Diamond Dawg Gameday: Southern Miss

PEARL, Miss. – After their second straight series victory, the Mississippi State Diamond Dawgs make their first trip away from Dudy Noble Field this season, as they head to Pearl to face in-state foe Southern Miss in midweek action. The game will be played at Trustmark Park, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.

The game will be carried on the Mississippi State Sports Network powered by Learfield along with a live audio stream via HailState.com/Listen. Click HERE for a full list of the 2023 MSU Baseball Radio Affiliates.

Gameday Info
Tuesday, Feb. 28 (6 p.m.)
Probable Starters
MSU: Bradley Loftin (0-1), LHP, Fr.
USM: Tyler Martin (0-0), LHP, Sr.

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Quick Hitters

Mississippi State is ranked in the top-10 nationally with walks, with a team total of 53. Luke Hancock leads the way on the year with 8 total.
The Diamond Dawgs head into action on Tuesday sporting a .321 batting average. Colton Ledbetter leads Mississippi State with a .406 batting average, including three home runs, most on the team.
Four Bulldogs have reached base in all eight games this season – Slate Alford, Amani Larry, Luke Hancock, and Dakota Jordan.
This season, Mississippi State has excelled in extra base hits, including doubles. The Diamond Dawgs rank fourth in the Southeastern Conference with 18 total doubles. Luke Hancock, Amani Larry, and Colton Ledbetter all lead the team with three.
THE LONG BALL: Home Runs have been an essential factor to the Mississippi State offense throughout the year, as the team has hit 14 home runs in eight games. This is the fifth most in the SEC.
The Diamond Dawgs have flaunted their speed on the basepaths, accounting for 15 stolen bases, which is the most of any team in the Southeastern Conference.
Mississippi State and Southern Miss will be facing off for the 129^th time in history, with the Bulldogs leading the series total 84-44.
Tuesday's game against Southern Miss kicks off a trip of four games away from home for the Bulldogs. This weekend, they will travel to Frisco, Texas to play in the Frisco College Baseball Classic with games against Ohio State,
The Diamond Dawgs saw two players, Colton Ledbetter, and Amani Larry, earn Preseason All-American honors.
The Dawgs will have two players on the roster this season that have made appearances in the Little League World Series. During the 2015 Little League World Series, David Mershon made an appearance with Taylors, South Carolina, representing the Southeast Region and Northwood Little League. Also making an appearance in the LLWS was Jurrangelo Cijntje during the 2016 tournament. Cijntje appeared with Willemstad, Curaçao of the Caribbean Region. He represented Pariba Little League.
Did you know that the Diamond Dawgs are one of three programs in NCAA History and the only Southeastern Conference program to play in the NCAA Men's College World Series in six-straight decades.

Scouting the Opponent

Southern Miss is led by head coach Scott Berry. Berry is a 14^th year head coach for the Golden Eagles and in his 23^rd year overall.
On the 2022 campaign, Southern Miss finished with a 47-19 record, earning the right to host regional rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
The Golden Eagles opened the season with a series sweep against Liberty and a midweek victory against New Orleans, before losing the series against Illinois.
Slade Wilks leads a Southern Miss squad with a batting average of .455. The Golden Eagles are hitting .277 as a team.
Probable Starter Tyler Martin has made two appearances on the year. He's collected five strikeouts in four innings of work, while giving up two earned runs and three walks.
As a staff, the Golden Eagles pitchers rank 18^th nationally in Strikeouts per nine innings, with 12.3.

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.

Mississippi State University Athletics

Diamond Dawg Gameday: Southern Miss

Players Mentioned

Slate Alford

Jurrangelo Cijntje

Luke Hancock

Dakota Jordan

Amani Larry

Colton Ledbetter

Bradley Loftin

David Mershon

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