Dogs Battle Michigan State, Southeast Missouri In BankFirst Baseball Challenge
- BankFirst Challenge Weekend Parking
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State begins its 17-game March schedule Friday at Dudy Noble Field when the Bulldogs (4-3) battle the
Southeast Missouri Redhawks (4-3) at 4 p.m. in the opening round of the 2010 BankFirst Baseball Challenge.
The three-day, double round-robin event begins Friday at 12:30 p.m. when the Redhawks take on the Michigan State Spartans. Both Michigan State (4-2) and Southeast Missouri have visited Dudy Noble Field once previously. The Spartans claimed a 4-3 win over the Bulldogs in 1931 while State swept registered 13-3 and 10-4 wins over Southeast Missouri in 2003.
MSU's Friday tournament-opener will be radio broadcast live locally on French Camp's WFCA-FM (107.9) and as a free live video stream on the internet (www.MStateAthletics.com/m2mlive).
This year's Challenge is the 10th consecutive early-season baseball tournament hosted by State and the second under the sponsorship of BankFirst, a banking system with branch banks throughout the Golden Triangle and in Jackson. MSU has compiled a composite 15-11-1 record in the nine previous Challenges/Classics, which with this year's event have now brought college baseball teams from 13 different states to Dudy Noble Field.
Senior shortstop Jonathan Ogden (.462) paces the Bulldogs at the plate with 12 hits. Ogden, from Cypress, Texas, and one of four Bulldogs from the Texas junior college ranks, is riding a five-game hitting streak. Senior third baseman Russ Sneed (.292) has also hit safely in his last five contests. Southeastern Conference home run co-leader Connor Powers (.323) leads MSU with five extra-base hits, including four roundtrippers, and with 10 RBI. His 44 career home runs ranks as the ninth-highest career total at Mississippi State.
Mississippi State has tabbed freshman left-hander Nick Routt (0-0, 4.18) for his third start of the young campaign. Routt allowed but one run and struck out six in a staff season-longest eight-inning no-decision start last Friday against Southeastern Louisiana.
Southeast Missouri, coached by former MSU assistant Mark Hogan, is expected to counter with lanky senior right-hander Kyle Gumieny (1-0,1.74), the starting pitcher in the Redhawks' season-opening 13-8 win at Auburn.
Stadium ticket offices open two hours prior to the first game each day, and a single general admission ticket ($5) will allow admission to both games of that day's doubleheader. Season ticket patrons will have seating priority for their seats during the tournament. Fans are
reminded that in light of Saturday's 5 p.m. Mississippi State-Tennessee basketball game in Humphrey Coliseum, basketball game day parking restrictions will be enforced.
2010 BANKFIRST BASEBALL CHALLENGE
Friday, March 5
12:30 p.m.: Michigan State vs. Southeast Missouri
4 p.m.: MSU vs. Southeast Missouri
Saturday, March 6
11 a.m.: MSU vs. Michigan State
2:30 p.m.: MSU vs. Southeast Missouri
Sunday, March 7
11 a.m.: Southeast Missouri vs. Michigan State
2:30 p.m.: MSU vs. Michigan State