Diamond Dogs Make Season Debut In Polls At No. 23; Host UL-Monroe Tuesday To Conclude Homestand
STARKVILLE, Miss. --- Mississippi State's Baseball Bulldogs made their season debut in the national rankings this week, breaking into Collegiate Baseball newspaper's rankings at No. 23. State also picked up a No. 26 ranking in the latest NCBWA baseball writers poll.
State (18-7, 5-4 SEC) notched its second SEC series win of the campaign last weekend at Dudy Noble Field, taking two of three games from then-No. 8 Kentucky.
The Bulldogs close out their 10-game homestand Tuesday with a 6:30 p.m. matchup with the Louisiana-Monroe-Warhawks (19-10). Freshman lefty Tyler Whitney (1-1, 9.37) will draw the start for State opposite ULM sophomore righty and former Alabama hurler Ben Soignier (1-0, 9.00).
State opens a nine-game road run this weekend in Fayetteville, Ark., against Arkansas (22-8, 7-2 SEC), ranked third in the latest Collegiate Baseball poll. Game times in Fayetteville are set for 7:05 p.m. Friday, 2:05 p.m. Saturday and 1:35 p.m. Sunday.
For the third consecutive week Florida State is ranked atop the Collegiate Baseball poll, which includes seven SEC teams. In addition to Arkansas and Mississippi State, the rankings include No. 4 Vanderbilt, No. 5 South Carolina, No. 10 Mississippi, No. 11 Kentucky and No. 22 Florida.