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Baseball: Sims, Bednar one-hit Vandy to capture national title
Landon Sims
Landon Sims pitched the final four innings Monday to slam the door on the Notre Dame and send Mississippi State to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., with an 11-7 win. Photo courtesy Mississippi State Athletics

OMAHA, Neb. — Landon Sims is a national champion.

Will Bednar held Vanderbilt hitless for more than half the game, Sims carried the Bulldogs' combined no-hitter into the eighth inning, and Mississippi State captured the College World Series national championship with a 9-0 victory Wednesday at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb.

For the first six innings, it seemed as though Sims was destined to watch the entire game from the outfield bullpen. Bednar was simply that dominant. 

Mississippi State's starting pitcher no-hit the Commodores through the first six innings, and after working around two first-inning walks and another in the second inning, he retired 15 straight to tame Vanderbilt's offense.

By then, the Bulldogs had built a 9-0 lead, thanks in part to a four-run seventh inning that proved to be the dagger.

Logan Tanner's solo home run in the top of the seventh inning made it 6-0, then Kellum Clark's three-run shot gave the Bulldogs a nine-run advantage.

That triggered Chris Lemonis' decision to turn to Sims, who entered in the bottom of the frame and fanned two of the first three batters he faced. Sims stuck out Dominic Keegan looking, then fired three straight strikes to Spencer Jones, ending the inning.

Carter Young finally broke up the no-hitter with a single to center field in the eighth inning, but it didn't matter. 

After the one-out single, Sims struck out Troy LaNeve then got Enrique Bradfield to bounce into a fielder's choice.

Landon Sims recorded his 100th strikeout of the season in the bottom of the ninth, and once Kamren James threw out Parker Noland following an unsuccessful bunt attempt, the celebration was on in Omaha.

The win marks Mississippi State's first national championship in program history.

Sims finishes his remarkable redshirt freshman season with a 5-0 record, a 1.43 ERA and a team-best 12 saves.

Sims was at the heart of Mississippi State's biggest moments this season, including when he pitched the final four innings against Notre Dame in the Super Regional to send the Bulldogs to Omaha.