Baseball Bulldogs Open SEC Play At Florida
The radio broadcasts of all three games will be carried on thestatewide MSU Baseball Radio Network, while Sunday's game will betelevised on cable systems in Florida on the Sun Sports network.The series marks State's first SEC season-opening series on the roadsince 1999 and the first MSU-Florida matchup in Gainesville on openingweekend since 1996.
Sophomore right-hander Aaron Weatherford (2-0, 2.70), one of sixFlorida-born players on the Mississippi State team, will open on themound for State. The Gators, coached by former MSU assistant and headcoach Pat McMahon, will open with junior right-hander Bryan Augenstein(2-3, 2.97).
Mississippi State has posted a 2-2 record on its current road run,which includes wins over Baylor and San Francisco in the Quala-TImprints Baylor Classic last weekend in Waco, Texas. The Bulldogs enterthe weekend sporting the top team batting average in the SEC, a lofty.374 mark. Junior catcher Edward Easley (.500) and junior first basemanMitch Moreland (.471) rank second and third in the SEC and freshmanshortstop Brandon Turner (.420) is fifth. Easley and Moreland enter theweekend with SEC-leading 13-game hitting streaks.
Junior lefty Justin Pigott(2-1, 4.03) is due to start for State inSaturday's game at Florida while senior righty Josh Johnson (2-0,3.38) is the announced starter for Sunday's series finale.
The Bulldogs return to Dudy Noble Field next Tuesday (6:30 p.m.) totake on Samford, launching a season-longest 10-game home stand.