Diamond Dogs Host No. 22 Alabama
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State takes on its fifth ranked opponent of the season and one of the league’s hottest teams this weekend when the Bulldogs (21-24, 6-15 SEC) host No. 22 Alabama (30-15, 12-9 SEC) in a three-game SEC series at Dudy Noble Field. Friday’s series-opener as well as Saturday’s contest is set for 6:30 p.m. starts while the Sunday series finale is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m.
With nine league games remaining, Mississippi State enters the weekend three games out of eighth place in the overall SEC standings as the race for a berth in the eight-team field of the upcoming SEC Baseball Tournament winds down. Alabama trails SEC co-leaders Georgia and LSU by two games.
State will be out to halt Alabama’s run of three consecutive series wins. The Tide prevailed in Tuscaloosa last year (21-7, 4-6, 4-3) and has won seven of the last 10 MSU-Alabama baseball matchups.
The Bulldogs have not announced a starter to work opposite Alabama ace right-hander Austin Hyatt (6-1, 3.45). MSU freshman lefty Nick Routt (4-3, 3.41), State’s announced Saturday starter, joined Hyatt on the 50-player initial watch list for the inaugural College Baseball Foundation/Mizuno Pitcher of the Year Award.
State senior outfielder Grant Hogue (.333) enters the weekend riding a season-longest eight-game hitting streak and an SEC-leading 28 stolen bases, the most pilfers by a Bulldog since Dan Van Cleve’s school-record 38 in 1985. He stands fifth on MSU’s career stolen base charts with 53.
Alabama brings impressive offensive numbers into the series. The Tide sports a league-leading .338 batting average, 91 home runs and a .592 team slugging percentage. Tide outfielder Kent Matthes leads the SEC with 23 home runs and ranks second with 67 RBI and a .378 batting average. Alabama, a 14-3 Wednesday night winner over South Alabama, has won seven of its last 10 games overall and nine of its last 12 SEC games.