Across 26 innings of action at Condron Ballpark this weekend, Mississippi State baseball limited Florida two-way star Jac Caglianone.

At the plate, he had only two hits in his first 13 at-bats. When he took the mound Sunday, he lasted only 5⅔ innings and allowed three runs. But in his last chance against the Bulldogs, the future first-round pick made the visitors pay.

Caglianone's two-run blast in the ninth inning of Sunday's rubber match gave No. 6 Florida a 4-3 victory to steal the series win from No. 23 Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs (19-10, 4-5 SEC) could have swept Florida (16-11, 6-3), but in Friday's opener, they let a 6-2 lead slip in the final two innings. They cruised to a 12-2 win Saturday before the heartbreaking defeat in the finale.

Khal Stephen, Jurrangelo Cijntje have solidified spots in MSU’s rotation

Any lingering doubts about Khal Stephen and Jurrangelo Cijntje as starters for MSU were put to rest in Gainesville. Stephen opened the series Friday by allowing only two runs in six innings, though his bullpen didn’t come through to give him a win. Cijntje allowed two runs in seven innings Saturday, earning his fifth win of the season.

Stephen came to Mississippi State in the offseason as a transfer who had struggled to find consistency at Purdue, highlighted by a 5.21 ERA last season. He struggled in his SEC debut on March 16, when he allowed five runs in two innings against LSU. Since then, he has allowed three runs in 12⅔ innings, striking out 13 and walking five.

Command was an issue for Cijntje, MSU’s ambidextrous pitcher, last season as a freshman. He had an 8.10 ERA while striking out 63 batters and walking or hitting 48 across 14 appearances (13 starts).

Through seven starts this season, he has struck out 53 and walked or hit 24.

Mississippi State still seeking trustworthy closer

When Mississippi State won a national title in 2021, coach Chris Lemonis had the luxury of an elite closer in Landon Sims. This season, the Bulldogs haven't had an arm emerge as a trustworthy option to get the final three outs.

Brooks Auger has a team-best two saves. He showed promise, allowing only one hit in the eighth Friday. However, he couldn't get beyond one out in the ninth. The Bulldogs turned to freshman Nolan Stevens, who saw the Gators walk it off.

With weekend starter Nate Dohm still sidelined by injury, MSU had to find a winning combination of pitchers Sunday. It got eight strong innings from Karson Ligon, Cam Schuelke and Evan Siary. However, in the ninth, Siary hit the first batter he faced before allowing the walk-off blast.

TWO-HANDED: How Mississippi State uses Jurrangelo Cijntje

Tough test awaits Mississippi State’s pitching

The road for MSU’s pitching staff doesn’t ease up, with Georgia coming to Starkville for a three-game set opening Friday (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network+). UGA’s offense ranks at or near the top across various categories among SEC foes, including batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and home runs.

Georgia is led by Charlie Condon, the early favorite for SEC player of the year. He entered Sunday leading the conference with 17 home runs, including a pair of blasts in Saturday’s loss at Tennessee.

Stephen and Cijntje have anchored Mississippi State’s starting rotation, as Dohm hasn’t started since a March 8 win against Evansville. Dohm transitioned from the bullpen to the top starting spot and has succeeded with a 1.50 ERA.

Lemonis has told reporters numerous times that he believes Dohm is nearing a return. Getting him back against Georgia would be a noteworthy boost.

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: Mississippi State baseball: Bulldogs lacking closer in loss vs Florida