The Northeastern baseball team (49-11, 25-2 CAA) fell 2-3 to the Mississippi State University Bulldogs (35-22, 15-15 SEC) in the College World Series regional elimination game June 1, shutting the Huskies out from the NCAA tournament and marking the end of their historic season.
The game started off rough for the Huskies, with two flyouts to center field and a strike out in the first inning. While Northeastern failed to record a hit or a run, Mississippi State established momentum with leadoff singles from senior left fielder Gehrig Frei and senior designated hitter Noah Sullivan. Senior first baseman Hunter Hines then doubled to right field, allowing Frei to score the Bulldogs’ first run. Sullivan was then scored by senior center fielder Bryce Chance, increasing Mississippi State’s lead to 2-0 at the end of the first.
The second inning was no different for the Huskies; they recorded two flyouts to right field, and junior shortstop Jack Goodman struck out swinging. A groundball from freshman shortstop Lukas Buckner led to a double play from Goodman and graduate student first baseman Alex Lane, and Mississippi State failed to record any runs in the bottom of the second.
The third and fourth innings were uneventful for both teams. Both Northeastern and Mississippi State went down in order in the third inning, with junior right-handed pitcher Aiven Cabral recording three groundouts and keeping Mississippi State at bay.
Northeastern went down in order once again in the fourth inning, with redshirt junior left fielder Harrison Feinberg striking out, junior center fielder Cam Maldonado grounding out to the pitcher and sophomore right fielder Ryan Gerety flying out to center. The bottom half for Mississippi State consisted of a single from senior right fielder Reed Stallman, but Cabral retired the next three batters, keeping the score 2-0 at the bottom of the fourth.
The fifth inning was where the tides began to shift for the Huskies as they finally got on the board. Goodman struck out, but junior second baseman Carmelo Musacchia was able to single, then steal second base. Musacchia was initially picked off at second, but Northeastern challenged the call and it was overturned.
Junior designated hitter Matt Brinker struck out, and the pressure was high for the Huskies in the fifth. Alex Lane was able to single to center field, scoring Musacchia and making the score 2-1.
The one point deficit was short lived as Mississippi State responded with two consecutive singles. As graduate student right-handed pitcher Cooper McGrath stepped up to the mound, Mississippi’s Sullivan fouled out to third. Hines followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Frei, extending the Bulldogs’ lead back to 3-1 as the game headed into the sixth.
The Huskies failed to score in the top half of the sixth. With the bases loaded for Mississippi State in the bottom half and only one out recorded, things looked grim for the Huskies. However, McGrath was able to produce on the mound with a strikeout and ground out to Musacchia, stranding the bases loaded and keeping the score 3-1.
Northeastern was able to rally in the top of the seventh as Goodman led off with a double down the left field line, followed by a flyout and pop-up that kept the momentum going for the Huskies. Lane drew a walk and graduate student catcher Gregory Bozzo was hit by a pitch, advancing Lane to second and Goodman to third. Senior third baseman Jack Doyle’s subsequent walk then brought in Goodman, making the score 3-2. With McGrath on the mound, the Bulldogs were unable to extend their lead in the bottom half of the seventh.
The Huskies posed a threat in the top half of the eighth after a two-out walk to Goodman but couldn’t score him as Musacchia grounded out. With runners on first and third for the Bulldogs, Northeastern head coach Mike Glavine was ejected from the game for arguing with the umpires, leaving the Huskies without their leader as they headed into the final innings. However, with senior right-handed pitcher Brett Dunham now on the mound for the Huskies, Dunham was able to strand the Bulldogs in that position and keep the score 3-2.
The Huskies were down by one in the ninth and put the tying run on after Brinker was hit by a pitch. However, a double play and freshman pinch runner Carter Bentley getting caught stealing ended the Huskies’ hopes of tying the game.
The Huskies fought hard to secure the upset, but were ultimately unable to defeat Mississippi State and move on in the NCAA tournament. Despite the loss, the Huskies’ 2024-25 season remains one of the best to date, with program records shattered, a conference title secured and a pitching staff that garnered the nation’s attention.
