Don’t look now, but Mississippi State is playing meaningful baseball again in May.
It’s been a couple of years since that was the case, but the Diamond Dawgs have gotten the train back on the tracks under head coach Chris Lemonis. With three weekends to go in SEC play, State has even entered the hosting conversation for postseason – something that many weren’t sure would be possible after the last two seasons and some bumps in the road in non-conference play.
There were also missed chances in the first half of the SEC schedule for the Bulldogs. State lost five one-run games against LSU, Florida, Georgia and Ole Miss and had been struggling to finish those close games. Since a frustrating series loss against the Rebels back on April 13, however, the Diamond Dawgs are making a run.
No. 16 MSU (30-15, 12-9 SEC) has won eight of the last nine games since that series loss. The team swept Auburn and then went on the road and beat No. 11 Vanderbilt in a series in Nashville after losing the Friday night matchup. Three-straight midweek wins also followed with State most recently taking down Ole Miss on Tuesday night in the Governor’s Cup 5-1.
That win in Pearl was the seventh in the last eight games in which the game was within two runs in the final two innings and the Bulldogs found a way to win. It’s a change from the first half of the schedule and more of a sign that State continues to improve.
The Bulldogs might find themselves in a familiar spot in those kind of games again this weekend. New Alabama coach Rob Vaughn has the Crimson Tide playing well at 28-16 and 9-12 in SEC play. The Tide has even popped into the top 25 as they enter Starkville this weekend ranked No. 23.
Fresh off of a series win at Ole Miss, the Tide will bring in two left handers in the starting rotation to face the Bulldogs beginning with Friday’s starter Greg Farone (4-1, 3.10) and will throw lefty Zane Adams (4-2, 4.43) on Saturday while RHP Ben Hess (3-4, 7.31) pitches Sunday.
State counters with Khal Stephen (6-3, 2.77) on Friday with Jurrangelo Cijntje (6-1, 3.79) moving back to Saturday and Brooks Auger (1-1, 3.08 ERA) will start for the third-straight weekend.
Game times will be Friday at 6 p.m, Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. as the Bulldogs look to further draw closer to grabbing a hosting spot.
“They feel good, and they know they’re getting better,” Lemonis said. “Alabama is playing good also. It’s a huge series for us. It puts us in a really good situation if we do. We need to build a resume. We’ve just got to keep building.”
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