Mississippi State coach Brian O'Connor reflects on Bulldogs' loss to Southern Miss

O'Connor discusses his team's fight, poise, and championship culture despite the 7-6 defeat

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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Mississippi State baseball coach Brian O'Connor spoke to the media after his team's 7-6 loss to Southern Miss on Tuesday night. O'Connor acknowledged his team's early mistakes that led to a 5-0 deficit, but praised their competitive spirit and refusal to give up as they fought back to take a 6-5 lead. While they ultimately fell short, O'Connor expressed pride in how his players carried themselves and encouraged each other, saying those qualities will serve the team well in the long season ahead.

Why it matters

This loss drops Mississippi State to 2 defeats in a row, but O'Connor sees positive signs in how his team responded and maintained their championship-level culture despite the setback. The Bulldogs' ability to bounce back from early deficits and support each other through tough moments will be crucial as they continue their season against top opponents.

The details

Mississippi State fell behind 5-0 early to Southern Miss, but stormed back to take a 6-5 lead before ultimately losing 7-6. Coach Brian O'Connor praised his team's competitive spirit and refusal to give up, even though they couldn't complete the comeback. O'Connor highlighted strong pitching performances from Parker Rhodes, Maddox Miller, and Maddox Webb, while noting that reliever Sweeney didn't have his usual velocity.

  • The game took place on Tuesday night.

The players

Brian O'Connor

The head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team.

Parker Rhodes

A Mississippi State pitcher who O'Connor thought pitched very well, going 2.0 innings.

Maddox Miller

A Mississippi State pitcher who O'Connor said pitched great, other than one double down the line.

Maddox Webb

A Mississippi State pitcher who O'Connor said "did the job again" for the team.

Sweeney

A Mississippi State pitcher whose velocity was down and who O'Connor said "just wasn't himself tonight."

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What they’re saying

“When I talked to the team after that one was over, I shared with them that when you play on the road, you've got to be a little bit better – especially in the early part of the game. We just didn't get off to a great start. We fell down 3-0, 4-0 after the second inning and then they were up 5-0.”

— Brian O'Connor, Head Coach (on3.com)

“I thought our competitive spirit in the middle part of the game and the end of the game was where it needed to be. We just didn't do what you need to do in the first part of the game when you're on the road in a great ballpark against a great opponent.”

— Brian O'Connor, Head Coach (on3.com)

“I thought it was really good. Parker Rhodes I thought was very good. To be in this environment and go out there and throw 2.0 innings like he did. He had the four-pitch walk, and then coach (Justin) Parker went and settled him down and got the third out.”

— Brian O'Connor, Head Coach (on3.com)

The takeaway

Despite the tough loss, O'Connor sees a lot of positive signs in how his Mississippi State team responded with fight, poise, and a championship-level culture. Their ability to bounce back from early deficits and support each other through adversity will be crucial as they continue their season against top opponents.