Diamond Dogs Meet Memphis Tuesday At AutoZone Park
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State closes out its 2009 non-conference schedule and goes after a series sweep of Memphis Tuesday afternoon when the Bulldogs (23-27) take on the Tigers (21-28) in a 3 p.m. matchup at AutoZone Park in Memphis.
The game is the first half of a collegiate/professional baseball twinbill at AutoZone Park, the home of the Memphis Redbirds, the AAA Pacific Coast League affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Following the MSU-UM game, the Redbirds, skippered by former Bulldog Chris Maloney, are scheduled to meet Las Vegas in a 7:05 p.m. Tickets, ranging in price from $5 to $18, are available at AutoZone park and are good for admission to both games.
The Bulldogs are coming off their second SEC weekend series win of the campaign. State went on the road to knock off No. 7 Ole Miss 6-5 and 11-8 in Oxford and halt a run of five consecutive series wins by the Rebels. UM, which opened the weekend in a three-way tie for the overall SEC league, claimed Sunday’s series finale 8-1.
Catcher Scott DeLoach went 5-for-10 with two doubles, three walks and a career-first home run at Ole Miss, raising his seasonal batting average to a team-leading .356. Junior third baseman Russ Sneed (.341) leads the Dogs with 59 hits, while junior first baseman Connor Powers (.297)) ranks seventh in the SEC with 17 home runs and 57 RBI. DeLoach paces the Southeastern Conference with a .493 batting average.
Mississippi State registered a 6-3 win over Memphis when the Bulldogs and the Tigers met March 25 at Dudy Noble Field. Middle infielders Jet Butler and Frank Rawdow drove in two runs each and freshman righty Caleb Reed worked a season-longest four innings in relief to notch the win.
MSU has won 10 of the last 11 and 18 of the last 20 in a series that dates back to 1950. TheTigers are coached by former MSU assistant Daron Schoenrock.
Neither team has declared a starting pitcher for Tuesday afternoon’s contest.
Following the Memphis game, the Bulldogs return to Starkville to close out their 2009 season with a Thursday-Friday-Saturday series against league-leading and second-ranked LSU (38-14). The series features 6:30 p.m. contests both Thursday and Friday and concludes with a 2 p.m. game Saturday. Nine Bulldog seniors will be honored prior to Saturday’s senior finale.