Diamond Dogs To Test Rebels In SEC Tourney Opener Wednesday
The 17th-ranked Bulldogs (38-16-1) are seeded fourth in the tournament and will take on the fifth-seeded Mississippi Rebels (33-23) in a 5 p.m. game at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium near Birmingham, Ala. The two teams have met five times previously in the SEC Tournament, most recently in 1999 when State registered a 2-0 shutout win.
It will be the fifth meeting this season for the two longtime rivals. The Bulldogs registered a three-game sweep of the then-29th ranked Rebels Mar. 28-30 in Oxford (2-0, 7-0, 8-4) before dropping a 5-1 decision to UM Apr. 2 in the Mayor's Trophy Game held in Jackson, Miss.
Sophomore right-hander Alan Johnson (5-3, 4.08) will open on the hill for the Bulldogs, while UM is expected to start freshman lefty Stephen Head (3-1, 1.06).
State posted a 9-1 win over Alabama Sunday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field to nail down its fifth SEC series of the season. Mississippi, meanwhile, dropped its deciding third game of a three-game set at Auburn, 6-2. The start of the game at Plainsman Park was delayed four hours by rain.
The winner of the MSU-UM game advances to an 8 p.m. winner's bracket matchup against either top-seeded LSU or No. 8 seed Arkansas. The team's that fall in opening round competition will meet in a 1 p.m. elimination round game.
Mississippi State, playing in its 17th consecutive Southeastern Conference baseball tournament, are scheduled to practice at the Hoover Met from 3:50 to 4:50 p.m. Tuesday. The Bulldogs enter postseason play with the best winning poercentage (.700) among the eight participating teams.
The two-bracketed, double-elimination tournament concludes Sunday at 3 p.m. with the title game. The tournament champion receives the SEC's automatic berth to the 64-team NCAA Tournament, which begins May 30 at 16 regional sites around the nation.
Tickets for this year's SEC Tournament can be purchased through the SEC by calling 800-240-2300 or online at www.secsports.com.