No. 15 Diamond Dogs Test Memphis Tigers In Midweek Road Series
May 25, 2016 | Baseball
Both games in Memphis will be broadcast on the statewide MSU Baseball RadioNetwork and on "Maroon to the Max", the premium extension of State'sofficial athletic department web site, www.MStateAthletics.com.
Freshman right-hander Matt Lea (5-1, 2.13) of Collierville, Tenn., will drawstarting mound duties for State Tuesday opposite junior lefty Lance Scoggins(2-1, 6.06). Lea worked a staff-longest eight innings and recorded aseason-best six strikeouts in a 1-0 loss to Mississippi last Tuesday inJackson, Miss.
Memphis, coached by former MSU assistant Daron Schoenrock, had aseason-longest eight-game win streak snapped last weekend as thesecond-ranked Rice Owls claimed all three games of a Conference USA seriesat nat Buring Field.
The Bulldogs open the week sporting an SEC-leading .307 team battingaverage, paced by senior shortstop Thomas Berkery (.411). The Sarasota,Fla., native, who recently ended a school-record and SEC-leading 30-gamehitting streak, will miss the two-game set in Memphis due to a death in hisfamily. Junior second baseman Jeffrey Rea (.372) of Nettleton, Miss.,currently leads the club with 54 hits.
A 1-3 showing last week helped end Mississippi State's seven-week run withtop 10 national ranking. State is ranked 15th this week by CollegiateBaseball newspaper, the NCBWA writers poll and the USA TODAY/ESPN coachespoll, while Baseball America lists State at No. 17 this week.
MSU enters the series having won the last four meetings and 12 of the last13. State holds a 42-20 all-time lead in the series dating back to 1950 andleads 12-8 in games played in Memphis. The Bulldogs prevailed 11-8 and 4-2in last year's meetings in Starkville.
Following Wednesday's game at AutoZone Park, the Bulldogs return to DudyNoble Field to open the second half of the 2006 SEC campaign hosting12th-ranked Arkansas (27-10) in a three-game series.
