Baseball Wraps Up Regular Season At Tennessee
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State baseball (24-27, 8-19 SEC) wraps up the regular season with a three-game Southeastern Conference road trip at Tennessee (21-15, 8-18 SEC) beginning Thursday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. First pitch in the series is at 5 p.m. CT, with game two Friday also starting at 5 p.m. CT. Saturday’s regular-series finale begins at 12 p.m. CT.
VIDEO: Head Coach John Cohen Previews Tennessee Series
State is 55-25 all-time against Tennessee, including an 18-12 record in Knoxville. Bulldog skipper John Cohen is 9-3 overall against the Vols, having won nine of the last 10 games in the series.
Need To Know
- Mississippi State has won nine of the last 10 games versus Tennessee, including four straight in Knoxville.
- Last year against the Vols, the combination of catcher Gavin Collins and infielder Seth Heck went 7-for-17 (.412) with five walks and three RBIs.
- Senior first baseman Wes Rea leads the SEC with 40 walks and is second in the league with a .482 on-base percentage.
- In nine SEC series openers, Rea is 12-for-29 (.414) with 11 RBIs, seven walks and two home runs.
- Sophomore infielder Luke Reynolds is 17-for-30 (.567) since April 26 after beginning the season hitting .154 (8-for-52).
- The Bulldogs’ pitching staff is first in the NCAA with 590 groundouts. As a result, MSU is second in the nation with 58 double plays and first in the NCAA since 2012 with 259 twin killings.
- The Bulldogs are 11th in the NCAA with a .978 fielding percentage, marking the second straight year MSU has been one of the top-15 fielding teams nationally (5th in 2014, school record .981).
- State is 22-4 when leading after six innings, but 2-23 when trailing or tied after six stanzas.
- The Bulldogs are 17-2 when holding opponents to two runs or less, but 7-25 when opponents score three runs or more.
Weather
Thursday Forecast: 75-83 Degrees - Partly Cloudy - 10% Chance of Rain
Friday Forecast: 75-79 Degrees - Mostly Cloudy - 40% Chance of Rain
Saturday Forecast: 75-79 Degrees - Cloudy - 60% Chance of Rain
Live Video and Television
Thursday’s game will be available on SEC Network + via the WatchESPN app. SEC Network + replaces HailStateTV as MSU’s online video streaming service. Friday’s game will not be televised. Saturday’s regular-season finale will broadcast live on the SEC Network.
Watch Thursday’s Game | Watch Saturday’s Game
IMPOTANT VIDEO: The SEC Network and SEC Network + are two distinct channels with separate offerings.
Live Audio and Radio
All three games will air live on the Mississippi State Baseball Radio Network. All three games will also be audio streamed live online at HailState.com/Plus (requires subscription).
Probable Starters
Friday – Sr. LHP Lucas Laster (4-3, 3.39 ERA) vs. Jr. LHP Andy Cox (2-3, 3.79 ERA)
Saturday – RJr. RHP Preston Brown (5-7, 4.39 ERA) vs. Jr. LHP Drake Owenby (2-6, 4.57 ERA)
Sunday – So. RHP Austin Sexton (4-4, 4.11 ERA) vs. TBA
Rankings
Mississippi State – Unranked
Tennessee – Unranked
Social Media
For more information on head coach John Cohen’s club, follow the team on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for “HailStateBB.” You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for “HailStateSnap.”