Saturday, June 10
Baton Rouge, La.
8:00 PM
Mississippi State
at
#4 LSU
MSU won four games in two days to win the Hattiesburg Regional last weekend.
State Squares Off With LSU In Baton Rouge Super Regional
June 09, 2017 | Baseball
BATON ROUGE, La. – Following an incredible performance in the Hattiesburg Regional that included four wins in two days, Mississippi State continues its quest for a 10th trip to the College World Series as it takes on LSU in the NCAA Tournament's Super Regional round this weekend.
Last weekend, State (40-25) became just the 22nd team in the history of the current 64-team NCAA Tournament format (since 1999) to win a regional after dropping its opening game. MSU is currently on a four-game win streak after wins over UIC, South Alabama and a pair against Southern Miss, with three of those wins having come in comeback fashion. LSU (46-17) is riding a 14-game win streak, which was extended last weekend after sweeping the Baton Rouge Regional.
The best-of-three series begins Saturday night at Alex Box Stadium between the Bulldogs and the No. 4 national seed Tigers. First pitch of game one is set for 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2, while Sunday's game two is also scheduled for an 8 p.m. start, on either ESPN2 or ESPNU. The time and network for the if necessary third game will be determined later in the weekend.
MSU leads the overall series with LSU 211-177-1. In Baton Rouge, LSU holds a 94-86 advantage. The two teams last met May 18-20 of this season, resulting in a series sweep by LSU at Dudy Noble Field. The Tigers won game one 3-1 before taking games two and three by scores of 11-5 and 11-7, respectively. In 2016, MSU took the three-game series in Baton Rouge, winning the first two games against the Tigers.
VIDEO: Andy Cannizaro previews the Super Regional matchup with LSU
VIDEO: Sophomore LHP Konnor Pilkington discusses the Baton Rouge Super Regional
Game Notes
WEEKEND SCHEDULE (All times CT)
Saturday, June 10 – Mississippi State vs. LSU – 8 p.m. on ESPN2
Sunday, June 11 – LSU vs. Mississippi State – 8 p.m. on ESPN2 or ESPNU
Monday, June 12* – Mississippi State vs. LSU – TBD on Sunday, June 11
* If Necessary
NEED TO KNOW
SEC POSTSEASON HONORS
DIAMOND DAWG DIGITS
HAVING A RECORD YEAR
With 65 games of the 2017 complete, State has accomplished many things that haven't been seen from the Diamond Dawgs in years
WEEKEND WEATHER FORECAST
Saturday Forecast: High 86, Low 68 – Mostly Sunny – 10% Chance of Rain
Sunday Forecast: High 85, Low 73 – PM Thunderstorms – 50% Chance of Rain
Monday Forecast: High 83, Low 73 – Scattered Thunderstorms – 50% Chance of Rain
HOW TO WATCH THE GAMES
While Saturday's series opener will air on ESPN2, Sunday's game will either be televised on ESPN2 or ESPN2. The time and network for Monday's if necessary game three will be decided on Sunday, once it is known which other Super Regional series are still in progress.
Watch Saturday's Game | Watch Sunday's Game
LIVE AUDIO & RADIO
All of MSU's games will air live on the Mississippi State Baseball Radio Network. They will also be on TuneIn Radio and will be audio streamed live online at HailState.com/Plus (requires subscription).
TICKET INFO
While tickets for this weekend's Super Regional at Alex Box is sold out, fans can still purchase tickets for all three games through LSU's ticket marketplace.
FOLLOWING 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."
Last weekend, State (40-25) became just the 22nd team in the history of the current 64-team NCAA Tournament format (since 1999) to win a regional after dropping its opening game. MSU is currently on a four-game win streak after wins over UIC, South Alabama and a pair against Southern Miss, with three of those wins having come in comeback fashion. LSU (46-17) is riding a 14-game win streak, which was extended last weekend after sweeping the Baton Rouge Regional.
The best-of-three series begins Saturday night at Alex Box Stadium between the Bulldogs and the No. 4 national seed Tigers. First pitch of game one is set for 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2, while Sunday's game two is also scheduled for an 8 p.m. start, on either ESPN2 or ESPNU. The time and network for the if necessary third game will be determined later in the weekend.
MSU leads the overall series with LSU 211-177-1. In Baton Rouge, LSU holds a 94-86 advantage. The two teams last met May 18-20 of this season, resulting in a series sweep by LSU at Dudy Noble Field. The Tigers won game one 3-1 before taking games two and three by scores of 11-5 and 11-7, respectively. In 2016, MSU took the three-game series in Baton Rouge, winning the first two games against the Tigers.
VIDEO: Andy Cannizaro previews the Super Regional matchup with LSU
VIDEO: Sophomore LHP Konnor Pilkington discusses the Baton Rouge Super Regional
Game Notes
WEEKEND SCHEDULE (All times CT)
Saturday, June 10 – Mississippi State vs. LSU – 8 p.m. on ESPN2
Sunday, June 11 – LSU vs. Mississippi State – 8 p.m. on ESPN2 or ESPNU
Monday, June 12* – Mississippi State vs. LSU – TBD on Sunday, June 11
* If Necessary
NEED TO KNOW
- 25 of MSU's 40 wins this season have come in comeback fashion, with 13 of those having come against Southeastern Conference opponents.
- State is now 30-3 this season when leading after six innings, 25-11 when hitting a home run, 35-5 when holding opponents to four or fewer runs and 36-8 when outhitting opponents.
- The Bulldogs are 10-0 in their last 10 games decided by one run and 13-5 in one-run games on the year.
- Andy Cannizaro is just the second MSU coach to achieve 30 or more victories in his very first season at the helm and make the NCAA Tournament. (Pat McMahon won 42 in 1998 & reached the CWS)
- State has not committed an error in its last nine games. (Last error came on May 20 in the seventh inning vs. LSU)
- Brent Rooker's 201 total bases this season are the second-most in MSU history for a single season since Rafael Palmeiro tallied 209 in 1984.
- Cody Brown is currently riding a team-best eight-game hit streak that began May 25 in the SEC Tournament against Arkansas. Over the span, Brown is 14-for-29 (.483), with three home runs, one double, one triple, nine RBIs and four walks. He was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the Hattiesburg Regional.
- Hunter Stovall is in the midst of an 11-game reached base streak that has included two home runs, the first two of his collegiate career.
SEC POSTSEASON HONORS
- Brent Rooker is the first MSU player to ever be named SEC Player of the Year, while he is the second Diamond Dawg first baseman in as many seasons to be named First Team All-SEC. (Nathaniel Lowe, 2016)
- Ryan Gridley became the first Bulldog shortstop since Thomas Berkery in 2006 to be named First Team All-SEC and the third First Team shortstop under Andy Cannizaro in as many seasons.
- Jake Mangum has now been named All-SEC for the second time in as many seasons (First Team in 2016), along with being the first Diamond Dawg named to the SEC All-Defensive Team since 2014 and the first MSU outfielder since 2013 (Hunter Renfroe).
DIAMOND DAWG DIGITS
- MSU leads the SEC in fielding percentage (.981), while ranking second in hits (639), third in triples (15), hit by pitch (74), stolen bases (74), doubles (114), batting average (.288), and total bases (957), along with ranking fourth in home runs (58) and slugging percentage (.431).
- Brent Rooker leads the SEC in eight offensive categories – batting average (.395), slugging (.827 -- .200 above the next best player), on-base percentage (.498), hits (90), RBIs (82), doubles (30), home runs (23) and total bases (201).
- Entering the week, Rooker ranked among the best in Division I, first in slugging and total bases and tied for first in doubles and RBIs, along with sitting second in hits, fifth in batting average and home runs and sixth in on-base percentage.
- Ryan Gridley ranks fifth in the SEC in hits (87), while ranking 11th in batting average (.331).
- Konnor Pilkington ranks second in the SEC in batters struck out looking (37) and sixth in strikeouts (107).
- Spencer Price stands in second in the SEC for saves with 14, while tied for ninth in the nation.
HAVING A RECORD YEAR
With 65 games of the 2017 complete, State has accomplished many things that haven't been seen from the Diamond Dawgs in years
- First four-game regular season sweep of Ole Miss since 1997.
- The Bulldogs have now won back-to-back series vs. Ole Miss for the first time since 2000-2003, when MSU won four straight series.
- First series win at South Carolina since 1998.
- Andy Cannizaro became just the second MSU head coach to win 30 or more games in his first season at the helm (Pat McMahon won 42 in 1998 en route to a College World Series berth).
- MSU has won 15 SEC series over the last two seasons (six in 2017 and nine in 2016), the most SEC series wins by a Bulldog team in consecutive seasons since 1988-89 (15).
- Brent Rooker became the single-season leader for doubles by an MSU player.
- Rooker's 23 homers are the most by an MSU batter since Will Clark hit 25 in 1985. Rooker is fifth in the MSU record books for home runs in a single season.
- Rooker became the first MSU player to be named SEC Player of the Year.
- Brent Rooker is the first player in MSU history to be named SEC Player of the Week three times in a single season and second Diamond Dawg to be named SEC Player of the Week four times in their career. (Tommy Raffo, 1988-90)
- School record for slugging percentage is .886 by Rafael Palmeiro in 1984. (Rooker's is currently .827)
- State has not had players bat over. 400 in back-to-back seasons since Brian Weise (.412) and Travis Chapman (.403) accomplished the feat in 1998 and 1999, respectively. (Jake Mangum batted .408 in 2016 and Brent Rooker is currently hitting .395 in 2017)
- Spencer Price has the most saves (14) since Jonathan Holder set the school record with 21 saves in 2013. As a team, MSU has 26 saves, a program record. (SEC record is 27)
- State's 25 come-from-behind wins this season are the most by an MSU team since the 2013 College World Series team had 29 comeback wins.
WEEKEND WEATHER FORECAST
Saturday Forecast: High 86, Low 68 – Mostly Sunny – 10% Chance of Rain
Sunday Forecast: High 85, Low 73 – PM Thunderstorms – 50% Chance of Rain
Monday Forecast: High 83, Low 73 – Scattered Thunderstorms – 50% Chance of Rain
HOW TO WATCH THE GAMES
While Saturday's series opener will air on ESPN2, Sunday's game will either be televised on ESPN2 or ESPN2. The time and network for Monday's if necessary game three will be decided on Sunday, once it is known which other Super Regional series are still in progress.
Watch Saturday's Game | Watch Sunday's Game
LIVE AUDIO & RADIO
All of MSU's games will air live on the Mississippi State Baseball Radio Network. They will also be on TuneIn Radio and will be audio streamed live online at HailState.com/Plus (requires subscription).
TICKET INFO
While tickets for this weekend's Super Regional at Alex Box is sold out, fans can still purchase tickets for all three games through LSU's ticket marketplace.
FOLLOWING 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."
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