Mississippi State pitcher serves straight heat versus rival with historic performance

Under the Friday night lights of Dudy Noble Field, with bragging rights and postseason dreams hanging in the balance, Evan Siary delivered one of the most dominant pitching performances in recent Mississippi State history—and the SEC took notice.

The sophomore right-hander was named SEC Pitcher of the Week after tossing eight scoreless innings against rival Ole Miss, racking up 15 strikeouts while issuing no walks in State’s 4-1 victory. It was a performance that will be talked about in Starkville for years to come—and one that propelled Siary into the national spotlight.

The 15 strikeouts marked the most by a Bulldog pitcher in a regular season game since Chris Stratton fanned 17 LSU batters in 2012. Not since Will Bednar’s College World Series opener in 2021 has a Mississippi State arm been so untouchable.

For Siary, who only recently became a full-time starter in late March, the night was nothing short of transformational. Coming into the game, he had never gone longer than six innings or struck out more than six in a single outing. In one night, he doubled both marks—and then some.

The win evened the series with Ole Miss and improved Siary’s record to 2-1, both victories coming in SEC play. Perhaps more meaningful: the win came in front of 14,012 fans—the seventh-largest crowd in Polk-Dement Stadium history, and one of the biggest ever in NCAA campus baseball.

A native of South Carolina who finished high school at Starkville Academy, Siary’s dominance against the Rebels was personal and poetic. And with Mississippi State sitting at 12-15 in SEC play—just one win away from a multi-team tie for 10th place—his timing couldn’t be better.

Now, with one final regular season series at Missouri and an NCAA Tournament bid still within reach, Siary may be the x-factor that propels this Bulldogs team into the postseason.

If he’s proven anything, it’s this: Evan Siary isn’t just pitching. He’s making a statement.