Diamond Dawg Gameday: at Ole Miss

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State will open up the second half of SEC play by traveling north to face off against in-state rival Ole Miss in a three-game league series beginning at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 21, at Swayze Field in Oxford.

The series opener will air nationally on SEC Network, while Saturday's finale will be televised on ESPN2. All three games will be available on SEC Network+. The series will also 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

Thursday, April 21 – 6 p.m. | SEC Network | Watch on SEC Network+ | Live Stats
Friday, April 22 – 6:30 p.m. | Watch on SEC Network+ | Live Stats
Saturday, April 23 – 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2 | Watch on SEC Network+ | Live Stats

THE ROTATION

Thursday, April 21
- MSU: Brandon Smith, RHP, Jr. (2-2, 4.14 ERA, 14-3 APP-GS, 37.0 IP, 33 SO, 4 BB)
- OM: Dylan Delucia, RHP, Jr. (2-0, 5.03 ERA, 11-2 APP-GS, 34.0 IP, 33 SO, 10 BB)
Friday, April 22
- MSU: Preston Johnson, RHP, So. (3-2, 4.21 ERA, 9-8 APP-GS, 51.1 IP, 79 SO, 24 BB)
- OM: Hunter Elliott, LHP, Fr. (1-3, 3.33 ERA, 11-3 APP-GS, 27.0 IP, 39 SO, 13 BB)
Saturday, April 23
- MSU: Cade Smith, RHP, So. (4-2, 3.42 ERA, 9-9 APP-GS, 50.0 IP, 47 SO, 23 BB)
- OM: Derek Diamond, RHP, Jr. (3-3, 6.02 ERA, 10-8 APP-GS, 40.1 IP, 39 SO, 9 BB)

DAWG BITES

Mississippi State enters the weekend with a 22-16 overall record through 38 games, including a 6-9 record in SEC play following last weekend's series win at home over No. 16 Auburn.

Mississippi State and Ole Miss will meet for the 474th time to open a three-game series on Thursday in Oxford. The Diamond Dawgs own a 260-208-5 edge in the all-time series. The first meeting came in 1893 and resulted in a Mississippi State win in Starkville.

Of the previous 473 meetings between State and Ole Miss, 322 have come in SEC play, with the Bulldogs holding a 178-142-2 edge.

State is 16-3 in the last 19 meetings against the Rebels (dating back to 2016), including a 6-0 record in Oxford over that stretch with sweeps in 2017 & 2019.

State is currently ranked eighth in the country and third in the SEC with 67 home runs on the season. Freshman Hunter Hines and senior RJ Yeager lead the team with 11 home runs each, while two other Dawgs are tied for second with Kellum Clark and Brad Cumbest each with 10 home runs on the season.

MSU's pitching staff enters the weekend ranked third in the SEC and seventh nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (11.1). Preston Johnson leads the team with 79 strikeouts in nine appearances (8 GS), while he is ranked first among SEC pitchers and 11th nationally in strikeouts.

State second baseman RJ Yeager leads the team with a .349 clip in 15 SEC games. Overall, Yeager is tied for first on the team with 11 home runs (7 HR in SEC games) and has recorded seven doubles, 25 runs scored and 35 RBIs in 37 games played.

In the last five games, Mississippi State outfielder Brad Cumbest is hitting a team-best .500 for the Diamond Dawgs. State has a 4-1 record over that stretch, while Cumbest is 8-for-16 at the plate with two home runs, a double and five runs driven in over the last five games.

THE COMPETITION

Opponent: Ole Miss Rebels
Record: 21-15, 5-10 SEC

Ole Miss enters the weekend with a 21-15 overall record and 5-10 mark in SEC play. The Rebels have lost seven of their last nine games and are currently on a three-game skid.

The Rebels are 14-8 in games played at Swayze Field this season, but are still in search of their first SEC win at home after dropping their first six league home games.

The Rebels have dropped their last two SEC series after getting swept at home by Alabama and dropping two of three on the road at South Carolina.

Ole Miss first baseman Tim Elko is batting .407 in SEC play, the highest average in the league. Overall, Elko is hitting .320 through 36 games.

Ole Miss has 61 home runs on the season, which ranks fourth in the SEC and 11th in the nation. Elko leads the Rebels with 15 on the season, while Jacob Gonzalez ranks second with 11.

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: at Ole Miss

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kellum Clark

Brad Cumbest

Hunter Hines

Preston Johnson

Brandon Smith

Cade Smith

RJ Yeager

Mississippi State University Athletics

Diamond Dawg Gameday: at Ole Miss

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kellum Clark

Brad Cumbest

Hunter Hines

Preston Johnson

Brandon Smith

Cade Smith

RJ Yeager

Related Videos