Diamond Dogs Test First-Time Foe Elon In Friday's NCAA Clemson Regional Opener
May 25, 2016
CLEMSON, S.C. - Mississippi State takes on first-time opponent Elon Friday afternoon at Doug Kingsmore Stadium as the Bulldogs begin their 29th run in NCAA postseason baseball competition.
Third-seeded MSU (35-21) meets the second-seeded Elon Phoenix (44-16) at 2 p.m. (CDT) in first-round competition of the NCAA Clemson Regional at Clemson, S.C. Host Clemson (47-14), the top-seeded team in this year's 64-team NCAA Tournament field, takes on UNC Ashville (28-33) at 6 p.m. (CDT) in the other first-round contest at Clemson.
Opening round losers meet Saturday at 2 p.m. (CDT) in an elimination game while the winners square off at 6 p.m. (CDT). The winners advance to Sunday's 2 p.m. (CDT) championship game.
Senior lefty Brooks Dunn (8-5, 4.36) makes his 15th start of the season for the Bulldogs in Friday's matchup with Elon, an at-large selection from the Southern Conference. The Pheonix from Elon, N.C., will counter with senior right-hander Matt Chastain (10-2, 2.61).
The Bulldogs are making their 23rd NCAA regional tournament appearance and the school's 29th advancement to NCAA postseason competition. State, idle since a regular season-ending home series against Mississippi May 20, earned at at-large NCAA tournament berth Monday, giving the Southeastern Conference an NCAA-leading eight berths in this year's NCAA Tournament. The visit to Clemson is MSU's third for NCAA postseason play. State captured the NCAA Atlantic Regional Tournament at Clemson in 1981 and dropped both games in the 2000 Clemson Super Regional.
The NCAA tournament appearance is the 22nd for Mississippi State skipper Ron Polk, who has guided MSU to 19 of its 23 NCAA regional berths. Polk has guided teams to at least one game in each of his previous 52 conference, NCAA Regional, NCAA Super Regional and College World Series tournament appearances.
Senior Thomas Berkery (.393), the 2006 SEC regular season batting champion, enters the regional tournament riding a 14-game hitting streak, the longest active hitting streak in the SEC. The team co-captain from Sarasota, Fla., set a school record with a 30-game hitting streak earlier this season and went on to earn first-team All-Southeastern Conference Team honors along with MSU junior second baseman Jeffrey Rea (.360).
Elon, the regular season Southern Conference champion, is paced at the plate by senior outfielder Chris Price, who sports a .352 batting average with 12 home runs and a team-leading 61 RBI.
All of Mississippi State's NCAA Tournament games will be broadcast on the state-wide MSU Baseball Radio Network and those broadcasts available on-line at MStateAthletics.com free of charge to all Bulldog fans.