Diamond Dawg Gameday: at Florida

STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State baseball team is off to its best start since the 2013 campaign and will look to start SEC play with another strong statement, as the Bulldogs hit the road to take on Florida at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville March 15-17.

The No. 7 Diamond Dawgs (16-1) are riding a 12-game winning streak into the weekend series with the No. 4 Gators (14-5). MSU and Florida have met 112 previous times, with the Gators owning a 64-48 edge on the all-time ledger. Of recent, State has won five of the last six meeting, including a three-game sweep of then-No. 1-ranked UF in Starkville last season.

Gameday Info
Friday, March 15, 2019
Probable Starters
MSU: Ethan Small, LHP, R-Jr.
UF: Tommy Mace, RHP, So.

Live Video: https://hailst.at/2O8YCde
Live Audio: https://hailst.at/audio
Live Stats: https://hailst.at/2O45HLX

Saturday, March 16, 2019
Probable Starters
MSU: JT Ginn, RHP, Fr.
UF: Jack Leftwich, RHP, So.

TV: SEC Network (Dave Neal, Kyle Peterson)
Live Video: https://hailst.at/2O3XlUK
Live Audio: https://hailst.at/audio
Live Stats: https://hailst.at/2O45HLX

Sunday, March 17, 2019
Probable Starters
MSU: Keegan James, RHP, R-Jr.
UF: Tyler Dyson, RHP, Jr.

TV: SEC Network (Dave Neal, Kyle Peterson)
Live Video: https://hailst.at/2O5HJzO
Live Audio: https://hailst.at/audio
Live Stats: https://hailst.at/2O45HLX

Along with the audio stream all weekend, each game will be carried on the Mississippi State Baseball Radio Network and WKBB 100.9 in Starkville.

Quick Hitters

Mississippi State is off to its best start since the 2013 season at 16-1. The 2013 squad won 17-straight to begin that season.
MORE ON PAGE 6
Sophomore Justin Foscue hit his fourth home run of the season on February 27 vs. Southeastern Louisiana, surpassing his total from the entire 2018 campaign. MORE ON PAGE 6 & 10
Senior Jake Mangum became the 24th SEC baseball student-athlete to reach the 300-hit mark and continues to chase the Mississippi State and SEC all-time hit records. MORE ON PAGE 8
The Diamond Dawgs are in the midst of a 12-game winning streak and with one more win can move that streak to the fifth-longest streak in program history. MORE ON PAGE 6 & 10
Since the three-game series format began in 1967, Mississippi State is 65-78 in season opening SEC series. MORE ON PAGE 6
Graduate Cole Gordon saw his scoreless innings streak end at 25 innings versus Maine. Gordon's streak began in the 2018 NCAA Tallahassee Regional and was just shy of the program record, which is held by Jonathan Holder. MORE ON PAGE 9
Redshirt-junior Ethan Small ranks No. 5 nationally in strikeouts (40) in the latest NCAA statistical rankings. MORE ON PAGE 6 & 16
Head coach Chris Lemonis won his first four games as Mississippi State skipper. Lemonis is one of nine MSU head coaches to win his first career game and one of three to start 4-0 or better.
BIO ON PAGE 3, MORE ON PAGE 7

Series Notes

Mississippi State and Florida have met 112 times prior to this weekend's three-game series in Gainesville, with the Gators owning a 64-48 edge on the all-time ledger.
The first meeting came during the 1923 season in Starkville, Mississippi, where the Diamond Dawgs claimed a pair of wins by scores of 10-0 and 9-0.
Last season, the Bulldogs swept a three-game series from the Gators on the final weekend of the regular season in Starkville. MSU topped UF by scores of 6-3, 12-4 and 13-6.
MSU won the first 10 meetings in the series between 1923 and 1948, but since that time State has not been able to win more than three-straight against Florida.
The Gators collected their first win in the series in 1962, an 8-3 victory in Gainesville, and have posted three winning streaks of eight games in the series, doing so from 1991-96, 1996-1998 and 2001-03.
Mississippi State is 10-15 against Florida in the last 25 meetings, but has won five of the last six meetings.

McKethan Stadium
More information on McKethan Stadium can be found by clicking here. Information regarding parking can be found by clicking here.

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Diamond Dawg Gameday: at Florida

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Justin Foscue

JT Ginn

Cole Gordon

Keegan James

Jake Mangum

Ethan Small

Mississippi State University Athletics

Diamond Dawg Gameday: at Florida

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Justin Foscue

JT Ginn

Cole Gordon

Keegan James

Jake Mangum

Ethan Small

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