Diamond Dawg Gameday: at LSU

STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State Bulldogs return to Southeastern Conference play when they travel to Baton Rouge, La. for a three game with the LSU Tigers. First pitch for Friday is set for 7:30 p.m., continues Saturday at 6 p.m., and concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday's game will be broadcast on SECN+, while Friday's game will be on SEC Network. The series 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, May 12 (7:30 p.m.)
Probable Starters
MSU: Evan Siary, 1-1, RHP, Fr.
LSU: Paul Skenes, (9-1), RHP, Jr.

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Gameday Info
Saturday, May 13 (6 p.m.)
Probable Starters
MSU: Cade Smith (1-2), RHP, Jr.
LSU: Ty Floyd, (6-0), RHP, Jr.

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Gameday Info
Sunday, May 14 (1 p.m.)
Probable Starters
MSU: TBA
LSU: TBA

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Quick Hitters

The Diamond Dawgs have been racking up strikeouts this season. Over 47 games, the Dawgs have tallied 479 Ks. The 479 punchouts are the 17th most in the NCAA this season. The staff ranks 11th in the country in strikeouts per nine innings, averaging 10.8.
Throughout the season, Hunter Hines is hitting .313 with 22 home runs and 57 RBIs. His 22 home runs on the season ties Hines for third in the nation. Hines now ranks sixth in Bulldog history with single-season home runs, tying Tommy Raffo. He will tie Brent Rooker for fifth in a single season with one homer.
The Dawgs have hit 81 home runs, the 25th-best mark in the NCAA. They have hit at least one home run in 12 of the last 15 SEC games. The Dawgs have hit a home run in 37 of 47 games this season.
The Diamond Dawgs are finding ways to reach base this season, including drawing walks. The Bulldogs have drawn 270 base on balls this season, the 24th most in the NCAA. Eleven different players have drawn ten or more walks this season. Colton Ledbetter leads the team with 43 walks this season. Luke Hancock follows with 38 walks, while Amani Larry is third on the team with 31. Ledbetter is tied for ninth in the nation for walks.
APRIL BOMBS: The Bulldogs finished with home runs in 13 of the 16 games played in April, including two four-homer games against Alabama and Auburn.
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 a two-home run game against Alabama in the first game of the series.
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. This season, the Dawgs had seven players on Opening Day Rosters.
JP France got the call to the majors. He was the 67th Diamond Dawg to get the call to MLB. He debuted Saturday night when he started for the Houston Astros. He went five scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and striking out five.
Mississippi State has the BEST fans in collegiate baseball, which showed during the 2023 season. The Dawgs averaged the most fans on opening weekend, leading the nation with 11,127 per game. For Super Bulldog Weekend, 43,986 fans showed up and out for a three-game set, averaging 14,662 per game. They also set the NCAA record for single-game attendance for an on-campus facility at the Dude when 16,423 fans gushed into the stadium when the Diamond Dawgs took on Ole Miss on April 15, 2023.

Scouting the Opponent – LSU

Jay Johnson is in his 2nd season as the head coach of the Tigers. He holds a 78-32 record at LSU and a career mark of 395-204 for his 11-year career.
LSU enters the weekend as the #2 team in the country with an overall record of 38-10 while going 16-7 in conference play. This is the first week of the season that LSU is not ranked No. 1.
Dylan Crews leads the Tigers at the plate, hitting .457 on the season. This is the best mark in the nation. Besides hitting for average, he has 113 home runs, 53 RBIs, and has drawn 51 walks.
Tommy White follows, hitting .382, the sixth-best mark in the SEC. He leads the team with 17 home runs and 79 RBIs.
As a team, the Tigers are hitting .313 and have 94 home runs and an on-base percentage of .442.
Paul Skenes leads the Tigers on the mound. The junior has pitched a team-high 72.2 innings and has tallied 139 strikeouts. He is 9-1 on the season. His 139 punchouts leads the nation.
Coming out of the pen for the Tigers is Garrett Edwards, who is 4-0 and has made ten appearances. He holds a 1.93 ERA on the season in 23.1 innings.
The Tigers hold an ERA of 4.49 on the season, with opponents hitting .220.

Series Notes

The Dawgs and the Tigers meet for the 406th time on Friday when they begin the series.
LSU swept the Dawgs last season at Dudy Noble Field.
The last time the Bulldogs played at Alex Box Stadium, during the 2021 season, MSU took two of three from the Tigers.
State leads the all-time series 216-189
The first matchup between these two programs was in 1907.

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

Luke Hancock

Ross Highfill

Hunter Hines

KC Hunt

Amani Larry

Colton Ledbetter

Evan Siary

Cade Smith

Mississippi State University Athletics