Diamond Dawg Gameday: Samford

STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State Bulldogs are set to host Samford in a non-conference contest on Tuesday at Dudy Noble Field. The Contest is slated to start at 6 p.m. This will be the fifth straight home game for the Diamond Dawgs.

This game 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 complete list of the 2023 MSU Baseball Radio Affiliates.

Gameday Info
Tuesday, March 28 (6 p.m.)
Probable Starters
MSU: Evan Siary (0-1), RHP, Fr.
SAM: Jacob Newman (2-1), RHP, So.

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Quick Hitters

Since March 4, the Dawgs have been showing off their power. Over this span, MSU has hit 25 homers over the 15 games. They have hit 40 home runs this year, including a four-homer game against Lipscomb to close out the series. The 40 home runs this season are the 25th most in the NCAA. The Dawgs have hit a home run in 20 of 25 games this season, including hitting a homer in each of the last two games and six of the last seven.
GOOD EYE: The Diamond Dawgs are finding ways to reach base this season, including drawing walks. The Bulldogs have drawn 160 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 26 walks, while Lane Forsythe is third with 21. Ledbetter ranks 3rd in the nation in walks and first in the SEC. He is five walks behind the nation's leader, Bryce Madron of Oklahoma.
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 when they return to SEC play this week against South Carolina.
The Diamond Dawgs have been racking up strikeouts this season. Over the 25 games the Dawgs have played, they have tallied 268 Ks. The 268 punchouts are the seventh most in the NCAA this season. The staff ranks 12th in the country in strikeouts per nine innings, averaging 11.1.
Ross Highfill exploded in game three against Lipscomb. He drove three home runs out of the field, becoming the first Bulldog to do such since Brent Rooker did on April 8, 2017.
Since getting to New Orleans last season, Amani Larry has found ways to get on base. That has not changed since he got to Mississippi State. Over his two years at an NCAA Division I program; Larry has the 12th-highest active on-base percentage. Over those two years, he has an on-base percentage of .478.
The Bulldog's captain, Luke Hancock, was named to the 2023 Buster Posey award watch list this week, awarded to the best catcher in collegiate baseball.
Mississippi State is great at turning out major league talent, with 66 Diamond Dawgs reaching the highest level of the sport, but it is also great at keeping student-athletes on campus. The Dawgs returned one player, KC Hunt, who was drafted in the 12th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022. Opening Day is set for Thursday for Major League Baseball.
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 – Samford

Second-year head coach Tony David leads Samford. He took the helm last season after serving on the Samford staff for the past 17 years, including the last 16 as an associate head coach.
Stephen Klein was named the Southern Conference Player of the Week on Monday. Last week, Klien hit .625 (10-for-16) over four games. He scored ten runs and drove in nine while adding four home runs. He had an on-base percentage of .700.
Samford enters the week with a 13-11 record and is 2-1 in the Southern Conference. They opened play this past weekend in conference action.
The Bulldogs are 4-9 when playing on the road this season. Two of those four road wins came this past weekend when they won the series at ETSU.
Jacob Newman is set to start this midweek contest against MSU. He is 2-1 on the season with a 7.62 ERA.
As a team, Samford is hitting .276 on the season, with Lucas Steele leading the team with a .380 average. They have six players hitting .300 or better on the season.
John Anderson leads the team with seven home runs.
As a team, the Bulldogs have a team ERA of 6.65. Opponents are hitting .274 off Samford pitching this season.
Samford's Carson Hobbs was named SoCon Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 27.

Series Notes

MSU and Samford meet for the 50th time on Tuesday when Samford travels to Dudy Noble Field.
Last season, Mississippi State and Samford met in Hoover, Ala. In a neutral site contest.
Mississippi State leads the all-time series 38-11.
The first matchup between these two programs was during the 1909 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.

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Players Mentioned

Lane Forsythe

Luke Hancock

Ross Highfill

KC Hunt

Amani Larry

Colton Ledbetter

Evan Siary

Mississippi State University Athletics