Diamond Dawg Gameday: Grambling State

STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State Bulldogs closes out a nine-game home stand on Tuesday night when they host Grambling in non-conference action. The game is set for a 6 p.m. start.

The midweek matchup 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, April 4 (6 p.m. CT)
Probable Starters
MSU: Parker Stinnett (0-0), RHP, Jr.
GSU: Jacorey Boudreaux (0-2), LHP, Gr.

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Quick Hitters

Over the first 29 games of the season, the Diamond Dawgs have racked up 58 doubles. They are averaging 2.0 doubles per game. Over the five years under Coach Lemonis, the Dawgs have had two seasons with over 100 doubles. The 2019 team set the school record with doubles with 166.
Freshman Dakota Jordan had a huge week, hitting .667 (10-for-15) with two home runs. On Tuesday night, he had his first multi-hit game as a Dawg against Samford. He had an on-base percentage of .706 on the week. He has hit safely over his last four games.
The Diamond Dawgs are finding ways to reach base this season, including drawing walks. The Bulldogs have drawn 177 base on balls this season, the fifth most in the NCAA. Eight different players have drawn ten or more walks this season. Colton Ledbetter ranks 3rd in the nation in walks and first in the SEC. He is six walks behind the nation's leader, Bryce Madron of Oklahoma.
The Diamond Dawgs have been racking up strikeouts this season. Over 29 games the Dawgs have played, they have tallied 316 Ks. The 316 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. Four pitchers have 30 or more punchouts this season, Bradley Loftin (39), Landon Gartman (39), Jurrangelo Cijntje (39), and Nate Dohm (30).
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.
The Dawgs have been stealing bases this season and have the second most stolen bases in the SEC with 45. Colton Ledbetter leads the team with 14, while Amani Larry follows with 13. The Dawgs stole a season-high seven bases against Samford. With the two stolen bases on Thursday against South Carolina, the Dawgs have stolen more bases than they did last season.
Head Coach Chris Lemonis is closing in on 300 wins as a head coach. Lemonis currently has 297 wins as a head coach. He has been a head coach at Indiana and here.
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 are averaging 10,761 per game, the 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 – Grambling

Second-year head coach Davin Pierre leads Grambling. Pierre has a career record of 36-48 as the head coach at Grambling.
The Tigers are 12-15 on the season with an 8-1 in the SWAC, including sweeps against Alcorn State and Arkansas Pine-Bluff.
Grambling is hitting .278 as a team, including four players well over .300. Keylon Mack leads the way with a .370 average.
The Tigers have 166 walks on the season, the 16th best in the nation and only one walk behind the SWAC conference leader, Jackson State.
Grambling also ranks 12th in triples and 16th in triples per game nationally.
They also have 51 stolen bases and 1.89 stolen bases attempted per game, which are both ranked top 30 in the nation.
The Tigers are top 20 in the nation in Sacrifice bunts with 20 on the season.
Grambling has won its last three games.

Series Notes

The Dawgs and Tigers will meet on Tuesday night for the fifth time in program history.
This will be the first matchup since March 1, 2022, and the third straight season they have played.
Mississippi State leads the all-time series 4-0.
The first matchup between these two programs was during the 2013 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.

Diamond Dawg Gameday: Grambling State

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jurrangelo Cijntje

Nate Dohm

Landon Gartman

Luke Hancock

Ross Highfill

KC Hunt

Dakota Jordan

Amani Larry

Colton Ledbetter

Bradley Loftin

Parker Stinnett

Mississippi State University Athletics

Diamond Dawg Gameday: Grambling State

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jurrangelo Cijntje

Nate Dohm

Landon Gartman

Luke Hancock

Ross Highfill

KC Hunt

Dakota Jordan

Amani Larry

Colton Ledbetter

Bradley Loftin

Parker Stinnett

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