Diamond Dogs Begin Two-Game Set With Memphis Tuesday
Due to Mississippi State's competition in Tuesday night's MasterCard NIT game in New York, there will be no radio broadcast of the first of this week's two MSU-UM games. That game will be available on the internet on "Maroon to the Max", the premium extension of the MSU Athletic Department web site, www.MStateAthletics.com.
State (14-6, 3-3 SEC) notched its first win of the season against a top 10-ranked opponent with Saturday's 6-5 win over second-ranked South Carolina. The marathon 12-inning duel lasted more than four hours before Connor Powers singled and later scored on Mark Goforth's game-winning RBI single to center field.
Freshman left-hander Tyler Whitney (1-1, 7.43) of Lakeland, Tenn., makes the fourth start of the campaign in Tuesday's matchup while the Tigers will counter with senior lefty Lance Scoggins (0-1, 4.82).
State has claimed six straight and 14 of its last 15 games against the Tigers, including 12-8 and 5-3 wins in Memphis last year. Memphis is the seventh of eight 2007 opponents faced by the Bulldogs with head coaches played for or coached under MSU skipper Ron Polk at Mississippi State.
MSU senior second baseman Jeffrey Rea (.400) of Nettleton, Miss., has carried the hot bat for the Bulldogs of late. Rea, who has hit safely in19 of MSU's 20 games and leads the club with 12 multiple-hit games, went 7-for-17 (.412) with three walks over the last four games. The Bulldog co-captain has raised his career hits total to 285, fifth-most in school history and 43 behind the school career mark of 328 set in1997 by Richard Lee.
Following the midweek games against Memphis, State hosts defending SEC co-champion Kentucky in a three-game Super Bulldog Weekend series Mar.30-Apr. 1 at Dudy Noble Field.