Predicting Where Mississippi State Lands for NCAA Tournament
With Selection Monday less than 24 hours away, a lot of speculation has been circulating on where Mississippi State will be headed.
For much of the season, the Bulldogs where in the conversation to host a regional. But after dropping five of their last six to Georgia and LSU killed any chances of hosting.
A few sites have been circulating over the last week including Southern Miss, Clemson, Wake Forset, Long Beach State and Texas Tech.
Southern Miss
Hattiesburg has to be the most intriguing of the speculated destinations for the Bulldogs.
With Hattiesburg just 180 miles from Starkville, you can bet on having a huge representative of Mississippi State folks making the trip. Southern Miss has been one of the most dominant and consistent teams in college baseball this season, boasting a record of 47-13 on the season. The Golden Eagles took a 7-5 victory over Mississippi State early in the season in Pearl, Mississippi.
Hattiesburg as the 2 makes a lot of sense and is compelling. https://t.co/4Sfzre7rIm
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) May 28, 2017
Clemson
Heading to Clemson would most likely be the most favorable spots the Bulldogs could land.
Clemson has struggled down the stretch, losing 11 of their last 15 games. Even though the Tigers have struggled down the stretch, they still boast a record of 39-19 on the season. Clemson ranks near the top of the ACC with a team ERA of 3.53 on the season. The Tigers were also able to hit the ball with consistency as well, hitting the ball with a .286 average.
Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons of Wake Forest are another possible landing site for Mississippi State.
Wake Forest posted a record 39-18 and 19-11 against ACC opponents. The Demon Deacons have made a name for themselves by means of their batting numbers throughout the season. Wake Forest ranks second in the ACC in batting average at .308 and first in the league with a whopping 96 home runs on the year. While their bats have been outstanding, they boast a mediocre pitching staff with a 4.15 ERA.
This would be a very intriguing match up for the Bulldogs.
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Texas Tech
The Lubbock regional would be far and away the least ideal site for the Bulldogs.
Texas Tech has been dominant all season long boasting a record of 43-14 on the season. Mississippi State did face off with the Red Raiders twice in Starkville in the first weekend of the season where the two teams split the two game series. The Red Raiders rank first in the Big 12 in hitting with a .306 average and second in the league in pitching with a 3.67 ERA.
Long Beach State
The latest projections from D1Baseball.com which came out last week had Mississippi State heading out west to Long Beach, California.
This would be less than ideal for the obvious reason of having to travel so far away from home. With that said, I feel as if winning two games in the SEC Tournament this week should keep us closer to home. Long Beach State posted a 37-17-1 record on the season and did so largely behind the arms of their pitchers. The Dirtbag’s pitchers accumulated a solid 3.08 ERA, and was able to hit the ball with consistency as well, boasting a .273 batting average.
Maroon and White Nation will have full coverage on where the Bulldogs are heading.