Diamond Dogs Battle No. 13 Hogs In Fayetteville
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Mississippi State (21-12/5-7 SEC) hits the midpoint
of its 30-game 2011 conference baseball schedule this weekend when the Bulldogs
take on SEC Western Division rival Arkansas (24-8/6-6 SEC) in a three-game
series at UA’s Baum Stadium. The series-opener is set Friday at 7:05 p.m. and
will be televised regionally by SportSouth.
The series continues Saturday at 6:35 p.m. and concludes with a 1:05 p.m.
contest Sunday. The radio broadcast of all three Mississippi State-Arkansas
baseball games will be carried on the 18-station MSU Baseball Radio Network and
available on the internet (www.MStateAthletics.com/m2mlive)
to Maroon to the Max subscribers, with veteran State sportscaster Jim Ellis
describing the action.
MSU has shuffled its pitching rotation for the weekend. Sophomore
right-hander Chris Stratton (4-3, 4.22) moves into the lead role and is set to
make his first career Friday night SEC start in the opener. Stratton, who leads
the MSU staff with 49.0 innings pitched and 47 strikeouts, will be looking to
rebound from a career-shortest 1.2-inning start last weekend against No. 4
Florida. State has tabbed junior lefty Nick Routt (0-1, 2.35 ERA) for a
Saturday start but has not determined its Sunday starter.
Arkansas, ranked as high as 13th in this week’s national polls, has
likewise reworked its weekend pitching plans. Freshman Brandon Moore (2-1, 3.40
ERA) and sophomore lefty Randall Fant (1-2, 3.26) will open in games one and two
with Sunday’s starter to be announced.
Senior third baseman Jarrod Parks (.389), one of MSU’s two 33-game starters
this season, sports the SEC’s second-best batting average and paces the Diamond
Dogs with 44 hits, 15 extra-base hits and 15 multiple-hit games. MSU’s other
33-game starter, senior shortstop Jonathan Ogden (.292), shares the team RBI
lead (27) with Parks.
Following the weekend series at Arkansas the Bulldogs close out a five-game
road run with a Tuesday night clash in Pearl, Miss., with instate league rival
Ole Miss in the fifth annual Governor’s Cup game. First pitch for the game at
Trustmark Park is set for 6:36 p.m., with regional television coverage by
Comcast Sports Southeast.