Mississippi State is far from the biggest underdog left in the NCAA Tournament field. It’s not even fair to call them the luckiest, after a dominating three-game sweep at the Atlanta regional.

Hardest to figure out? Absolutely.

The Bulldogs entered the postseason with a so-so record of 34-21, lost two games at the Southeastern Conference Tournament, then rebounded by outscoring three regional opponents 18-6.

They’ve lost three games this season by 10 or more runs and are just 1-3 against super regional opponent Florida — including an 18-0 rout in Starkville in April and a setback in the SEC Tournament.

As Mississippi State (37-23) heads to Gainesville to meet the Gators one more time, however, that’s ancient history. Coach John Cohen and the Bulldogs are focused on the recent past. That would be the impressive showing of last weekend, which has them flying high.