Poll-Climbing Diamond Dogs Visit South Alabama
The Diamond Dogs moved up three spots to No. 23 in the Collegiate Baseball rankings and No. 24 in both the Baseball America and Baseball Weekly/ESPN polls. MSU's highest ranking last week was at No. 21 in the NCBWA college baseball writers poll, released each Tuesday.
MSU, 9-2-1 overall, travels to Mobile, Ala., Tuesday to open a two-game spring break series at the University of South Alabama (9-7). The Bulldogs and Jaguars renew their rivalry in a 6 p.m. game Tuesday at USA's Stanky Field and wrap up the series in a 2 p.m. game Wednesday. Tuesday night's game will be carried on the statewide MSU Baseball Radio Network while the Wednesday afternoon game will be broadcast on WFCA-FM 107.9, the flagship station for MSU Athletics.
Sophomore righthander Chris Young (2-0, 4.80) is due to draw his second start of the season Tuesday and will be matched with USA's ace sophomore righthander Clark Girardeau (5-1, 2.89).
Mississippi State owns a 32-20 lead in its series with South Alabama, which got its start in 1976, Ron Polk's first season as head coach at Mississippi State. State has won seven of the last eight MSU-USA games. The teams split last year's two-game set at Dudy Noble Field, with USA taking the opener 5-4 and the Bulldogs rebounding with a 9-2 win.
Sophomore rightfielder Steve Gendron paces the Bulldogs at the plate to open the week. Gendron is hitting .469 and, like teammate Chad Henry, is riding a career-best seven-game hitting streak.
Following the South Alabama series Mississippi State returns to action at Dudy Noble Field, opening Southeastern Conference play in a three-game series against the fourth-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks (14-2). Friday's series opener is set for 6:30 p.m.