Diamond Dawg Gameday: Southern

STARKVILLE – No. 30 Mississippi State (12-9) will host Southern (4-15) in midweek non-conference action at 5 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 23, at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville.

Wednesday's home game against Southern will be broadcast on SEC Network+. The midweek contest will be carried on the Mississippi State Sports Network powered by LEARFIELD along with a live audio stream via HailState.com/plus. Click HERE for a full list of the 2022 MSU Baseball Radio Affiliates.

GAME COVERAGE

Wednesday, March 23 – 5 p.m. CT | Watch on SEC Network+ | Live Stats

DAWG BITES

Mississippi State enters the weekend with a 12-9 overall record over the first 21 games of the season, including a 1-2 record in SEC play following the opening weekend of conference play at No. 10 Georgia.

The Diamond Dawgs are coming off a 20-3 victory over No. 10 Georgia in the series finale on Sunday (March 20) in Athens. The 20 runs by State marked the most scored against an SEC opponent since a 24-7 win over South Carolina on May 16, 2019. It is the most runs MSU has scored in an SEC road game since the Diamond Dawgs defeated Ole Miss, 21-6, on April 25, 1997, in Oxford.

Offensively, the Dawgs are hitting .273 as a team with 31 home runs, 36 doubles and 171 runs scored. MSU is out-scoring opponents 171-105 through 21 games. MSU ranks 10th in the country with a .984 fielding percentage (2nd in SEC).

On the mound, MSU pitchers have combined for a 4.66 team ERA in 181.2 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting .239 against the Dawgs' pitching staff, while MSU pitchers have struck out 244 batters and walked 84 through the first 21 games of the season.

MSU 2B RJ Yeager led the Diamond Dawgs at the plate in the last five games after going 10-for-21 (.476 BA) with four home runs, two doubles and 15 RBIs. Yeager slugged 1.143 and posted a .500 OBP.

State 3B Kamren James and OF Brad Cumbest lead the Dawgs in batting average through 21 games. James and Cumbest are each hitting .324 (24-for-74) on the season.

MSU freshman DH Hunter Hines is one of three Diamond Dawgs with an above-.300 average entering this week after posting a .303 average (23-for-76) with six home runs, six doubles, a triple and a team-high 25 RBIs. He is slugging .645 on the season with a .424 on base percentage. His six home runs ranks tied for second nationally among freshmen this season.

THE COMPETITION

Opponent: Southern Jaguars
2022 Record: 4-15

Southern is led by head coach Chris Crenshaw, who is in his second season with the Jaguars. Southern enters the week with a 4-15 overall record on the season. Southern is 2-9 this season in road games.

Southern has two players hitting over .300 through 19 games, led by JJ Rollon (.316) and O'Neill Burgos (.308). Jovante Dorris and Zavier Moore lead the Jaguars with three home runs each, while Burgos has driven in a team-high 13 RBIs. Southern is hitting .230 as a team.

The Southern pitching staff enters the week with a 8.21 team ERA in 156.2 innings, while opponents are hitting .298 against the Jaguars, who have struck out 111 and walked 85 batters.

This week's contest will mark the fourth time MSU and Southern have met on the diamond in a series that dates back to 2018. Mississippi State is 3-0 all-time against Southern with the latest meeting coming during the 2021 season. The last time State hosted Southern was on April 6, 2021, when the Diamond Dawgs secured a 15-1 victory over the Jaguars.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the baseball program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching 'HailStateBB' on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Diamond Dawg Gameday: Southern

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Brad Cumbest

Hunter Hines

Kamren James

RJ Yeager

Mississippi State University Athletics

Diamond Dawg Gameday: Southern

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Brad Cumbest

Hunter Hines

Kamren James

RJ Yeager

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