CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — There are questions Mississippi State baseball must answer to make a super regional.

Can the Bulldogs win three straight games after losing 5-4 against No. 1 seed Virginia on Saturday? Does Mississippi State have the pitching to compete in five games across four days?

The reality, though, is that No. 2 seed MSU (39-22) shouldn’t worry about providing answers. Coach Chris Lemonis’ mantra – albeit cliché – is to focus on one game. To survive the Charlottesville Regional, the Bulldogs will have to buy into it.

Otherwise, what awaits beyond a game against No. 3 seed St. John’s (38-17-1) on Sunday (11 a.m. CT) doesn’t matter.

“That’s my job," Lemonis said. "I’ve got to convince these guys to come out and be really good in the first tomorrow. You can’t think about what the whole day is or anything like that. You’ve got to win the first inning and be in the moment.”

Lemonis faced a similar setup in 2009 while serving as an assistant at Louisville. In the Big East tournament, the Cardinals won their first two games. However, they lost the first game of a semifinal doubleheader against Notre Dame.

Needing to win two more games, Louisville prevailed for a conference tournament title.

However, Mississippi State hasn’t faced much adversity in regionals since his tenure started in 2019.

The Bulldogs won all three games while hosting a regional in his first season at the helm before doing the same in 2021. Playing away from Dudy Noble Field with a roster lacking postseason experience, Lemonis must overcome a tall task.

It can only be accomplished if he doesn’t think about the big picture, which is why Lemonis is starting Brooks Auger – who threw eight innings in a win against Ole Miss at the SEC tournament – against St. John’s instead of saving the right-handed pitcher for a potential second game against Virginia (43-15) at 5 p.m. Saturday.

“That’s what I’ve got to get our guys to focus on,” Lemonis said. “We’ll figure out the next game. You just try to build momentum as the weekend goes on.”

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Hunter Hines dives into Mississippi State dugout for catch in NCAA regional

If there’s a silver lining to the lack of NCAA Tournament experience on MSU’s roster, it’s the road the Bulldogs faced in the regular season.

Mississippi State has now lost 13 games by one run. The Bulldogs have won the following game eight times.

MSU will aim to increase that figure to nine Sunday.

“We’ve done it a lot,” junior Hunter Hines said. “We’re a tough team, so we’ve just got to put our heads down, like I said, and win tomorrow.”

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: Can Mississippi State baseball still win NCAA Charlottesville Regional?