Opinion: Saturday's Controversial Loss Revealed Mississippi State Baseball's Character

Perhaps it was a little of both after the benches cleared against Georgia last weekend when the Mississippi State Bulldogs showed some bite. 

The Bulldogs had gone into the series dealing with more adversity, coming off an embarrassing 7-6 midweek loss to Central Arkansas. However, it was nothing new for this group. Some of the hardship they've brought upon themselves and some have been forced upon them. Either way, they've continued to grind through it. 

In game one of the weekend series, the pressure was high to respond and rally the fan base, and they did just that. MSU notched the win thanks to an excellent start from Khal Stephen. 

So far this season, he's been one of the veteran leaders in the clubhouse, the kind of player the program had been lacking during the two years since winning the national title. But don't just take the word of Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis; junior outfielder Bryce Chance says that the camaraderie this season is different. 

"I feel like we are very close as a team," Chance said. "That is one thing we have been missing out on the past couple of years."

Another guy mentioned a lot when players and coaches speak about this season's leadership is catcher Johnny Long. Like Stephen, Long is a transfer, as he spent last year at Pitt. 

The graduate student doesn't have the same eye-popping numbers as his teammate but impacts the team and game in numerous ways. They include being a veteran presence and an excellent defender behind the plate, plus an on-base percentage of .441.

Long has added an intensity and grit that's been lacking, and dare we say hunger?  That was evident after some jawing against LSU when the veteran catcher ran past the Tigers' dugout. 

However, his next intensity display may have gone a little overboard, and it certainly was not subtle, against Georgia. In the top of the eighth inning, with a 2-2 ballgame and a runner on first, the Bulldogs smoked a double into the gap, and the runner was sent home. 

The second baseman Amani Larry made a great throw to the plate to nail the runner at home. However, after the tag was applied, Long stood over the runner and yelled at him, leading to both benches clearing. 

The physical altercation ended with Long as cooler heads prevailed, but after a 40-minute review, 11 total players were ejected, including six position players for MSU. Stephen and freshman pitcher Luke Dotson were forced to play left and right field for the remainder of the game. 

Georgia took the lead on a solo home run in the top of the ninth. That one run was enough as Dotson and Stephen were forced to bat in the bottom of the inning, and both struck out to end it. 

Long after those final outs, Lemonis was still furious as he spent nearly his entire six-minute press conference enraged at the umpires and officials in Birmingham, not Starkville. The head coach and athletic director, Zac Selmon, fought for an appeal and had two subsequent conversations at 3 and 6 a.m. on the phone.

MSU would be without Long and Logan Kohler in game three, but everyone else was available. However, ace Nate Dohm, who was returning to action after missing the past three weeks, left the pivotal rubber game of the series after just eight pitches. 

UGA also jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the third, but rather than giving up on the game, the Bulldogs bared their teeth in a different way and fought. Making a furious comeback, they took the lead in the eighth and won 9-8 to cap a wild weekend at Dudy Noble Field. 

Was it pretty or perfect? Hardly. But it was telling.

Mississippi State once again has a roster of players who play for each other. One can question their play sometimes, and sure, they might get their uniforms a little dirtier than some teams. But after last weekend, no one should be doubting their character.