Diamond Dawg Gameday: UAB

Tuesday, April 11

Birmingham, Ala,.

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

UAB

Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics

April 10, 2023 | Baseball

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STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State Bulldogs are on the road for a midweek contest in Birmingham, Ala., on Tuesday when they take on UAB. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

The midweek contest against UAB will be aired on ESPN+. 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, April 11 (6 p.m.)
Probable Starters
MSU: Parker Stinnett (1-0), RHP, Jr.
UAB: Braxton Shelton, (1-1), RHP, Fr.

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Quick Hitters

The Dawgs have hit 56 home runs, the 19th-best mark in the NCAA. In its three-game set against Alabama, MSU hit seven homers, four in the first game of the series and three in the series finale. The Dawgs have hit a home run in 26 of 33 games this season, including a homer in six of the last seven games. Freshman Dakota Jordan is on the longest hitting streak of his career at eight games. Over those eight games, Jordan is hitting .536, the best mark on the team. He has gone 15-for-28 with seven extra-base hits. Two of those extra-base hits have been home runs. One of the homers hit the left field lofts at Dudy Noble Field.
Sophomore Nate Dohm was named to the NWBCA Stopper of the Year Watch List, and we can see why. He has made nine appearances out of the bullpen this year and holds an ERA of 0.77. In 23.1 innings pitched, he has 25 strikeouts and four wins while picking up two saves. Dohm is holding opponents to hit .163 off him.
The Diamond Dawgs have been racking up strikeouts this season. Over 33 games, the Dawgs have tallied 356 Ks. The 356 punchouts are the seventh most in the NCAA this season. The staff ranks 9th in the country in strikeouts per nine innings, averaging 11.3. Five pitchers have 30 or more punchouts this season, Bradley Loftin (43), Landon Gartman (43), Jurrangelo Cijntje (41), Nate Dohm (37), and Colby Holcombe (34).
Ross Highfill exploded at the plate in game three against Lipscomb. He hit three home runs, becoming the first Bulldog to do such since Brent Rooker did on April 8, 2017. He then added two homers against Alabama in the series' first game.
Over 33 games of the season, the Diamond Dawgs have racked up 68 doubles. They are averaging 2.06 doubles per game.
Over the five years under Coach Lemonis, the Dawgs have had two seasons with over 100 doubles. Head Coach Chris Lemonis picked up career win 300 on Saturday in the Dawgs' 8-4 victory over Alabama. He has won 159 games as a Dawg entering the midweek contest against UAB.
Sophomore Hunter Hines has been on a tear over the last eight games. Over the span, the Dawgs sophomore is hitting .500. He leads the team in hits (16), home runs (4), and RBIs (15) over the last eight games. He has hit safely in seven of the last eight games.
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. The Dawgs will have seven on Opening Day MLB rosters. This season, the Dawgs had seven players on Opening Day Rosters.
Mississippi State has the BEST fans in collegiate baseball, which showed during the season's first two weeks. The Dawgs averaged the most fans on opening weekend and led the nation drawing 11,127 per game. The Dawgs average 10,708 per game, the second most in the NCAA.
The Bulldog's captain, Luke Hancock, was named to the 2023 Buster Posey Award Watch List. This award goes to the best catcher in collegiate baseball.

Scouting the Opponent – UAB

Casey Dunn is in his second season as the head coach of the Blazers. He holds a 41-45 at UAB and a career mark of 450-468.
UAB enters the midweek contest with the Dawgs with a record of 10-21 and has dropped its last three games. The Blazers' last win came on April 4 when they beat Auburn 6-5.
The Blazers finished 31-25 during the 2022 campaign.
Logan Braunschweig leads the team with a .354 batting average. He is one of two players, Tyler Waugh, hitting over .300 this season.
The Blazers have compiled 49 extra-base hits, 31 doubles, nine triples, and nine home runs. Brayton Brown leads the team with eight doubles and four homers.
As a staff, the Blazers hold an ERA of 5.21 on the season with 238 strikeouts.
Braxton Shelton is the probable starter for the midweek contest. He is 1-1 on the season with a 4.41 ERA.
Opponents are hitting .276 off the UAB pitching staff.
UAB is 1-3 against SEC opponents this season.

Series Notes

The Dawgs and Blazers meet for the 47th time on Tuesday when MSU travels to Birmingham for a midweek contest.
In last year's matchup, the Dawgs came away with a 6-5 win in ten innings. Kamren James picked up the inning RBI on a sacrifice fly.
Mississippi State leads the series 36-10.
The first matchup between these two programs was in 1982.

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