Mississippi State rallies late to beat Tulane in thrilling comeback

Bulldogs score 9 runs in final 2 innings to overcome 7-2 deficit

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The No. 3 Mississippi State Bulldogs found themselves down 7-2 to Tulane in the seventh inning, but roared back with 9 runs in the final two frames to secure an 11-7 victory. Head coach Brian O'Connor praised his team's toughness and tenacity in the comeback, noting they never gave up belief despite a tough stretch where they struck out 7 straight batters against Tulane's pitcher.

Why it matters

This was a huge win for Mississippi State, who avoided what would have been a tough midweek loss before SEC play begins. The Bulldogs showed the ability to overcome adversity and rally late, which will serve them well as they prepare to take on powerhouse Arkansas this weekend in a key early-season SEC matchup.

The details

After falling behind 7-2, Mississippi State scored 9 unanswered runs in the 7th and 8th innings to complete the comeback victory. Ace Reese's grand slam in the 7th inning sparked the rally, and the Bulldogs took advantage of some Tulane miscues to score several runs late. Coach O'Connor praised the pitching efforts of Maddox Miller and Chris Billingsley, who helped stabilize the game after a shaky start from Charlie Foster.

  • The game took place on Tuesday, March 11, 2026.

The players

Brian O'Connor

The head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team.

Ace Reese

A Mississippi State player who hit a grand slam to spark the Bulldogs' comeback.

Maddox Miller

A Mississippi State pitcher who provided 2 strong innings of relief to help stabilize the game.

Chris Billingsley

A Mississippi State pitcher who threw a 1-2-3 inning in the 8th to protect the Bulldogs' lead.

Charlie Foster

A Mississippi State pitcher who struggled early but settled down as the game progressed.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We just weren't putting up a lot of great, competitive at bats in the first half of the game. Just kept challenging the guys to take care of what they can take care of and control what they could control.”

— Brian O'Connor, Head Coach (MSU radio network)

“Ace Reese had the big grand slam. We just had a toughness and tenacity to us in the seventh and eighth inning and were very opportunistic.”

— Brian O'Connor, Head Coach (MSU radio network)

“He was mixing his off speed pitches really well and we just had a horrible approach against him, candidly. We had a good idea of what he was throwing and we just kept chasing it.”

— Brian O'Connor, Head Coach (MSU radio network)

What’s next

The Bulldogs will now turn their attention to a key SEC opening series against Arkansas this weekend.

The takeaway

Mississippi State showed tremendous resilience and fight to overcome a 5-run deficit late, rallying for 9 unanswered runs to secure a crucial win before the start of SEC play. This comeback victory should give the Bulldogs confidence as they prepare to take on a talented Arkansas team in a marquee early-season conference matchup.