Mississippi State baseball is playing for a trip to the Tallahassee Regional finals on Saturday night. The Bulldogs are squaring off with 1-seed and host Florida State. The Seminoles took down Bethune-Cookman 6-2 on Friday to set up a battle of two historic brands in college baseball. Here's a look at the 'Noles...
FSU pitcher Jamie Arnold is a projected Top 5 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft
Florida State saved their ace for the winners' bracket, so that means that Mississippi State will be facing one of the top draft prospects in all of baseball. Seminole Jamie Arnold is projected as a Top 5 pick in the upcoming 2025 MLB Draft. The junior southpaw is 7-2 in 13 starts this season with a 3.04 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. His fastball tops out in the upper 90s with movement, and he can unleash a strong slider as well. It will be a true battle for the Bulldog lineup against Arnold.
The one thing to watch for the 'Noles, however, is that they did use a pair of their top bullpen arms in Friday's win over Bethune-Cookman. If Mississippi State can find some early success against Arnold, easier said than done, FSU may not be in great shape to relieve him.
The Seminole lineup boasts plenty of power
Along with having an MLB arm on the mound, there's big time talent in the FSU lineup too. As a team, the 'Noles are batting .313. There's real power with a team slugging percentage of .530 and 96 home runs. Four batters have gone deep on at least 14 occasions.
Shortstop Alex Lodise is having an outstanding year. He's batting .407 with 17 home runs and 66 RBI. Outfielder Max Williams leads the team with 18 home runs, hitting one in Friday's win over Bethune-Cookman. First-baseman Myles Bailey joins Lodise and Williams as one of the three Seminoles with an OPS of over 1.000. Outfielders Chase Williams and Gage Harrelson are big threats on the base path. Mississippi State ace Pico Kohn hasn't been the sharpest in his most recent outings. He needs to be dialed in against this lineup.