Friday, February 24
Starkville
4:00 PM
Mississippi State
vs
Indiana State
Konnor Pilkington returns to the mound Friday to open a four-game weekend for MSU.
Diamond Dawgs Close Homestand With Four-Game Weekend
February 23, 2017 | Baseball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – With the Mississippi State offense having scored eight runs in four-straight games for the first time since 2013, the Bulldogs will look to keep swinging hot bats this weekend during its four games at Dudy Noble Field.
The Bulldogs open with Indiana State (2-1), Friday at 4 p.m. CT, followed by a Saturday twin-billing against 2-1 Marist (1 p.m.) and Indiana State (4 p.m.), before the weekend concludes Sunday with another matchup with Marist at 3 p.m.
MSU is 6-1 in the series against Indiana State that dates back to 1969. All seven games have been hosted by MSU. The Bulldogs won the first five games of the series between 1969 and 1978, with the Sycamores breaking up the streak with an 8-5 win. The two teams last met in 1989 in the NCAA South Regional hosted by MSU, with Ron Polk's Diamond Dawgs taking an 11-2 victory.
The Bulldogs hold a perfect 3-0 record against Marist, sweeping the Red Foxes at Dudy Noble Field in a three-game series to open the 2006 campaign.
VIDEO: Andy Cannizaro previews the upcoming weekend
WEEKEND SCHEDULE (All times Central)
Friday, Feb. 24, 2017
G1 – 11:30 a.m. – Indiana State vs. Marist (originally scheduled for 1 p.m.)
G2 - 4 p.m. – Indiana State vs. Mississippi State
Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017
G3 - 1 p.m. – Marist vs. Mississippi State
G4 – 40 Minutes After G3 – Indiana State vs. Mississippi State
Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017
G5 - 10 a.m. – Marist vs. Indiana State (originally scheduled for 11 a.m.)
G6 - 1 p.m. – Marist vs. Mississippi State (originally scheduled for 2 p.m.)
* Home Team Listed Second
Game Notes | Live Stats
NEED TO KNOW
WEEKEND WEATHER FORECAST
Friday Forecast: High 79, Low 43 – Mostly Sunny – 10% Chance of Rain
Saturday Forecast: High 58, Low 32 – Sunny – 0% Chance of Rain
Sunday Forecast: High 62, Low 47 – Sunny – 0% Chance of Rain
LIVE VIDEO & TELEVISION
All four of MSU's games this weekend will be streamed live on SEC Network + via the WatchESPN app and WatchESPN.com.
Watch Friday's Game | Watch Saturday's Game One
Watch Saturday's Game Two | Watch Sunday's Game
LIVE AUDIO & RADIO
Opening Day will air live on the Mississippi State Baseball Radio Network. The other three games will air only on WKBB 96.1 in the Starkville area. All four games will also be audio streamed live online at HailState.com/Plus (requires subscription), as well as on TuneIn Radio.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday – G1 – ISU RHP Tyler Ward vs. MAR LHP Charlie Jerla
Friday – G2 – ISU RHP Will Kincanon vs. MSU LHP Konnor Pilkington
Saturday – G3 – MAR RHP John Parisi vs. MSU RHP Graham Ashcraft
Saturday – G4 – ISU LHP Ryan Keaffaber vs. MSU RHP Peyton Plumlee
Sunday – G5 – MAR RHP Scott Boches vs. ISU TBA
Sunday – G6 – MAR TBA vs. MSU RHP Ryan Cyr
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 prior to first pitch of every game.
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
Bully's Kids Club members and MSU students get in free with MSU ID for all regular season home games
Saturday – The second of seven State to the Show poster giveaways will take place, with fans able to get a Jonathan Holder poster.
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:
GAME MANAGEMENT POLICY CHANGES
Ice Chest / Cooler check at all DNF gates
In adherence to Southeastern Conference and MSU Game Management Policy, all ice chests and ice coolers, regardless of size, will be checked at all gates prior to entry into Dudy Noble Field-Polk Dement Stadium this season. Individuals with prohibited items will be denied entry. Stadium gates will open two hours prior to first pitch, with servicing of suites and outfield rigs permitted on game day until 30 minutes prior to the gate opening time. All individuals must exit the stadium 30 minutes prior to gate opening and may reenter at gate opening after their tickets have been scanned.
Rightfield deck no standing / Safety lane
To provide for the safe management of the newly created deck space in right field, a 4' wide "No Standing / Safety Lane" has been marked on the right field deck. This visible, safe walkway will provide an unobstructed, free moving means for individuals and emergency personnel full access to travel along the right field deck length. At no time is it permissible to block, restrict or prevent individual movement or pedestrian traffic within and along the marked lane. Pedestrians are not permitted to stop or stand at any time within the marked lane.
FOLLOW THE DIAMOND DAWGS
For more information on the Diamond Dawg program, follow the program 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."
The Bulldogs open with Indiana State (2-1), Friday at 4 p.m. CT, followed by a Saturday twin-billing against 2-1 Marist (1 p.m.) and Indiana State (4 p.m.), before the weekend concludes Sunday with another matchup with Marist at 3 p.m.
MSU is 6-1 in the series against Indiana State that dates back to 1969. All seven games have been hosted by MSU. The Bulldogs won the first five games of the series between 1969 and 1978, with the Sycamores breaking up the streak with an 8-5 win. The two teams last met in 1989 in the NCAA South Regional hosted by MSU, with Ron Polk's Diamond Dawgs taking an 11-2 victory.
The Bulldogs hold a perfect 3-0 record against Marist, sweeping the Red Foxes at Dudy Noble Field in a three-game series to open the 2006 campaign.
VIDEO: Andy Cannizaro previews the upcoming weekend
WEEKEND SCHEDULE (All times Central)
Friday, Feb. 24, 2017
G1 – 11:30 a.m. – Indiana State vs. Marist (originally scheduled for 1 p.m.)
G2 - 4 p.m. – Indiana State vs. Mississippi State
Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017
G3 - 1 p.m. – Marist vs. Mississippi State
G4 – 40 Minutes After G3 – Indiana State vs. Mississippi State
Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017
G5 - 10 a.m. – Marist vs. Indiana State (originally scheduled for 11 a.m.)
G6 - 1 p.m. – Marist vs. Mississippi State (originally scheduled for 2 p.m.)
* Home Team Listed Second
Game Notes | Live Stats
NEED TO KNOW
- Mississippi State has scored eight or more runs in their last four games, the first time since March 1, 2013 (Samford, Rhode Island, Rhode Island, St. Joseph's)
- MSU is a perfect 10-of-10 in stolen bases and their 10 steals lead the SEC
- Four Diamond Dawgs have reached base in all five games this season (Mangum, Stovall, Alexander and Rooker), while two Bulldogs have five-game hitting streaks in 2017 (Mangum and Stovall)
- Hunter Stovall is currently hitting .526 (10-19) on the year and leads State in batting average, hits, slugging percentage (.737) and on-base percentage (.571)
- Three crowds of 10,000-plus attended Opening Weekend, totaling to 31,764--the largest opening weekend crowd in Dudy Noble Field history (MSU now has 47 crowds of over 10,000 fans)
- MSU recorded two comeback victories over the weekend (both on Sunday) after having recorded 13 comeback wins in 2016 (The Bulldogs were down 5-0 into the sixth inning against Western Illinois, and 4-0 in the third inning vs. Texas Tech)
- With three hits and a leadoff double in the first on Tuesday, 2016 SEC Batting Champ Jake Mangum extended his hitting streak to 18 games, a career high, and collected his second three-hit game of the season and the ninth of his career
- Preseason All-American Brent Rooker is currently riding a 10-game on-base streak that dates back to 2016
- Cole Gordon and Tanner Poole hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning, the first Bulldogs to do so since May 4, 2016 (Gavin Collins and Brent Rooker)
- On Tuesday, Luke Alexander became the first MSU hitter to hit two home runs in a game since Brent Rooker did it vs. Arizona on June 11, 2016
WEEKEND WEATHER FORECAST
Friday Forecast: High 79, Low 43 – Mostly Sunny – 10% Chance of Rain
Saturday Forecast: High 58, Low 32 – Sunny – 0% Chance of Rain
Sunday Forecast: High 62, Low 47 – Sunny – 0% Chance of Rain
LIVE VIDEO & TELEVISION
All four of MSU's games this weekend will be streamed live on SEC Network + via the WatchESPN app and WatchESPN.com.
Watch Friday's Game | Watch Saturday's Game One
Watch Saturday's Game Two | Watch Sunday's Game
LIVE AUDIO & RADIO
Opening Day will air live on the Mississippi State Baseball Radio Network. The other three games will air only on WKBB 96.1 in the Starkville area. All four games will also be audio streamed live online at HailState.com/Plus (requires subscription), as well as on TuneIn Radio.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday – G1 – ISU RHP Tyler Ward vs. MAR LHP Charlie Jerla
Friday – G2 – ISU RHP Will Kincanon vs. MSU LHP Konnor Pilkington
Saturday – G3 – MAR RHP John Parisi vs. MSU RHP Graham Ashcraft
Saturday – G4 – ISU LHP Ryan Keaffaber vs. MSU RHP Peyton Plumlee
Sunday – G5 – MAR RHP Scott Boches vs. ISU TBA
Sunday – G6 – MAR TBA vs. MSU RHP Ryan Cyr
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 prior to first pitch of every game.
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
Bully's Kids Club members and MSU students get in free with MSU ID for all regular season home games
Saturday – The second of seven State to the Show poster giveaways will take place, with fans able to get a Jonathan Holder poster.
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:
- Videoboard Message ($35)
- Diamond Girl for a Day ($29)
- Jr. Public Address Announcer ($10)
- "Play Ball" Announcer ($10)
- Deliver the Rosin Bag to Pitcher ($10)
- Second Base Delivery ($10)
GAME MANAGEMENT POLICY CHANGES
Ice Chest / Cooler check at all DNF gates
In adherence to Southeastern Conference and MSU Game Management Policy, all ice chests and ice coolers, regardless of size, will be checked at all gates prior to entry into Dudy Noble Field-Polk Dement Stadium this season. Individuals with prohibited items will be denied entry. Stadium gates will open two hours prior to first pitch, with servicing of suites and outfield rigs permitted on game day until 30 minutes prior to the gate opening time. All individuals must exit the stadium 30 minutes prior to gate opening and may reenter at gate opening after their tickets have been scanned.
Rightfield deck no standing / Safety lane
To provide for the safe management of the newly created deck space in right field, a 4' wide "No Standing / Safety Lane" has been marked on the right field deck. This visible, safe walkway will provide an unobstructed, free moving means for individuals and emergency personnel full access to travel along the right field deck length. At no time is it permissible to block, restrict or prevent individual movement or pedestrian traffic within and along the marked lane. Pedestrians are not permitted to stop or stand at any time within the marked lane.
FOLLOW THE DIAMOND DAWGS
For more information on the Diamond Dawg program, follow the program 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."
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C/3B
/ Baseball
1B/RHP
/ Baseball
OF/LHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballBASEBALL | Kevin McMullan Fall Ball Media Session
Friday, September 19
BASEBALL | Ryan Mcpherson and Tyler Pitzer Fall Ball Media Session
Friday, September 19
BASEBALL | Aiden Teel and Noah Sullivan Fall Ball Media Session
Friday, September 19
BASEBALL | Justin Parker Fall Ball Media Session
Friday, September 19