HOOVER, Ala. — A former junior college pitcher needed to provide the best start of his career before Connor Hujsak could turn on a pitch he’ll never forget.

A left-handed pitcher who struggled against SEC competition needed to paint the corner on a full-count pitch before the Mississippi State dugout at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium could clear out to meet Hujsak at home.

A scrappy middle infielder had to battle to get on base before a Gatorade cooler could be dumped atop Hujsak’s head.

For Mississippi State baseball, Tuesday at the SEC tournament will be an evening not soon forgotten. The walk-off, two-run home run to left field from Hujsak to flip a one-run deficit with two outs in the ninth to a 2-1 victory against rival and No. 12 seed Ole Miss (27-29) will be celebrated for years to come.

“That’s No. 1 for me,” MSU coach Chris Lemonis said when asked to rank his favorite moments in the rivalry.

But to get to that moment – for No. 5 seed MSU (37-19) to advance to Wednesday (8 p.m., SEC Network) where a meeting with No. 4 seed Texas A&M (44-11) awaits – the Bulldogs needed a series of perfectly aligned moments.

How Brooks Auger went from junior college to Mississippi State starter

When right-handed pitcher Brooks Auger was preparing to start against Ole Miss – only the fourth start of his MSU career – Lemonis delivered a piece of advice that’s common for players brought in from junior college.

“It’s just like pitching against Itawamba (Community College),” Lemonis joked.

As a product of Hinds Community College, Auger appeared to heed Lemonis’ advice. He gave the Bulldogs eight innings in which he allowed one run while striking out 13. Of his 78 pitches, only 12 were balls.

Mississippi State hasn’t made the postseason since its 2021 national title run. Auger’s outing was reminiscent of Will Bednar – the former MSU ace who delivered countless dazzling starts to help bring the Bulldogs their first championship.

Auger’s journey wasn’t linear, though. He arrived in Starkville in 2022 and showed promise with a 3.05 ERA across 16 appearances. However, a torn UCL cut his season short and kept him out last year.

Pitchers aren’t guaranteed a return from Tommy John surgery, but Auger got a chance.

“It’s all God’s work, man,” Auger said through tears Tuesday. “Never in my life would I ever have expected to do something like that on this stage. It’s a miracle.”

How Tyler Davis kept Ole Miss scoreless in the ninth

Mississippi State turned to relief pitcher Tyson Hardin in the ninth inning. However, after a pair of runners reached, Lemonis brought in Tyler Davis (5-0) with two outs for a favorable matchup against Ole Miss’ Will Furniss.

The two lefties dueled, eventually getting a full count.

That’s when Davis delivered a pitch on the corner low and away from Furniss. The strikeout looking kept the Rebels off the scoreboard in the final frame.

To some, it can be an overlooked moment.

“Not from me,” Lemonis said.

After the game, the sixth-year MSU coach immediately walked to Davis to let him know it was a pivotal pitch.

HOT CORNER: Inside Logan Kohler's rise with Mississippi State baseball from Bobby Witt Jr to power surge

How David Mershon reached base

Mississippi State owned the SEC’s worst ERA across the last two seasons. Walks were at the root of the issues, particularly to lead off innings.

Lemonis knows the feeling, so he understood the magnitude of Mershon working a full-count walk to open the bottom of the ninth inning.

“When you walk that first guy in the ninth, everybody is the other dugout is like ‘Ooooh,’ ” Lemonis said. “You just have that feeling.”

Mershon advanced to second on a passed ball before taking third on a one-out groundout. The next pitch?

“When (Hujsak) hit that ball, I just put my hands in the air because I knew there was no doubt that ball was getting out of this park,” Auger said.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Inside Mississippi State baseball's walk-off vs Ole Miss in SEC tournament