Midterm Assessment of MSU Baseball
We’ve reached the midway point of the SEC baseball season, so let’s review how MSU has done.
The Bulldogs currently stand at 8-7 in SEC play with just as many conference games remaining. Overall, the Dawgs are 24-12-1.
At 17th in the RPI, State would be right in the thick of the hosting discussion if the season ended today. Based on a consensus top 10 ranking, I’d imagine they’d get the nod.
So far in SEC play, four of MSU’s five opponents stand in the top 12 of the RPI. The only team outside that mark is Georgia who is 33rd. Things won’t get any easier this weekend, however, with a road trip to LSU who is 13th in RPI.
That tough schedule has elevated Mississippi State’s strength of schedule to 4th in the country. It would be even higher if Oregon and UCLA were having the years they were expected to have, but they currently sit at 83rd and 84th in RPI respectively.
Coming into SEC play we knew the first six series were brutal. Coming off midweek losses to Eastern Kentucky and Oral Roberts didn’t do anything to help confidence, but State went to Nashville and took the series anyway.
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All things considered, an 8-7 record is a really good one. To be honest, 9-9 after this weekend would be really good as well when looking at the entirety of the first six series. It would be disappointing after an 8-4 start, but also something we all would’ve taken before league play started.
Looking ahead to the second half of the SEC schedule:
- at LSU (9-6)
- at Alabama (8-7)
- vs. Missouri (4-11)
- at Auburn (5-10)
- vs. Arkansas (4-11)
Clearly, the Bulldogs schedule is front-loaded. Even if they lost the series in Baton Rouge this weekend, there’s no reason to believe that can’t or shouldn’t win every other series from there on out. If they were to take two of three, they’d finish 17-13…but I believe they can and should finish 18-12.
Mississippi State still has a great shot to have an excellent record and end up with a hosting spot. Getting swept by A&M most likely ended any shot at a SEC title, and probably any national seed discussion. But if this team can win eight of ten SEC series one year removed from that disaster in 2015 it would be quite a turnaround.