126th Season Of Mississippi State Baseball Begins Friday
February 19, 2016 | Baseball
VIDEO: John Cohen Previews the 2016 Season
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, Feb. 19, 2016
G1 - 12 p.m. - FAU vs. South Dakota State
G2 - 4:30 p.m. - FAU vs. Mississippi State
Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016
G3 - 12 p.m. - South Dakota State vs. Mississippi State
G4 - 3:30 p.m. - FAU vs. Mississippi State
Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016
G5 - 10:30 a.m. - South Dakota State vs. FAU
G6 - 3:30 p.m. - South Dakota State vs. Mississippi State
*Home Team Listed Second
The Bulldogs are 2-0 all-time against FAU, with both games occuring at the 2005 NCAA Coral Gables Regional in Miami. State beat the Owls by a score of 13-2 in game one of the Regional, before ending their season one day later by a score of 8-4. The Diamond Dawgs have never played South Dakota State.
Rankings
Mississippi State – 11th by Collegiate Baseball, 15th by D1Baseball, 17th by Perfect Game and the USA Today Coaches Poll, 19th by NCBWA and 20th by Baseball America
FAU – Not Ranked
South Dakota State – Not Ranked
Need To Know
- Mississippi State begins its 126th season of baseball this weekend.
- The Bulldogs are 80-43-2 all-time in season openers.
- John Cohen's club was given the Most Valuable Program Award by the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball last month for having the best summer of any college program in America.
- Cohen sent a school-record eight players to the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League.
- MSU's 13 returning hitters this past summer hit .316, while its nine returning pitchers recorded a 2.13 ERA in 292 innings with 251 strikeouts and a 1.15 WHIP.
- Junior right-hander Dakota Hudson was named a preseason All-American by D1Baseball and Perfect Game.
- State owns the fourth-highest fielding percentage (.979) in the nation over the past two seasons.
- Pitching coach Wes Johnson makes his MSU debut this weekend after spending the previous four seasons at Dallas Baptist.
- Since 2012, the Diamond Dawgs rank first nationally in double plays (264) and ninth in strikeouts (2,032).
- MSU's returning pitchers are 12-4 (.750) all-time in non-conference games and own a 15-6 (.714) mark all-time at Dudy Noble Field.
Forecast
Friday Forecast: High 73, Low 52 - Sunny - 0% Chance of Rain
Saturday Forecast: High 70, Low 55 - Cloudy - 10% Chance of Rain
Sunday Forecast: High 69, Low 54 – Evening Showers - 40% Chance of Rain
Live Video and Television
All four of MSU's games this weekend will be streamed live on SEC Network + via the WatchESPN app.
Watch Friday's Game | Watch Saturday's Game One
Watch Saturday's Game Two | Watch Sunday's Game
Live Audio and Radio
Opening Day will air live on the Mississippi State Baseball Radio Network. The other three games will air only on WKBB 100.9 in the Starkville area. All four games will also be audio streamed live online at HailState.com/Plus (requires subscription).
Probable Starters
Friday – G1 – SDSU RHP Ryan Froom vs. FAU RHP David McKay
Friday – G2 – FAU LHP Brandon Rhodes vs. MSU RHP Dakota Hudson
Saturday – G3 – SDSU LHP Landon Busch vs. MSU LHP Daniel Brown –OR– RHP Austin Sexton
Saturday – G4 – FAU RHP Marc Stewart vs. MSU LHP Daniel Brown –OR– RHP Austin Sexton
Sunday – G5 – FAU TBA vs. SDSU RHP Andrew Clemen
Sunday – G6 – SDSU TBA vs. MSU TBA
Tickets
Tickets are still available and can be purchased at HailState.com/tickets or at the MSU ticket office behind home plate, which opens two hours before first pitch every game.
Special Note: Sunday's gates will open at 9:30 a.m.
Promotions
Friday – The first 2,000 fans receive a free M-over-S baseball decail. Former MSU All-American Jonathan Holder will throw out the first pitch.
Saturday – Former MSU pitcher and current Oakland Athletics prospect Ben Bracewell will throw out the first pitch. Bully's Kids' Club members and MSU students get in free with ID.
Sunday – “Kids' Day at the Park” featuring inflatables and kids running the bases postgame. Bully's Kids' Club members and MSU students get in free with ID.
Fans can also visit HailState.com/memories for incredible fan experiences such as:
- Leading 7th Inning Stretch ($10)
- Announce the Batters ($10)
- Diamond Girl for a Day ($50)
- Hall of Champions Tour ($5)
- Play Ball Kid ($5)
- Visit the Dugout ($20)
- Deliver the Rosin Bag to Pitcher ($15)
- Second Base Delivery ($5)
Social Media
For more information on head coach John Cohen's club, follow the team 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.”
