Cumbest added an RBI triple.

But the story on Sunday night was Mississippi State’s pitching and record-setting strikeout totals. 

Bednar and Sims combined for a CWS record 21 strikeouts in the win. 

Texas’ Ty Madden and Pete Hansen combined for 12 strikeouts in the loss. 

MSU (21) and Texas (12) combined for a CWS record 33 strikeouts. 

Bednar (8-1) held the Longhorns to one hit through six scoreless innings. He set the MSU record with 15 strikeouts in a CWS game. He left the game after a leadoff walk in the seventh inning.

Bednar had at least two strikeouts in every inning and struck out every Texas hitter at least once. At one point, he struck out seven straight batters. 

Texas’ 6-9 hitters went 0-for-12 with 10 strikeouts.

Sims struck out six in three innings for his 11th save. He allowed one run and three hits, all in the ninth inning.

MSU pitchers have 765 strikeouts this season, tying Ole Miss for the most strikeouts in the nation. Vanderbilt (699) and Arkansas (657) give the SEC the top four strikeout totals in the nation.

Texas (47-16) hitters have struck out 537 times this season, three fewer than the Longhorn pitchers (540) have recorded.

In two games with MSU this season, Texas struck out 40 times. 

Madden (7-5) struck out 10 batters in seven innings. He allowed two runs and four hits. 

Hansen added two scoreless innings and struck out two. 

MSU’s Logan Tanner, Kellum Clark and Logan Forsythe went 0-for-10 with nine strikeouts. 

Mississippi State defeated Texas for the first at the College World Series. Texas had beaten MSU in 1979 and 1985 in Omaha.

MSU will face Virginia in the winner’s bracket on Tuesday at 7 p.m. (ET). Texas will face Tennessee in an elimination game at 2 p.m. (ET).