The Mississippi State baseball team looks to get back on track after being swept at home during Super Bulldog Weekend against the Texas A&M Aggies.
The Bulldogs have come back down to Earth a little bit this week after a disappointing showing during Super Bulldog Weekend. To make matters worse, the Mississippi State baseball team has to travel to Baton Rouge this week to play an LSU team that is starting to play really well and in a place the Bulldogs have never had much success.
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In their last four trips to Baton Rouge, the Mississippi State baseball team has posted a record of 2-10 in those twelve games. The Bulldogs also haven’t won a series against the Tigers since the 2006 season when it won two of three in Baton Rouge. Add in the fact the Tigers have won five of their last six SEC games, and it can be tough to find much hope for State fans this weekend.
For the year, the Bulldogs have been the better hitting team of the two. State has a batting average of .315, which is good for third in the SEC, compared to the Tigers’ average of .303, which is good for fifth in the SEC. The Mississippi State baseball team has better offensive stats in every category I could find except two. LSU has scored one more run than the Bulldogs, and the Tigers and Bulldogs rank 1 and 2 in the SEC in fewest times struck out.
But as I stated earlier, the Tigers are starting to play their best baseball of the season right now. The Tigers have scored 54 runs in their last six SEC games and posted a 5-1 record in those contests and improved their SEC record to 9-6. The winner of this series has feint hopes of keeping pace with the Aggies for the Western division title, while the loser is likely playing for the best position possible in the postseason for the rest of the regular season.
The pitching edge goes to the Bulldogs. Mississippi State has better stats in almost every category. And while the Tigers have won a lot of games recently, they haven’t pitched particularly well in those games. LSU pitchers gave up almost 4.5 runs in those six games. Their overall team ERA is 4.10, and most of their pitchers are around that mark.
This weekend is simple for the Bulldogs. Can the Bulldogs make the Tigers hit like they did in the beginning of the season? If they can, then State should win this series. If they can’t, they might not win a game.
Mississippi State Baseball Players to Watch
If the Bulldogs want to have any chance at winning this series, keep your eye on these players this weekend.
- Jake Mangum – OF
- Ryan Rigby – P
- Dakota Hudson – SP
- Austin Sexton – SP
- Gavin Collins – 3B
Jake Mangum has yet to slow down. The talented true freshman went 7-15 last weekend against the Aggies, and was one of the few bright spots for the Mississippi State Baseball team.
In a bullpen struggling to find consistency, Ryan Rigby has provided it. Rigby pitched five innings of scoreless baseball last weekend. He’s been the one reliever John Cohen and Wes Johnson can count on every single outing.
Dakota Hudson cruised through his first seven appearances. His last two have been hard to watch. Hudson has posted a 4.50 ERA in his last two starts and given up 18 hits in 12 innings. He has also waked three batters and struck out 11. The Bulldogs need Hudson to shut the opposing team down if they want to regularly win series.
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Austin Sexton has struggled as well, but that isn’t why he is on this list. Sexton left his start against Texas A&M with an injury. He said earlier this week he is fine and will be good to go, but it is something to keep an eye on when he takes the mound Saturday.
Ever since Jacob Robson went down, the Bulldogs have struggled to find someone to fill the two spot in the order. Collins was given the opportunity on Sunday and came through with a big two run homer. His batting average of .273 is one of the lowest on the team, but his six home runs is the most. The Mississippi State baseball team needs Gavin Collins and his power to produce on a regular basis and with runners on base.
My series prediction
Mississippi State can win this series. The Bulldogs have been the better team for most of the season, and to say they have no chance against the LSU Tigers would be beyond pessimistic.
But the LSU Tigers have been the better team over the last two weeks. So you have to wonder if they were just playing above their heads or are we starting to see the real Tigers emerge?
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As much as I think the Bulldogs can win this series, I don’t see it going in their favor. The Tigers are hitting the ball as well as anyone in the country, and we saw what happened to the Mississippi State baseball pitchers when they went up against really great hitters last week. I think the Bulldogs find a way to win one at some point this weekend, but ultimately lose the series.
If you want one glimmer of hope, take this. If Hudson returns to form on Friday night and shuts down the LSU offense, the Tigers confidence could be shaken and revert them back to their early season struggles. And if that happens, anything is possible this weekend.