Tulane pitcher Braden Ultoff dominated Mississippi State with sharp breaking stuff and late movement, which led the Mississippi State dugout to get suspicious. Down by two runs, they called for an umpire check, alleging something on Ultoff’s glove. Ultoff handed over his glove and the ball without hesitation, but the umpire gave a quick glance and minimal inspection before clearing him. The check didn’t phase Ultoff. In fact, he used it as motivation, locked back in, and finished the inning strong. He threw over five innings of near-flawless pitching after giving up a first-inning run, at one point retiring 12 straight batters.
Mississippi State’s coaching staff looked frustrated after the failed glove check. The umpire didn’t inspect the spot they pointed out, which led to more speculation and some heated reactions from the dugout. Tulane’s bench was loving it. Ultoff’s confidence spiked after the check, and his teammates backed him loudly. He said postgame that being accused of using sticky stuff was a first for him, but he embraced it as a sign he was making hitters look lost. Whether it was gamesmanship or superstition, Ultoff’s performance stood on its own. No evidence of a foreign substance was found, and the game moved on. He kept touching the same spot on his glove, which might have been a habit or something more, but it didn’t matter. He shut things down and left Mississippi State without an answer.