MSU, No. 3 Ole Miss To Square Off This Weekend At Dudy Noble

Saturday, April 7

Starkville

12:00 PM

Mississippi State

#5 Ole Miss

State has won its last five games against Ole Miss and in 2017 went 4-0 against the Rebels for the first time since 1997.

MSU, No. 3 Ole Miss To Square Off This Weekend At Dudy Noble

April 05, 2018 | Baseball

Game Notes (PDF)VIDEO | Gary Henderson and Ethan Small preview Ole Miss Buy Tickets

STARKVILLE, Miss. – The longest-running Southeastern Conference baseball series will continue this weekend at Dudy Noble Field as Mississippi State hosts No. 3 Ole Miss for a three-game series.

State (15-15, 2-7 SEC) and Ole Miss (26-4, 6-3 SEC) will open their series with a 6:30 p.m. CT first pitch on Friday. The action continues Saturday with a 2 p.m. first pitch, before the series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games will air live on SEC Network+, which can be accessed through WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app.

With rain in the forecast for this weekend in Starkville, fans are asked to follow the Bulldogs on Twitter (@HailStateBB) to remain up-to-date with the latest information on potential schedule changes.

MSU is coming off a 5-0 midweek win over Southern on Wednesday at Dudy Noble, with State having used eight pitchers to combine for the Diamond Dawgs' second shutout of the season. At the plate, MSU used a four-run fourth inning to pull away from the Jaguars.

The Diamond Dawgs hold a 250-206-5 advantage over the Rebels in the all-time series between the two programs, dating back to 1893. MSU has won five-straight games against Ole Miss, a streak that began in the 2016 Governor's Cup game, in addition to having won the last two regular-season series against Ole Miss. State also went 4-0 against the Rebels last season, a feat that the Bulldogs hadn't accomplished since 1997.

VIDEO | Gary Henderson & Ethan Small preview this weekend's series vs. Ole Miss

Game Notes | Live Stats

NEED TO KNOW

In 14 of State's 15 wins thus far, opponents have been held to four runs or less.
The Diamond Dawgs have seven comeback wins on the year, all of which came in the month of March. In 2017, 25 of State's 40 wins were come-from-behind victories.
MSU is 14-7 when holding opponents to five or less runs, 11-1 when holding others to two or less runs and 1-8 when allowing six or more runs. State is also 7-0 when scoring six or more runs, 10-2 when scoring first and 7-2 when having scored in the first inning.
The MSU pitching staff has combined for 10+ strikeouts in 11 games this season.
State's staff has also collected 26 or more punch outs in each of its last five weekend series, with four of those having been 29+ strikeout weekends.
While Jake Mangum leads MSU in multi-hit games (14), Josh Hatcher (10), Hunter Stovall (10) and Tanner Allen (10) aren't far behind their junior center fielder.
MSU leads the SEC in batters struck out looking (95), while Konnor Pilkington leads the league in strikeouts looking (25) and Ethan Small ranks fifth (16).
A redshirt sophomore, Small is coming off what was arguably the best outing of his young career with a career-best 8.0 innings pitched at No. 19 LSU, striking out nine and allowing just four hits, one run and one walk.
With seven appearances on the year, all of which have been game two weekend starts, Small has recorded at least six strikeouts in all of those appearances.
State's staff also ranks second in the league in batters struck out (296).
Pilkington also ranks 23rd in all of Division I baseball and second in the SEC with a 7.71 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Small's 5.00 ratio is sixth-best in the conference.
Hatcher has recorded the most fielding double plays in the SEC (25), while Stovall ranks second in the conference with 24.
As a team, State ranks second in the league and 16th in the nation in fielding double plays (28).
The MSU defense also leads the SEC in runners caught stealing with 14 and is second in the league in runners picked off with seven.
39 strikeouts over the three-game stretch that was the Shriner's College Classic (March 2-4) at Minute Maid Park made for the most in a three-game weekend series by a Diamond Dawg pitching staff since 45 on March 2-3, 2002 against Jacksonville State (doubleheader on March 2).
The Diamond Dawgs began the year with an unprecedented road trip that had MSU away from home for 12-straight days, including eight games and spanning six cities. Originally scheduled to include nine games, a Feb. 26 meeting between State and UT-Rio Grande Valley was canceled in the bottom of the fourth inning due to heavy amounts of fog (State led 4-0). It was the longest stretch without a home game to begin a season for State since the 1982 season (14 games) and the longest span without a home game since 1982 (14 games).
The Diamond Dawgs got off to an 0-3 start for the first time since 1996, a year that saw State go on to finish 38-24 (17-13 SEC) and make one of its 36 all-time NCAA Tournament appearances.
A total of 12 newcomers have made their MSU debut through the early part of the season (Tanner Allen, Jordan Anderson, JP France, Justin Foscue, Marshall Gilbert, Josh Hatcher, Rowdey Jordan, Jared Liebelt, Cole Marsh, Zach Neff, Alex Pener and Jordan Westburg), eight of those have also recorded a start in 2018.

PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday: MSU LHP Konnor Pilkington (1-4, 2.61) vs. OM RHP Brady Feigl (6-1, 2.23 ERA)
Saturday: MSU LHP Ethan Small (2-2, 2.41 ERA) vs. OM LHP Ryan Rolison (3-3, 3.63 ERA)
Sunday: MSU RHP Jacob Billingsley (2-2, 3.73 ERA) vs. OM RHP James McArthur (4-0, 2.38 ERA)

WEATHER FORECAST
Friday Forecast: High 73, Low 41 – Thunderstorms – 90% Chance of Rain
Saturday Forecast: High 53, Low 32 – Cloudy – 20% Chance of Rain
Sunday Forecast: High 65, Low 51 – Partly Cloudy – 0% Chance of Rain

LIVE VIDEO/TELEVISION
This weekend's games, along with all 23 of MSU's home games in 2018, can be viewed live on SEC Network+, which can be accessed through WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app. Those interested in watching this week's games can click on the links below to go directly to the viewing page for the respective games.

Watch Friday's Game | Watch Saturday's Game | Watch Sunday's Game

LIVE STATS
All season long, fans can follow the action with pitch-by-pitch updates through live stats. Visit the Diamond Dawgs' schedule page and click on the "Live Stats" link associated with the appropriate game.

LIVE AUDIO & RADIO
All three of this weekend's games are scheduled to air live on the Mississippi State Baseball Radio Network and WKBB 100.9 in Starkville. With Jim Ellis and Jay Powell on the call, the contest will also be audio streamed live online at HailState.com/Plus and on TuneIn Radio.

#NEWDUDE POLICIES
Fans can enter Dudy Noble Field through the right field plaza and Left Field Lounge gates, with gates opening two hours before first pitch on game day. Stadium gates will close one hour after the conclusion of each game. The right field terrace is a public, grill-free, first come first served area. Should fans wish to purchase ice at Dudy Noble, they will be able to do so behind the center field wall in the Left Field Lounge.

Approved coolers cannot exceed the maximum size of 10" by 10" by 10" after gates open, with coolers exceeding the restriction size being prohibited. Other prohibited items include alcoholic beverages, smoking (in all areas), weapons, fireworks, electric power generators, pets, non-approved banners and signs, bicycles, any illegal substances, carts, wagons, wheeled supply carriers, personal tailgate tents (on concourse or lawn areas) and lawn chairs on sidewalks or concourse areas).

All bags are subject to search and security screening, along with items prohibited from being stored along stadium fencing and gates. MSU encourages fans to leave all unnecessary and prohibited items at home or in their vehicles to expedite security and screening procedures.

PROMOTIONS
Friday Night Fireworks will take place shortly following the conclusion of the series opener on Friday. Saturday will mark MSU's annual "Military Appreciation Game" with a special pregame ceremony to begin at 1:40 p.m. On Sunday, the first set of 2018 Bulldog Baseball Trading Cards will be given to the first 1,000 fans.

For all regular season home games at Dudy Noble, MSU students will be admitted into the games for free with their student ID and Bully's Kids Club members will also receive free admission.

Fans can upgrade their game day experience with multiple options throughout the year from HailState.com/memories.

TICKETS
Tickets for all three games this weekend, along with all of MSU's home games and select road games, can be purchased through HailState.com/tickets.

UP NEXT FOR STATE
Following this week's four-game homestand, State will retake the road next week for a four-game road trip through the state of Alabama. It begins Wednesday in Montgomery against Alabama State and will close with a three-game SEC weekend series at Auburn.

FOLLOW THE DIAMOND DAWGS
For more information on the Diamond Dawg program, follow the program on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateBB." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."