Diamond Dawg Gameday: Vanderbilt

STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State Bulldogs return to Southeastern Conference play this weekend when they welcome the Commodores of Vanderbilt University to Dudy Noble Field. The three-game set is slated to start at 4 p.m. on Friday night and is the second game of a nine game homestand.

This will be the first meeting between these two programs since the 2021 when they met in the College World Series Finals.

Prior to Saturday's game, the Dawgs will induct the fifth Ron Polk Ring of Honor class. The event will start at 11 a.m. at Adkerson Plaza. For more information on the event, click here.

All three 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
Friday, March 24 (4 p.m.)
Probable Starters
MSU: Jurrangelo Cijntje (3-0), BHP, Fr.
VU: Carter Holton (2-0), LHP, So.

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Gameday Info
Saturday, March 25 (2 p.m.)
Probable Starters
MSU: Landon Gartman (1-1), RHP, Jr.
VU: Hunter Owen (2-0), LHP, Jr.

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Gameday Info
Sunday, March 26 (1 p.m.)
Probable Starters
MSU: TBD
VU: Devin Futrell (4-1), LHP, So.

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Quick Hitters

Over the Dawgs last 11 games, sophomore Hunter Hines has been on a tear at the plate. Hines is hitting .432 over this span. He has recorded at least one hit in ten of the last 11 games. Besides hitting, he has an on base percentage of .458 over this span. Against Nicholls on March 14, Hines hit two home runs and had four RBIs. He followed that up at Kentucky with his second two homer game. These were his first two multi-homer games of his career. Over the 11-game span, he has 19 hits with 12 going for extra base hits. He has seven homers and five doubles over this span.
GOOD EYE: The Diamond Dawgs are finding ways to reach base this season, including drawing walks. The Bulldogs have drawn 150 base on balls this season, the fourth most in the NCAA. Seven different players have drawn ten or more walks this season. Colton Ledbetter leads the team with 28 walks this season. Luke Hancock follows with 23 walks, while Lane Forsythe is third with 21. Ledbetter ranks 3rd in the nation in walks and first in the SEC.
The Dawgs are looking at becoming just the third school in SEC history to win 1,000 Southeastern Conference contests. The only schools to accomplish this feat are Florida and LSU. Mississippi State has 988 SEC wins in program history as they continue in SEC play against Vanderbilt this weekend.
The Diamond Dawgs have been racking up the strikes this season. Over the 22 games the Dawgs have played, they have tallied 249 Ks. The 249 punchouts are the sixth most in the NCAA this season. The staff ranks 10th in the country in strikeouts per nine innings as they average 11.6.
Since March 4, the Dawgs have been showing off their power. Over this span, MSU has hit 21 homers over the 12 games. They have hit 36 home runs this year, including a four-homer game against Lipscomb to close out the series. The 36 home runs this season are the 24th most in the NCAA. The Dawgs have hit a home run in 18 of 22 games this season, including hit a homer in each of the last four games and 11 of the last 12 games.
Since getting to New Orleans last season, Amani Larry has found ways to get on base. That has not change since he got to Mississippi State. Over his two years at a NCAA Division I program, Larry has the ninth highest active on base percentage. Over those two years, he has an on base percentage of .482. During the 2023 season, Larry has an on base percentage of .495.
The Dawgs have been stealing bases this season and have the third most stolen bases in the SEC with 34. Amani Larry and Colton Ledbetter have 11 and 10 stolen bases to lead the team.
Head Coach Chris Lemonis is closing in on 300 wins as a head coach. Lemonis currently has 295 wins as a head coach. He has been a head coach at Indiana and here.

Scouting the Opponent – Vanderbilt

Tim Corbin is in his 21^st season as the head coach of the Commodores. He holds a 857-405 record, which puts him at first in all-time wins for a Vanderbilt coach.
Vandy enters the weekend with a 16-5 record, winning four straight games including a sweep of Ole Miss.
The Commodores finished 39-23 on the 2022 campaign, ending their season in the regional round.
RJ Schreck tops the stat sheet for batters with a .329 batting average.
Hunter Owen has collected 35 strikeouts this year, ranking top-10 among SEC pitchers.
Enrique Bradfield Jr. leads the Southeastern Conference in stolen bases, tallying 15 bags on the year.
Devin Futrell leads the Commodores in victories (4).
Vandy has turned the most double plays of any team in the SEC, completing 18 on the year.
The Commodore pitching staff has an ERA of 3.09, which ranks top-10 nationally.

Series Notes

The Dawgs and Commodores meet for the 130^th time on Friday when they return to SEC play.
This will be the first matchup since 2021 College World Series Finals matchup, which the Dawgs won the final two games to earn their first National Championship.
Mississippi State leads the all-time series 74-53-2
The first matchup between these two programs was during the 1913 season.

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: Vanderbilt

Players Mentioned

Jurrangelo Cijntje

Lane Forsythe

Landon Gartman

Luke Hancock

Hunter Hines

Amani Larry

Colton Ledbetter

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