Mississippi State
Memphis
No. 15 MSU Returns Home To Host Memphis
April 20, 2026 | Baseball
STARKVILLE - No. 15 Mississippi State returns to Dudy Noble Field on Tuesday night looking to keep its momentum rolling when the Diamond Dawgs host Memphis in a midweek matchup that has recently belonged to the Maroon and White.
MSU enters at 30-10 overall and riding a four-game winning streak after sweeping South Carolina on the road for the first time in program history. The Bulldogs have won six straight meetings against Memphis and own a commanding 60-27 edge in the all-time series. State defeated the Tigers twice last season, a 5-3 win in Memphis and an 18-5 run-rule victory in Starkville.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. on SEC Network+ as Mississippi State returns home before a pivotal SEC series in Starkville against LSU later this week.
Offensively, State has been one of the most dangerous lineups in the SEC. The Bulldogs are batting .317 as a team with a .540 slugging percentage, 67 home runs and 93 doubles, a mark that leads the conference and ranks among the nation's best. Mississippi State has also drawn 202 walks and reached base at a .417 clip, giving opponents little room for error.
Junior third baseman Ace Reese continues to anchor the attack. Reese is hitting .318 with 12 home runs, 47 RBIs and an SEC-best 17 doubles. Veteran second baseman Gehrig Frei is batting .336 with seven homers while Noah Sullivan carries a .347 average and 31 RBIs. Freshman Jacob Parker has added seven home runs and a .322 average, giving the Bulldogs thunder throughout the order.
Bryce Chance has also provided consistency no matter where he bats in the lineup, hitting .368, while transfer center fielder Aidan Teel brings speed and balance with a .308 average. The lineup's depth has helped State score in bunches all season.
Mississippi State's pitching staff has been equally impressive. The Bulldogs own a 3.45 team ERA, have struck out 454 batters in 344 innings and have already posted six shutouts, the second-most in the country entering the week. Opponents are batting just .221 against State.
Junior right-hander Tyler Pitzer is expected to start for MSU. Pitzer is 2-2 with a 3.07 ERA in 13 appearances, striking out 21 batters with only six walks in 14 2/3 innings. He has been effective in relief roles and will be making his second start this spring.
Memphis arrives at 15-23 overall, 7-8 in AAC play and riding a five-game winning streak. The Tigers are batting .266 as a team with 43 home runs and 89 stolen bases, showing a willingness to pressure defenses once they reach base.
Michael Gupton leads Memphis with a .308 average, 11 home runs and 36 RBIs, while Freddy Rodriguez has scored 35 runs and stolen 31 bases. James Smith IV has seven homers and 35 RBIs and Shane Cox is hitting .287 with 11 doubles.
Memphis is expected to counter with sophomore right-hander Seth Impson. He is 1-2 with an 8.80 ERA in 10 appearances and four starts this season. Impson has struck out 15 batters but also issued 17 walks in 30 2/3 innings.
On the mound as a staff, Memphis has struggled to contain opponents, carrying a 7.54 ERA while allowing a .294 batting average and 60 home runs.
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