Diamond Dogs Test Memphis Tuesday At AutoZone Park
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State makes its first visit of the season to the Volunteer State Tuesday when the Bulldogs treks to Memphis for a 6:30 p.m. matchup with the University of Memphis (11-19). The game will be played at AutoZone Park, the home of the Class AAA Memphis Redbirds of the Pacific Coast League.
State will open with sophomore left-hander Tyler Whitney (0-0, 5.59) while Memphis, coached by former MSU assistant Daron Schoenrock, will counter with sophomore righty Marc Ashley (1-2, 4.11). Both starting pitchers hail from the Memphis area --- Whitney from Lakeland and Ashley from Collierville. The start will be the second in seven appearances this season for Whitney.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 1-2 weekend showing at No. 10 Kentucky. State handed Kentucky its first home loss of the 2008 campaign with a 6-5 decision in the series-opener as junior relief ace Aaron Weatherford made his injury-delayed SEC debut with a game-saving two-inning relief stint. UK evened the series with a 13-4 win in the nightcap of a Saturday twinbill and then rallied to nip the Bulldogs 9-8 in Sunday’s series finale. The Bulldogs smacked five home runs in Sunday’s game, including a school record-tying three by sophomore third baseman Connor Powers. Powers went 8-for-13 with two doubles and three home runs against the UKats, and with an 11-RBI week raised his season total to a team-leading 33.
State has claimed eight straight and 16 of its last 17 meetings with Memphis and holds a 46-20 all-time series lead. The Bulldogs turned back the Tigers 9-8 and 11-9 in last year’s meetings at Dudy Noble Field.
The teams are scheduled to meet a second time this season, a May 13 matchup at Dudy Noble Field.
MSU resumes SEC competition in Starkville this weekend, hosting defending SEC champion Vanderbilt in a three-game series at Dudy Noble Field.