Diamond Dawgs meet up with former SEC foe Tulane for weekend series at Dudy Noble Field
STARKVILLE – Two of the 13 founding members of the Southeastern Conference will meet at Dudy Noble Field for a non-conference baseball series, as the No. 5 Mississippi State baseball program hosts Tulane beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 26).
Th two universities were a part of the 14-member group that formed the SEC beginning with the 1932-33 academic year and the two teams met 80 times as conference foes on the diamond. Overall, MSU and TU have faced off 109 times in baseball, with MSU holding a 76-31-2 edge in the all-time series. Friday’s series opener will be the first meeting in 23 years, when State topped Tulane, 4-1, at the Winn-Dixie Showdown at the Superdome in New Orleans.
Tulane won its season opener against Louisiana Lafayette, before the Ragin Cajuns won two in a row to take the series. The Green Wave then defeated New Orleans in a midweek matchup, 7-1, behind three RBIs from Collin Burns. The weekend rotation is headed by Braden Olthoff who struck out seven and allowed five hits in 5 1/3 scoreless innings of the season opener.
Mississippi State has won three of its first four games, including pair of wins over top-10 opponents. State bookended the State Farm College Baseball Showdown with wins over No. 9 Texas and No. 3 Texas Tech, before defeating Jackson State in a midweek tilt on Wednesday. Kamren James led the offense against the Tigers with four hits, including a first-inning home run. James accounted for five of State’s seven runs, driving in three RBIs and scoring twice, including a steal of home on the back-end of a double steal.
Gameday Info
Friday, March 26 (4 p.m.)
Probable Starters
MSU: Christian MacLeod, LHP, R-Fr.
TU: Braden Olthoff, RHP, R-Jr.
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Saturday, March 27 (2 p.m.)
Probable Starters
MSU: Eric Cerantola, RHP, So.
TU: Donovan Benoit, RHP, R-Jr.
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Sunday, March 28 (1 p.m.)
Probable Starters
MSU: TBA
TU: Jack Aldrich, LHP, R-Jr.
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Quick Hitters
- Freshman (2Y) Landon Sims was named the SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week and the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Performer of the Week after retiring all 12 batters he faced to earn the win over No. 9 Texas.
- Graduate student Scotty Dubrule sits among the top 15 among active Division I student-athletes in six offensive categories, including the No. 1 spot in games played (200), at bats (781) and hits (252).
- Graduate student Riley Self ended 2020 with 80 career relief appearances, a total that ranks No. 6 on MSU’s career charts.
- In its last 15 regular season games against ranked opponents, State is 13-2 dating back to the 2019 season. The Diamond Dawgs are 5-0 against top 10 teams and have won eight of its last nine regular season contests over ranked foes.
- The Mississippi State pitching staff struck out 41 batters on the weekend, marking the second time since 2019 it punched out 40-plus batters in a three-game series.
- From 1933-66, Mississippi State met 80 times as charter members of the Southeastern Conference. The last 10 meetings in the 109 total meetings have come as non-conference opponents.
Series Notes
- Mississippi State and Tulane have met 109 times prior to this weekend, including 80 times as SEC foes from 1933-66.
- The two teams first met in 1904 as State won twice in Starkville, before dropping the series finale in Columbus, Mississippi.
- From 1904-32, MSU and TU met 19 times on the diamond as non-conference foes, before each joined the Southeastern Conference as charter members for the 1932-33 academic year.
- The last 10 meetings have come as non-conference foes, as well, with the last four all coming in New Orleans as part of the Busch Challenge/Winn-Dixie Showdown at the Superdome.
- State owns a 76-31-2 edge in the series and won the last meeting in 4-1 in 1998 in the final game of the Winn-Dixie Showdown.