Dogs Host Demons To Launch Tuesday Slate At Dudy Noble
STARKVILLE, Miss. ‑ Mississippi State plays the first of this season’s six Tuesday games at Dudy Noble Field this week when the Bulldogs (4‑0) test Northwestern State (2‑1) February 22. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. and the stadium ticket office opens at 2 p.m. The radio
broadcast of the games will be available on 100,000‑watt WFCA‑FM (107.9) in French Camp, Miss., and online video streaming will be available to online to subscribers of “Maroon to the Max” (www.MStateAthletics.com).
Sophomore Kendall Graveman (Alexander City, Ala.) will open on the mound for the Bulldogs Tuesday while Northwestern State has designated sophomore lefty Jacob Williford as its starting pitcher. Both will be making their first mound appearances of the season.
The Bulldogs enjoyed a successful start to their 2011 baseball campaign over the weekend, sweeping two games each from Akron (11‑0, 10‑1) and 2010 NCAA Tournament entrant Lamar (2‑0, 17‑2). The Bulldogs out‑scored their opponents 40‑3 and hit .366, tops in the SEC on the first weekend of competition. Senior infielders Jarrod Parks (Madison, Miss.) collected a team‑most eight hits on a .533 hitting weekend and Nick Vickerson (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) hit at a .353 clip with a team‑leading eight runs scored. Both hit safely in all opening weekend four game. Freshman first baseman/pitcher Daryl Norris (Fairhope, Ala.), honored as the initial 2011 SEC Freshman of the Week, claimed the early team lead with a .625 batting average and a team‑best eight RBI.
Mississippi State played error‑free defense over 36 innings while the State pitching staff averaged a strikeout per inning and allowed but three runs (0.75 earned run average) on the weekend. Junior righty Devin Jones (Eupora, Miss.) allowed one hit and faced one batter over the minimum in a career‑longest 7.0‑inning start against Akron on opening day. Sophomore right‑hander Chris Stratton (Tupelo, Miss.) tallied a career‑best 10 strikeouts over six innings and earned the win as State registered a second straight shutout with a 2‑0 Saturday blanking of Lamar. Junior Caleb Reed (Cleveland, Miss.) fanned five Cardinal batters finished preserved the shutout to earn his first career save.
Though out‑scored 35‑26 on the weekend, Northwestern State got clutch hitting and took two of three opening‑weekend games from Brigham Young (8‑7, 1‑19, 4‑1) in Natchitoches, La. Third baseman Nick Hinojos (.375) and centerfielder Drew Helenihi (.364) lead the Demons at the plate.
MSU continues its season‑opening 14‑game homestand this weekend, hosting the Belmont Bruins in a three‑game series that opens Friday at 4 p.m.