Diamond Dogs Continue Texas Swing Tuesday At UT-Arlington
The Bulldogs posted a 2-1 record in winning the 2007 Quala-T Imprints Baylor Classic over the weekend. An extra-inning loss was the lone setback on the weekend for State, with the Bulldogs topping host Baylor and San Francisco. All three opponents competed in the 2006 NCAA Baseball Tournament. Five MSU players, first baseman Mitch Moreland, outfielder Mark Goforth, catcher Edward Easley and pitchers Josh Johnson and Greg Houston earned berths on the all-tournament team, with Easley being named the tournament's most outstanding hitter.
State freshman left-hander Tyler Whitney (1-0, 2.70) of Lakeland, Tenn., is slated to take the mound for his third start of the young season. The Mavericks are expected to open with sophomore right-hander Nathan Long (1-2. 4.58).
Easley, a candidate for the 2007 Johnny Bench Award, continues to lead the Bulldogs at the plate. The Olive Branch, Miss., product sports the SEC's second-highest batting average (.510), leads the Bulldogs in hits (25), runs scored (18) and RBI (16) and shares the team home run lead (3) with Jeff Flagg and Connor Powers. Easley and Moreland (.478) have hit safely in all 12 games, career-bests for both, and rank second and third in batting average in the SEC. Freshman shortstop Brandon Turner stands seventh with a .417 mark.
With four hits during the Baylor tournament, senior second baseman Jeffrey Rea climbed to ninth among MSU's all-time career hits leaders. Rea has 267 career hits, tying him for ninth with former Bulldog All-American Mike Kelley (1976-79) and one hit ou of eighth place behind another Bulldog All-American, Rafael Palmeiro.
MSU completes its five-game spring Texas swing Wednesday with a 3 p.m. game at Dallas Baptist, then travels on to Gainesville, Fla., to open SEC competition this weekend against the Florida Gators.