Diamond Dawg Gameday: Hancock Whitney Classic

STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State Bulldogs look to continue their five-game winning streak as they move forward to midweek action in the Hancock Whitney Classic. The Dawgs are slated for a 6 p.m. first pitch on Tuesday against Nicholls, with game two against Louisiana on Wednesday starting at 5 p.m.

Both games will be broadcast on SEC Network+. The games will also 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, March 14 (6 p.m)
Probable Starters
MSU: Bradley Loftin (1-1), LHP, Fr.
NSU: Chat Hayes (0-0), LHP, Jr.

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Gameday Info
Wednesday, March 15 (5 p.m.)
Probable Starters
MSU: TBD
ULL: TBD

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Quick Hitters

Luke Hancock has hit eight doubles on the 2023 campaign. Only seven other players across the nation have hit more than the Bulldog captain.
GOOD EYE: As a team, the Diamond Dawgs rank sixth nationally with 112 base on balls. Colton Ledbetter ranks 15th individually with 18 total walks.
LIVING LIKE LARRY: Amani Larry excels at getting on base, and his career numbers show nothing but that. Among all active D-1 players, Larry ranks fifth nationally with a .489 on-base percentage and 18th nationally with a .366 career batting average.
The Diamond Dawgs head into the weekend, batting .302 as a team. Freshman Bryce Chance tops the stat sheet with a .373 batting average.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY: Luke Hancock and Amani Larry have reached in all 16 games for the Bulldogs this season.
The Diamond Dawgs have found any way to get on base this season. Their on-on base percentage of .434 is top-20 across the nation.
Ross Highfill exploded in game three against Lipscomb last weekend. He drove three home runs out of the field, becoming the first Bulldog to do such since Brent Rooker did on April 8, 2017.
The Diamond Dawgs have flaunted their speed on the basepaths, accounting for 27 stolen bases, the second most of any team in the Southeastern Conference.
Bradley Loftin shined in his latest start. Against Valparaiso, he tallied career-highs in innings pitched (6) and strikeouts (11) while limiting the Beacons to two hits in the contest. He is the first pitcher for MSU with ten or more strikeouts in a game since May 20, 2022, when Preston Johnson had ten.
After winning game one of the doubleheader against Lipscomb, Head Coach Chris Lemonis earned his 150th win as the Mississippi State head coach. He is just the fifth coach in Mississippi State history to achieve that mark.

Scouting the Opponent – Nicholls

Second-year head coach Mike Silva leads the Colonels. Before arriving at Nicholls, he was the associate head coach at Louisiana Tech.
Nicholls comes in with an 11-7 record on the 2023 campaign after finishing 26-25 in 2022.
The pitching staff for Nicholls have thrown four shutouts in their first 18 games, which is tied for third-most nationally.
The Colonel's pitchers have accumulated a 2.77 ERA, the 12th-lowest ERA nationally.
Nicholls bats .267 as a team, with Xane Washington leading the way with a .344 batting average.
Chat Hayes has allowed ten hits, two walks, and two runs in three appearances while collecting nine strikeouts in 7.1 innings of work.
This will be the 12th meeting between the two programs. The Dawgs are 10-1 in program history against the Colonels. This will be the first meeting since 2018.

Scouting the Opponent – Louisiana

Fourth-year head coach Matt Deggs lead the Ragin' Cajuns.
Louisiana is 10-5 on the season. The Ragin' Cajuns finished the 2022 campaign with a 37-23 record, going 19-11 in the Sunbelt.
The pitching staff for the Ragin' Cajuns have an ERA of 4.67.
Louisiana is batting .282 on the year, led by Heath Hood, who is batting .397.
The Ragin' Cajuns take on Jackson State on Tuesday night before heading to Biloxi to take on the Dawgs.
This will be the seventh meeting between these two programs and the first since 2021. The Dawgs and Ragin' Cajuns series history is tied at 3-3.

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.

Diamond Dawg Gameday: Hancock Whitney Classic

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Bryce Chance

Luke Hancock

Ross Highfill

Preston Johnson

Amani Larry

Colton Ledbetter

Bradley Loftin

Mississippi State University Athletics

Diamond Dawg Gameday: Hancock Whitney Classic

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Bryce Chance

Luke Hancock

Ross Highfill

Preston Johnson

Amani Larry

Colton Ledbetter

Bradley Loftin

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