Cohen's Club Welcomes Nicholls State and UMass Lowell To Town
February 25, 2016 | Baseball
VIDEO: John Cohen Previews the Second Weekend
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, Feb. 26, 2016
G1 - 12 p.m. – UMass Lowell vs. Nicholls State
G2 - 4:30 p.m. - UMass Lowell vs. Mississippi State
Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016
G3 - 11 a.m. – Nicholls State vs. Mississippi State
G4 – 40 Minutes After G3 Ends – UMass Lowell vs. Mississippi State
Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016
G5 - 11 a.m. – Nicholls State vs. UMass Lowell
G6 - 3:30 p.m. – Nicholls State vs. Mississippi State
* Home Team Listed Second
Rankings
Mississippi State – No. 20 in D1Baseball, No. 22 in Perfect Game and No. 24 in Baseball America and NCBWA
UMass Lowell – Not Ranked
Nicholls State – Not Ranked
Need To Know
- MSU's remaining schedule won 52 games opening weekend, tied for the seventh most nationally.
- After the opening weekend of play, Mississippi State leads the nation with 20 doubles. No other Southeastern Conference team had more than eight on the weekend.
- Following the first weekend of play, MSU also ranks fourth nationally in hits (52), ninth in runs (38), 12th in walks (23), 15th in on-base percentage (.460) and 21st in batting average (.359).
- Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week Jack Kruger of MSU enters the weekend with a .563/.650/1.063 statline and is tied with teammate Reid Humphreys for the NCAA lead with five doubles.
- After opening weekend, Kruger also ranks fifth in the NCAA in RBIs (9), sixth in runs (8) and six in total bases (17).
- Sixteen Bulldogs made their MSU debut on opening weekend: 10 true freshmen, one redshirt freshman, two sophomores and three juniors.
- On the mound, Wes Johnson's pitching staff led the SEC with 40 strikeouts last weekend.
- While MSU has never played UMass Lowell before, the Diamond Dawgs are 7-0 against Nicholls State, including a 2-0 record under John Cohen. Both wins came in 2009, Cohen's first year at MSU.
- Cohen actually played against the Colonels on May 26, 1989, when MSU defeated NSU by a score of 11-2 in the 1989 NCAA South Regional at Dudy Noble Field.
Forecast
Friday Forecast: High 55, Low 32 - Sunny - 0% Chance of Rain
Saturday Forecast: High 64, Low 40 - Sunny - 0% Chance of Rain
Sunday Forecast: High 69, Low 52 – Sunny - 20% Chance of Rain
Live Video and Television
Friday's game against UMass Lowell will be the only game this weekend streamed live on SEC Network + via the WatchESPN app.
Live Audio and Radio
Friday's game against UMass Lowell will air live on the Mississippi State Baseball Radio Network. The other three MSU games will air only on WMXU 106.1 in the Starkville area. All four games will also be audio streamed live online at HailState.com/Plus (requires subscription).
Probable Starters
Friday – G1 – UML RHP Andrew Ryan vs. NSU RHP Justin Sinibaldi
Friday – G2 – UML RHP Steve Xirinachs vs. MSU RHP Dakota Hudson
Saturday – G3 – NSU RHP Cole Stapler vs. MSU LHP Daniel Brown OR RHP Austin Sexton
Saturday – G4 – UML RHP Nick Kuzia vs. MSU RHP Austin Sexton OR LHP Daniel Brown
Sunday – G5 – NSU RHP Jake Smith vs. UML LHP Ricky Constant
Sunday – G6 – NSU LHP Alex Ernestine 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
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.”
