Mississippi State Baseball: No. 3 State begins SEC play at No. 19 LSU
The Dawgs are rolling. Number 3 Mississippi State Baseball (14-3, 0-0 SEC) brings a seven-game winning streak into this weekend’s series with 19th-ranked LSU (15-3, 0-0 SEC). The first pitch on Friday between the Bulldogs and Tigers is set for 6 PM CT from Alex Box Stadium, with Saturday’s game starting at 6:30 PM and Sunday’s series finale at 2 PM.
Scouting No. 19 LSU
Head coach, Paul Mainieri’s Tigers, come into SEC play winners of six-straight. The schedule has been pretty favorable for LSU so far, as the Tigers have yet to play a ranked opponent. This past week included a series sweep of UT-San Antonio in which the Tigers walked off the Roadrunners twice and a midweek win over Southeastern Louisiana.
Star freshman outfielder Dylan Crews has been sensational so far and leads LSU at the plate, hitting .406 with five doubles and six home runs in the early going. Fellow freshman first baseman Tre’ Morgan has also provided a ton of offense for the Tigers this season, batting .338 with five doubles, three triples, a home run, and 17 RBIs.
Veterans Gavin Dugas and Cade Beloso return to the Tiger lineup for another year, with Dugas hitting .324 with three home runs and a team-leading 20 RBIs. Beloso has struggled at times, hitting .233 so far.
Sophomore infielder Cade Doughty returned to the lineup recently after suffering a shoulder injury early and is hitting .340 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs in 13 games this season. The middle infield has been held down by second baseman Zach Arnold and shortstop Jordan Thompson.
Arnold is hitting just below .300 with four home runs, with Thompson slashing .262 with five home runs in his first season in Baton Rouge. Behind the plate, Alex Milazzo has handled duties for the Tigers. Milazzo comes in, hitting just .162.
Hard-throwing righty Jaden Hill will draw the start Friday, veteran Landon Marceaux will take the hill on Saturday, and AJ Labas will round out the rotation on Sunday. Hill comes in with a 2-1 record and an ERA of 4.24.
Marceaux has been dominant in his four starts, earning an ERA of 0.00 and a 2-0 record. Labas has an ERA of 3.10 with no decisions in four starts this season.
Mississippi State Baseball Prediction
Mississippi State baseball takes two out of three in Baton Rouge to kick off the SEC slate. Luke Hancock and Josh Hatcher will have great weekends at the plate.