Magnolia State Rivalry Rekindles As MSU Travels To Ole Miss
VIDEO: Head Coach John Cohen Previews the Ole Miss Series
State is 244-201-5 all-time against Ole Miss, including a 94-96-3 mark in Oxford. Bulldog skipper John Cohen is 11-14 overall against the Rebels. No team in the rivalry has recorded a series sweep since 2010.
Need To Know
- Senior first baseman Wes Rea is hitting .415 (17-for-41) in his last 12 games with 13 RBIs.
- Rea leads the SEC and is top-15 nationally with 39 walks and a .494 on-base percentage.
- In eight SEC series openers, Rea is 10-for-25 (.400) with 10 RBIs, seven walks and two home runs.
- Sophomore infielder Luke Reynolds is 13-for-19 (.684) since April 26 after beginning the season hitting .154 (8-for-52).
- Sophomore right-handed reliever Zac Houston has thrown 13.0 consecutive scoreless innings, all against Top-25 competition (at No. 1 Texas A&M, No. 6 Florida, at No. 25 Arkansas, No. 1 LSU).
- Mississippi State’s pitching staff is second in the NCAA with 557 groundouts. As a result, MSU is second in the nation with 56 double plays and first in the NCAA since 2012 with 257 twin killings.
- The Bulldogs are 10th in the NCAA with a .979 fielding percentage, marking the second straight year MSU has been one of the top-10 fielding teams nationally (5th in 2014, school record .981)
- State is 22-3 when leading after six innings, but 2-21 when trailing or tied after six stanzas.
- The Bulldogs are 17-2 when holding opponents to two runs or less, but 7-22 when opponents score three runs or more.
LIVE STATS: Thursday – Friday – Saturday
Weather
Thursday Forecast: High 84, Low 61 – Partly Cloudy - 20% Chance of Rain
Friday Forecast: High 86, Low 62 – Isolated Thunderstorms - 30% Chance of Rain
Saturday Forecast: High 86, Low 64 – Isolated Thunderstorms - 30% Chance of Rain
Live Video and Television
All three games will be available on the SEC Network as well as the WatchESPN app.
Watch Thursday’s Game | Watch Friday’s Game | Watch Saturday’s Game
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
Thursday – Sr. LHP Lucas Laster (4-3, 3.25 ERA) vs. Jr. LHP Christian Trent (6-5, 3.82 ERA)
Friday – RJr. RHP Preston Brown (5-6, 3.88 ERA) vs. So. RHP Brady Bramlett (5-3, 3.26 ERA)
Saturday – So. RHP Austin Sexton (4-4, 4.09 ERA) vs. TBA
Rankings
Mississippi State – Not Ranked
Ole Miss – Not Ranked
Social Media
For more all-access coverage of Cohen’s club on the road, 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.”