Diamond Dogs Open SEC West Play Against No. 9 Arkansas
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State launches Southeastern Conference Western Division competition this weekend when the Bulldogs (16-13, 3-6 SEC) entertain ninth-ranked Arkansas (23-6, 6-3 SEC) in a three-game series at Dudy Noble Field. First pitch for Friday's series-opener is set for 6:30 p.m.
A fund-raising effort to provide assistance for members of the university family affected or displaced by Tuesday's Crossgates Apartment fire in Starkville will be held prior to Friday's game. MSU Student Association Officers and MSU Orientation Leaders will be on hand at the stadium gates beginning at 4:30 p.m. to accept donations.
Donation checks should be made payable to the MSU Foundation and designated "MSU Student Relief Fund".
All three games of the MSU-Arkansas series will be broadcast on the 14-station MSU Baseball Radio Network, with live audio and video streaming available online to subscribers of "Maroon to the Max" (www.MStateAthletics.com/m2mlive).
MSU has altered its weekend pitching plans, with sophomore righthander Caleb Reed (0-2, 4.20) of Cleveland, Miss., set to make his first career start. Reed turned in an impressive eight-inning no-decision relief pitching performance in last Friday's series opener at No. 12 South Carolina. After tossing 17.2 innings in 11 relief appearances as a rookie in 2009, Reed leads the Bulldog staff with 40.2 innings pitched this season. Freshman righty Chris Stratton (3-3, 3.75) from Tupelo, Miss., who earned his first SEC win in last Saturday's 8-7 win over USC, will make his team-leading eighth start in Saturday's 2 p.m. contest. A starting pitcher for the 1:30 p.m. series finale Sunday has not been determined.
Both MSU and Arkansas are coming off lopsided midweek wins.
State opened its nine-game homestand Tuesday night with an 18-2 romp past Jackson State. The Bulldogs set season-highs for both runs (18) and hits (17) and senior outfielder Ryan Duffy of Malabar, Fla., enjoyed a record-setting career-high at the plate. Duffy went 5-for-5 with nine RBI, becoming the seventh Bulldog to belt three home runs in a game. He backed his three-bomb night with a double and a single, establishing a school record with 15 total bases, one shy of the SEC record.
Power-hiting senior first baseman Connor Power (.390, 9 HR) of Naperville, Ill., laced a pair of two-run doubles Tuesday, boosting his SEC-leading RBI total to 43 and climbing to ninth among MSU's career RBI leaders with 181 runs driven in.
Arkansas, meanwhile, closed out a nine-game homestand with a 32-8, seven-inning win over Saint Louis in Fayetteville, Ark. The Razorbacks exploded for 14 first-inning runs and piled up 32 runs on 30 hits, including eight doubles.
MSU's homestand continues next week with a Wednesday night (6:30 p.m.) makeup game against South Alabama and a three-game Super Bulldog Weekend series against Tennessee. Super Bulldog Weekend 2010 is presented by Regions Bank.