Diamond Dogs Face South Alabama Tuesday In Mobile
Tuesday's game begins a four-game road run for the Diamond Dogs, who this weekend travel to Knoxville, Tenn., for a three-game SEC weekend series against the Tennessee Volunteers (22-20/5-16 SEC). Eight of State's next nine game dates area way from Dudy Noble Field. The 18-station MSU Baseball Radio Network will carry the broadcast of all remaining Mississippi State baseball games.
Sophomore right-hander Andrew Busby (1-0, 8.49) is scheduled to make his second career start and lead a split MSU pitching crew in Tuesday's game against South Alabama. For South Alabama, junior right-hander Jarrett Bailey (0-0, 14.54) will be making his initial start of the year.
Including a 9-5 win at Dudy Noble Field in 2010, Mississippi State has claimed eight of its last 10 meetings with South Alabama and owns a 39-24 all-time lead in a series that got its start in 1976. This year's MSU-USA matchup is the 49th with Steve Kittrell as the Jaguars' head coach. Kittrell will be stepping down as head coach following the 2011 campaign, his 28th as the South Alabama skipper.
SEC batting leader Jarrod Parks went 4-for-11 last weekend against Alabama to extend his career-best and team-leading hitting streak to 16 games. The senior third baseman from Madison, Miss., paces the Southeastern Conference with a .406 batting average and a .530 on-base percentage and has hit safely in 36 of his 42 games played.
Outfielder/pitcher C.T. Bradford (.308) leads Southeastern Conference freshmen in hits with 51 hits.