Friday, April 27
Starkville
6:30 PM
Mississippi State
vs
#22 Texas A&M
With a win on Tuesday, MSU improved to 6-1 this season against top-five teams.
Photo by: Blake Williams/MSU Athletics
Streaking State Looks To Stay Hot Against No. 18 Texas A&M
April 26, 2018 | Baseball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Having won four-straight games, all against top-five teams, Mississippi State is playing some of its best baseball of the season with less than a month of the regular season remaining. MSU aims to keep its momentum rolling this weekend when it hosts No. 18 Texas A&M at Dudy Noble Field.
The Diamond Dawgs (23-19, 8-10 SEC) and Aggies (30-11, 9-9 SEC) will face off with a three-game Southeastern Conference series that will commence Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT. The series will continue and conclude Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:30 p.m., respectively. The first two games will air live on SEC Network+, with Sunday's finale to be nationally televised on SEC Network.
Coming off a walk-off win over No. 5 Ole Miss in Pearl, Miss. on Tuesday night, MSU has won four-straight games, with three of those having been comeback victories for the Bulldogs. State's first three wins of the streak came in the form of a three-game sweep of then-No. 3 Arkansas. The top two hitters over that stretch for State have been freshmen Justin Foscue (5-for-8) and Rowdey Jordan (6-for-10) as the duo has combined for seven runs scored and four extra-base hits.
State leads the all-time series by a slim 15-12 margin, with Texas A&M holding a 4-7 advantage in games played in Starkville. The Aggies have taken the last five from the Bulldogs at Dudy Noble Field, most recently with a three-game sweep in 2016. The two sides last met last season in College Station, with MSU having claimed games two and three to take the series.
VIDEO: Coach Gary Henderson and Elijah MacNamee preview the series vs. Texas A&M
Game Notes | Live Stats
NEED TO KNOW
Head Coach – Gary Henderson
On MSU's confidence at the plate…
"Absolutely. And they're more confident. They're not just being aggressive with fastballs but also just more confident in doing so. They're also maintaining that confidence if they don't get (a fastball) through the at bat."
On the role that Elijah MacNamee has played in recent weeks…
"He's been tremendous for us. He's gotten hits when it really mattered, driving in go-ahead and winning runs. He's been doing that for us. Sometimes the game is hard and sometimes you have to be patient until it comes your way. He's been able to do that and hopefully he'll continue to swing the hot bat for us."
On Texas A&M's strengths…
"They're pitching. Rob's pitching is good every year. They've got a solid offensive group. They've got some experience and nice balance as most good teams do. The biggest thing when you look at Texas A&M is their pitching, starting pitching and depth."
On how to finish strong in such a tightly contested SEC race…
"So how do you take those 11 teams (that are within two games of each other in the SEC standings) and how do you end up in the top half of those 11? One thing you do is stay healthy. That's important even though you don't have a lot of control over that, but Coach (Ron) Polk told me that 20 years ago and that's a huge piece moving forward, so hopefully we'll be able to do that. I think we have to sustain the confidence that we've found. Can you keep your starting pitching doing what ours have been able to do? Where they go pitch five, six, seven innings? If you can stay injury free and keep the starting pitching where it gives you a chance to win, then you've got a good chance. Then the other thing is consistency over time. Can you get a timely hit? Can those guys that are hot stay hot? Can you catch a break or two? Those are things you don't necessarily address with your club but you guys watch enough baseball to know that it's important to have Jake Mangum making diving catches. That's not necessarily a break, but those are the types of things you need to do to sustain winning and playing well and maintaining your confidence."
OF – Elijah MacNamee
On being back in the lineup after coming off the bench…
"It's one of those things, you just have to keep going and trust it. I'm 21 years old. I've played baseball more than half of my life. It's one of those things. You have ups and downs. You get back in the lineup and show them what you have for one or two games, and that allowed me to keep going. It's worked from there. I was on the bench, but I was still cheering my team on. You can't be one of those guys that takes away from the team. That's not how I was raised. I just kept sticking with the plan and kept pushing myself. Confidence started coming about and it's taken off."
On how the team has progressed throughout the season…
"There's a lot of confidence right now. Now the younger guys see what it looks like to overcome things from the older, veteran guys, I think that they have matured a lot more. We can see that the freshman look great. We're bonding as a team now and looking like a championship team for sure."
On the mentality of the team…
"You still have to respect the game and take it one game at a time. We need to keep playing like we are and have confidence. When things aren't going our way, we can only control what we can and keep pushing."
SCOUTING THE AGGIES
10-3 in its last 13 games, Texas A&M is coming off a series loss at Tennessee in which the Aggies dropped two of three before collecting a midweek victory over Abilene Christian on Tuesday night. The Aggies are just 5-6 on the road this season, but hold the seventh-best ERA in the nation (2.93), which leads the SEC.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday: MSU LHP Konnor Pilkington (2-5, 2.95 ERA) vs. TAMU RHP Mitchell Kilkenny (8-1, 1.91 ERA)
Saturday: MSU LHP Ethan Small (4-3, 2.79 ERA) vs. TAMU LHP John Doxakis (6-1, 2.10 ERA)
Sunday: MSU RHP Jacob Billingsley (3-2, 4.14 ERA) vs. TAMU RHP Stephen Kolek (3-4, 3.77 ERA)
WEATHER FORECAST
Friday Forecast: High 73, Low 50 – Partly Cloudy – 10% Chance of Rain
Saturday Forecast: High 76, Low 46 – Sunny – 10% Chance of Rain
Sunday Forecast: High 72, Low 44 – Sunny – 10% Chance of Rain
LIVE VIDEO/TELEVISION
This weekend's games, along with all 23 of MSU's home games in 2018, can be viewed live on SEC Network+, which can be accessed through WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app. Those interested in watching this week's games can click on the links below to go directly to the viewing page for the respective games.
All season long, fans can follow the action with pitch-by-pitch updates through live stats. Visit the Diamond Dawgs' schedule page and click on the "Live Stats" link associated with the appropriate game.
LIVE AUDIO & RADIO
All of this weekend's games are scheduled to air live on the Mississippi State Baseball Radio Network and WKBB 100.9 in Starkville. With Jim Ellis and former Diamond Dawg Jay Powell on the call, the contests will also be audio streamed live online at HailState.com/Plus and on TuneIn Radio.
#NEWDUDE POLICIES
Fans can enter Dudy Noble Field through the right field plaza and Left Field Lounge gates, with gates opening two hours before first pitch on game day. Stadium gates will close one hour after the conclusion of each game. The right field terrace is a public, grill-free, first come first served area. Should fans wish to purchase ice at Dudy Noble, they will be able to do so behind the center field wall in the Left Field Lounge.
Approved coolers cannot exceed the maximum size of 10" by 10" by 10" after gates open, with coolers exceeding the restriction size being prohibited. Other prohibited items include alcoholic beverages, smoking (in all areas), weapons, fireworks, electric power generators, pets, non-approved banners and signs, bicycles, any illegal substances, carts, wagons, wheeled supply carriers, personal tailgate tents (on concourse or lawn areas) and lawn chairs on sidewalks or concourse areas).
All bags are subject to search and security screening, along with items prohibited from being stored along stadium fencing and gates. MSU encourages fans to leave all unnecessary and prohibited items at home or in their vehicles to expedite security and screening procedures.
PROMOTIONS
Friday Night Fireworks will take place shortly following the conclusion of the series opener. The fireworks display will be set to hit music from nine different Disney movies. Fans can also have a picture taken with the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Governor's Cup trophies on Friday and Saturday.
Before Sunday's finale, the third set of 2018 Bulldog Baseball Trading Cards will be given to the first 1,000 fans. Brunch at the Ballpark will also take place on Sunday in the right field plaza, while supplies last. Kids will also run the baseball shortly following the conclusion of the series finale.
For all regular season home games at Dudy Noble, MSU students will be admitted into the games for free with their student ID and Bully's Kids Club members will also receive free admission.
Fans can upgrade their game day experience with multiple options throughout the year from HailState.com/memories.
TICKETS
Tickets for all three of this weekend's games against Texas A&M are still available for purchase through HailState.com/tickets.
NEXT UP FOR MSU
State will take the week off for final exams, but will return to action next weekend for a three-game series at Alabama. The three-game series will begin Friday, May 4 at 6 p.m. CT in Tuscaloosa.
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 Diamond Dawgs (23-19, 8-10 SEC) and Aggies (30-11, 9-9 SEC) will face off with a three-game Southeastern Conference series that will commence Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT. The series will continue and conclude Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:30 p.m., respectively. The first two games will air live on SEC Network+, with Sunday's finale to be nationally televised on SEC Network.
Coming off a walk-off win over No. 5 Ole Miss in Pearl, Miss. on Tuesday night, MSU has won four-straight games, with three of those having been comeback victories for the Bulldogs. State's first three wins of the streak came in the form of a three-game sweep of then-No. 3 Arkansas. The top two hitters over that stretch for State have been freshmen Justin Foscue (5-for-8) and Rowdey Jordan (6-for-10) as the duo has combined for seven runs scored and four extra-base hits.
State leads the all-time series by a slim 15-12 margin, with Texas A&M holding a 4-7 advantage in games played in Starkville. The Aggies have taken the last five from the Bulldogs at Dudy Noble Field, most recently with a three-game sweep in 2016. The two sides last met last season in College Station, with MSU having claimed games two and three to take the series.
VIDEO: Coach Gary Henderson and Elijah MacNamee preview the series vs. Texas A&M
Game Notes | Live Stats
NEED TO KNOW
- In 18 of State's 23 wins thus far, opponents have been held to four runs or less. In three of the remaining four, opponents scored just five runs.
- The Diamond Dawgs have 12 comeback wins on the year (23 wins total), seven of which came in the month of March with the other five having come in April (three against Ole Miss and two against Arkansas). In 2017, 25 of State's 40 wins were come-from-behind victories.
- After an up-and-down journey through the first 38 games of the season, MSU showed glimpses of what it is capable of. After going 4-0 against Arkansas and Ole Miss over the last week, State improved to 6-1 on the year against top-five teams.
- Holding a RPI of 92 on April 1, State has climbed 55 spots to No. 37 in just 25 days by posting a 9-4 mark in the month of April with seven of those wins having come against ranked teams, six against teams ranked in the top five and five against top-three teams.
- With 13 games remaining in the regular season, nine of those games will come against teams with an RPI of 17 or better, including three vs. No. 14 Texas A&M this weekend. The remaining four games will be against teams with an RPI of 41 (Troy) and 61 (Alabama).
- Considering its cumulative opposition for the 2018 season, the Diamond Dawgs have the toughest schedule in all of Division I baseball with a winning percentage of .616 (1321-825-1) on the year. State's 13 remaining regular-season games rank as the second-toughest remaining schedule in the country as future opposition has a .679 winning percentage.
- MSU is 21-8 when holding opponents to five or less runs, 12-2 when holding others to two or less runs and 2-11 when allowing six or more runs. State is also 14-0 when scoring six or more runs, 14-3 when scoring first and 10-2 when having scored in the first inning.
- With 88 doubles on the year, State ranks third in the SEC and 15th in the country in the category. 13 different Diamond Dawgs have tallied a double on the year, with Hunter Stovall and Jake Mangum's 14 being a team best.
- The MSU pitching staff has combined for 10+ strikeouts in 14 games this season.
- State's staff has also collected 26 or more punch outs in six of its last eight weekend series, with five of those having been 29+ strikeout weekends. The Bulldogs most recently struck out Arkansas 29 times.
- While Mangum leads MSU in multi-hit games (18), Hunter Stovall (14), Tanner Allen (13) and Josh Hatcher (11) are the next closest to their junior center fielder.
- MSU leads the SEC in batters struck out looking (124), while Konnor Pilkington leads the league in strikeouts looking (32) and Ethan Small ranks sixth (20).
- State's staff also ranks third in the league in batters struck out (391).
- Stovall ranks second in the SEC in fielding double plays (32), while Luke Alexander ranks sixth in the conference (27) and Hatcher is eighth (25). No other SEC team has a trio ranking in the top 15.
- As a team, State is tied for the league lead and ranks 23rd in the nation in fielding double plays (38).
- The MSU defense also leads the SEC in runners caught stealing with 19 and is fourth in the league in runners picked off with seven.
- In just 26 appearances this year, Marshall Gilbert is third in the conference with 10 runners caught stealing.
Head Coach – Gary Henderson
On MSU's confidence at the plate…
"Absolutely. And they're more confident. They're not just being aggressive with fastballs but also just more confident in doing so. They're also maintaining that confidence if they don't get (a fastball) through the at bat."
On the role that Elijah MacNamee has played in recent weeks…
"He's been tremendous for us. He's gotten hits when it really mattered, driving in go-ahead and winning runs. He's been doing that for us. Sometimes the game is hard and sometimes you have to be patient until it comes your way. He's been able to do that and hopefully he'll continue to swing the hot bat for us."
On Texas A&M's strengths…
"They're pitching. Rob's pitching is good every year. They've got a solid offensive group. They've got some experience and nice balance as most good teams do. The biggest thing when you look at Texas A&M is their pitching, starting pitching and depth."
On how to finish strong in such a tightly contested SEC race…
"So how do you take those 11 teams (that are within two games of each other in the SEC standings) and how do you end up in the top half of those 11? One thing you do is stay healthy. That's important even though you don't have a lot of control over that, but Coach (Ron) Polk told me that 20 years ago and that's a huge piece moving forward, so hopefully we'll be able to do that. I think we have to sustain the confidence that we've found. Can you keep your starting pitching doing what ours have been able to do? Where they go pitch five, six, seven innings? If you can stay injury free and keep the starting pitching where it gives you a chance to win, then you've got a good chance. Then the other thing is consistency over time. Can you get a timely hit? Can those guys that are hot stay hot? Can you catch a break or two? Those are things you don't necessarily address with your club but you guys watch enough baseball to know that it's important to have Jake Mangum making diving catches. That's not necessarily a break, but those are the types of things you need to do to sustain winning and playing well and maintaining your confidence."
OF – Elijah MacNamee
On being back in the lineup after coming off the bench…
"It's one of those things, you just have to keep going and trust it. I'm 21 years old. I've played baseball more than half of my life. It's one of those things. You have ups and downs. You get back in the lineup and show them what you have for one or two games, and that allowed me to keep going. It's worked from there. I was on the bench, but I was still cheering my team on. You can't be one of those guys that takes away from the team. That's not how I was raised. I just kept sticking with the plan and kept pushing myself. Confidence started coming about and it's taken off."
On how the team has progressed throughout the season…
"There's a lot of confidence right now. Now the younger guys see what it looks like to overcome things from the older, veteran guys, I think that they have matured a lot more. We can see that the freshman look great. We're bonding as a team now and looking like a championship team for sure."
On the mentality of the team…
"You still have to respect the game and take it one game at a time. We need to keep playing like we are and have confidence. When things aren't going our way, we can only control what we can and keep pushing."
SCOUTING THE AGGIES
10-3 in its last 13 games, Texas A&M is coming off a series loss at Tennessee in which the Aggies dropped two of three before collecting a midweek victory over Abilene Christian on Tuesday night. The Aggies are just 5-6 on the road this season, but hold the seventh-best ERA in the nation (2.93), which leads the SEC.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday: MSU LHP Konnor Pilkington (2-5, 2.95 ERA) vs. TAMU RHP Mitchell Kilkenny (8-1, 1.91 ERA)
Saturday: MSU LHP Ethan Small (4-3, 2.79 ERA) vs. TAMU LHP John Doxakis (6-1, 2.10 ERA)
Sunday: MSU RHP Jacob Billingsley (3-2, 4.14 ERA) vs. TAMU RHP Stephen Kolek (3-4, 3.77 ERA)
WEATHER FORECAST
Friday Forecast: High 73, Low 50 – Partly Cloudy – 10% Chance of Rain
Saturday Forecast: High 76, Low 46 – Sunny – 10% Chance of Rain
Sunday Forecast: High 72, Low 44 – Sunny – 10% Chance of Rain
LIVE VIDEO/TELEVISION
This weekend's games, along with all 23 of MSU's home games in 2018, can be viewed live on SEC Network+, which can be accessed through WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app. Those interested in watching this week's games can click on the links below to go directly to the viewing page for the respective games.
Watch Friday's Game | Watch Saturday's Game | Watch Sunday's Game
All season long, fans can follow the action with pitch-by-pitch updates through live stats. Visit the Diamond Dawgs' schedule page and click on the "Live Stats" link associated with the appropriate game.
LIVE AUDIO & RADIO
All of this weekend's games are scheduled to air live on the Mississippi State Baseball Radio Network and WKBB 100.9 in Starkville. With Jim Ellis and former Diamond Dawg Jay Powell on the call, the contests will also be audio streamed live online at HailState.com/Plus and on TuneIn Radio.
#NEWDUDE POLICIES
Fans can enter Dudy Noble Field through the right field plaza and Left Field Lounge gates, with gates opening two hours before first pitch on game day. Stadium gates will close one hour after the conclusion of each game. The right field terrace is a public, grill-free, first come first served area. Should fans wish to purchase ice at Dudy Noble, they will be able to do so behind the center field wall in the Left Field Lounge.
Approved coolers cannot exceed the maximum size of 10" by 10" by 10" after gates open, with coolers exceeding the restriction size being prohibited. Other prohibited items include alcoholic beverages, smoking (in all areas), weapons, fireworks, electric power generators, pets, non-approved banners and signs, bicycles, any illegal substances, carts, wagons, wheeled supply carriers, personal tailgate tents (on concourse or lawn areas) and lawn chairs on sidewalks or concourse areas).
All bags are subject to search and security screening, along with items prohibited from being stored along stadium fencing and gates. MSU encourages fans to leave all unnecessary and prohibited items at home or in their vehicles to expedite security and screening procedures.
PROMOTIONS
Friday Night Fireworks will take place shortly following the conclusion of the series opener. The fireworks display will be set to hit music from nine different Disney movies. Fans can also have a picture taken with the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Governor's Cup trophies on Friday and Saturday.
Before Sunday's finale, the third set of 2018 Bulldog Baseball Trading Cards will be given to the first 1,000 fans. Brunch at the Ballpark will also take place on Sunday in the right field plaza, while supplies last. Kids will also run the baseball shortly following the conclusion of the series finale.
For all regular season home games at Dudy Noble, MSU students will be admitted into the games for free with their student ID and Bully's Kids Club members will also receive free admission.
Fans can upgrade their game day experience with multiple options throughout the year from HailState.com/memories.
TICKETS
Tickets for all three of this weekend's games against Texas A&M are still available for purchase through HailState.com/tickets.
NEXT UP FOR MSU
State will take the week off for final exams, but will return to action next weekend for a three-game series at Alabama. The three-game series will begin Friday, May 4 at 6 p.m. CT in Tuscaloosa.
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
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1B/LHP
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LHP
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INF
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