MSU Hosts Louisiana Tech In Non-Conference Home Finale
May 25, 2016 | Baseball
The midweek contest begins a home season-ending four-game run this week for the Diamond Dogs. MSU closes out its home slate with a three-game weekend series against SEC-leading and 11th-ranked Arkansas (33-16).
MSU freshman Josh Johnson (5-1, 3.72) of Caledonia, Miss., has been tabbed for starting pitching duty in tonight's non-conference season finale for State. It's the eighth start and the 12th overall appearance for Johnson, who leads the MSU pitching staff with five wins.
Johnson turned in one of his more impressive performances of the year in his last outing. The rookie right-hander scattered five hits, walked one, struck out five and allowed two runs in a season-longest 7.0-inning stint. He has earned wins in his last three starts.
Tech, scheduled to host instate rival Louisiana-Monroe Tuesday night, is expected to start either junior righty Mitch Tucker (3-5, 8.76), a nine-game starter, or freshman right-hander Blake Burns (3-2, 5.77).
Mississippi State holds a 33-13-1 lead in the series, including a 7-0 shutout win over Tech in a March 16 meeting in Jackson, Miss., State's first game away from Dudy noble Field this season. MSU junior lefty Eric Ebers and Brett Cleveland combined for a two-hitter in the game, the third shutout of the campaign by Bulldog pitching. Seven of MSU's nine starters in the batting order had multiple hits as MSU totaled 17 hits in the game, 15 of them singles.
Sophomore right fielder Brad Corley (.361) enters the week tied with South Carolina's Brendan Winn for the SEC lead in home runs. The Louisville, Ky., product also leads the team in batting average (.361), hits (74) and slugging percentage (.659) and ranks second on the club in runs batted in (46). Catcher Craig Tatum (.321) hit his 10th home run of the season in last weekend's Georgia series and leads the team with 49 RBI.
Mississippi State enters the week with a No. 31 RPI ranking according to Boydsworld.com and eager to end a pesky six-game losing skid, MSU's longest since 1995.
GENDRON CLIMBS PAST 300-HIT MILESTONE
Bulldog senior shortstop Steve Gendron has surpassed the 300-hit milestone for his career and is taking aim on a spot among the SEC's top 10 all-time career hits leaders.
With a season-best and career-high matching four-hit effort in Sunday's series finale against No. 19 Georgia, the Tampa, Fla., product became the third Bulldog and the 18th SEC player to reach 300 hits in a career. Gendron's four-year total of 303 hits ties former Auburn standout Todd Faulkner for 17th on the SEC's career hits list. With eight more hits he'll move past former LSU great Todd Walker into 10th place among the league's total hits leaders.
Gendron, is hitting at a .307 clip and has eight hits in his last four games. He ranks third at MSU with 949 career at-bats.
SEC CAREER HITS LEADERS
Player (Seasons) AB Hits 1. Eddie Furniss, LSU (1995-98) 948 352 3. Richard Lee, MSU (1995-98) 967 328 4. Travis Chapman, MSU (1997-2000) 919 327 10. Todd Walker, LSU (1992-94) 713 310 13. Jeremy Brown, Ala. (1999-2002) 910 307 Blair Barbier, LSU (1997-2000) 1000 307 Casey Dunn, Aub. (1996-99) 905 307 16. Brandon Moore Aub., (1991-94) 917 304 17. Steve Gendron, MSU (2001-04) 949 303 Todd Faulkner, Aub. (1998-01) 868 303
J-REA MAINTAINS HITS LEAD AMONG SEC ROOKIES
Mississippi State freshman second baseman Jeffrey Rea continues to lead the Southeastern Fonference in hits by a freshman. The Nettleton, Miss., product has totaled 65 hits (11 doubles, two triples and a home run) and sports a .323 batting average.
Not far behind are Florida's Adam Davis (61 hits) and Arkansas rookie Danny Hamblin (59).
SEC FRESHMAN HITS LEADERS
65 - Jeffrey Rea, Mississippi State (42 runs, 23 RBI, .323)
61 - Adam Davis, Florida (47 runs, 20 RBI, .321)
59 - Danny Hamblin, Arkansas (42 runs, 33 RBI, .337)
58 - Josh Morris, Georgia (38 runs, 61 RBI, .341)
57 - Joey Side, Georgia (38 runs, 28 RBI, .373)
55 - Jake Dugger, Arkansas (33 runs, 33 RBI, .316)
