Diamond Dawg Gameday: host Youngstown State

STARKVILLE – The nearly three-year transformation of Dudy Noble Field is finished and the Mississippi State baseball program is set to open the 2019 season with a historic three-game series to christen the new "Carnegie Hall of College Baseball" this weekend against Youngstown State.

The weekend includes the unveiling of the "Thunder and Lighting" statues, paying tribute to Bulldog greats Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro, on Friday (Feb. 15), as well as inducting the inaugural class of the Ron Polk Ring of Honor on Saturday (Feb. 16).

Full details for the events surrounding opening weekend can be found at hailstate.com/openingweekend.

Breaking Down the Weekend
Friday, Feb. 15 – 4 p.m.
Probably Starters
MSU: Ethan Small, LHP, R-Jr.
YSU: Colin Clark, LHP, So.

Live Video: https://hailst.at/2GJvdEC
Live Audio: https://hailst.at/audio
Live Stats: https://hailst.at/2GK5tb9

Saturday, Feb. 16 – 2 p.m.
Probably Starters
MSU: JT Ginn, RHP, Fr.
YSU: Chad Coles, RHP, So.

Live Video: https://hailst.at/2GFWesG
Live Audio: https://hailst.at/audio
Live Stats: https://hailst.at/2GJUwGw

Sunday, Feb. 17 – Noon
Probably Starters
MSU: Keegan James, RHP, R-Jr.
YSU: Jon Snyder, RHP, R-Fr.

Live Video: https://hailst.at/2GK5JH9
Live Audio: https://hailst.at/audio
Live Stats: https://hailst.at/2GK5YSz

Along with the audio stream of each game, the Mississippi State Baseball Radio Network and WKBB 100.9 in Starkville will carry all three games this weekend.

Quick Hitters

Senior Jake Mangum is chasing a couple of high-profile records entering the 2018 season, including the Mississippi State and Southeastern Conference all-time hit records. MORE ON PAGE 4
Mississippi State enters the season ranked in all six major polls, including three top-15 rankings. Along with the program's ranking, State is slated to see as many as 10 ranked teams during the 2019 season. MORE ON PAGE 4 & 5
Graduate Cole Gordon enters the 2019 campaign with two degrees in hand, along with a 15 2/3-inning scoreless streak. Gordon's streak began in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional and moves into the 2019 campaign still intact. MORE ON PAGE 4
Mississippi State will meet Youngstown State for the first time in program history this weekend, with only one other Horizon League team on the all-time results list, that being UIC during the 2017 campaign. MORE ON PAGE 5
Head coach Chris Lemonis enters his first season at Mississippi State after spending four seasons as the head coach at Indiana. Lemonis went to three NCAA Regionals and amassed 141 victories during his time with the Hoosiers. BIO ON PAGE 3
The new Dudy Noble Field opens its gates for the 2019 campaign, with the newly constructed stadium featuring a multitude of upgrades and fan-friendly amenities. BIO ON PAGE 7

Series Notes

Mississippi State will meet Youngstown State for the first time in program history this weekend, marking the first of three new opponents into the record books (Maine, Nebraska).
Last season Mississippi State added eight new opponents to the record books: Alabama State, Houston, McNeese State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State, Southern, Texas Southern and Utah Valley. State was 9-2 in those contests.
Youngstown State is a member of the Horizon League, with the only other meeting against the conference for the Bulldogs being a 2017 NCAA Hattiesburg Regional contest vs. UIC.
The only other meeting with a university that begins with a Y came in 1967 at the UC Riverside National Tournament. State toppled Yale, 7-6.
Against programs from Ohio, Mississippi State owns an all-time mark of 12-4-1. That record includes meetings with Akron (2-0) Cincinnati (3-0), Kent State (2-0), Miami (Ohio) (1-1) and Ohio State (4-3-1).
The first meeting with a team from the Buckeye State came in 1967 versus Ohio State at the UC Riverside National Tournament, an 11-4 victory.
The most recent meetings came against Cincinnati and Miami (Ohio) to open the 2015 season at Dudy Noble Field. MSU swept three games from the Bearcats and beat the RedHawks, 7-1, in the second game of the season.

Promotions
Opening weekend will feature a host of ceremonies and giveaways, with Friday featuring the first of seven commemorative baseballs being handed out to the first 1,000 fans. Saturday's game will feature a commemorative cup promotion for the first 1,000 fans. Fans need to enter though the home plate or right field entrance to pick up the promotional items.

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.

Dudy Noble Field Policies
Gates open two hours before first pitch on game day and the 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 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.

Tickets
Tickets for all three games this weekend, along with all of MSU's home games, can be purchased through HailState.com/tickets.

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.".

Mississippi State University Athletics

Diamond Dawg Gameday: host Youngstown State

Players Mentioned

JT Ginn

Cole Gordon

Keegan James

Jake Mangum

Ethan Small

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