ATHENS, Georgia – No. 23 Mississippi State (11-7) opens SEC play this weekend as the Diamond Dawgs travel to Athens, Ga., to take on No. 10-ranked Georgia (14-3) in a three-game weekend series at Foley Field.

 

The series begins at 6 p.m. CT on Friday, March 18, at Foley Field. Game two of the series is scheduled for a 1 p.m. CT first pitch, while the weekend will wrap up at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday.

 

The series opener and Sunday’s finale will air nationally on SEC Network, while all three games will be available on SEC Network+. The series will also be carried on the Mississippi State Sports Network powered by Learfield along with a live audio stream via HailState.com/plus. Click HERE for a full list of the 2022 MSU Baseball Radio Affiliates.

 

 

GAME COVERAGE

• Friday, March 18 – 6 p.m. CT | SEC Network | Watch on SEC Network+ | Live Stats
• Saturday, March 19 – 1 p.m. CT | Watch on SEC Network+ | Live Stats
• Sunday, March 20 – 11 a.m. CT | SEC Network | Watch on SEC Network+ | Live Stats

 

THE ROTATION

• Friday, March 18
  • MSU: Preston Johnson, RHP, So. (2-0, 2.82 ERA, 4-3 APP-GS, 22.1 IP, 33 SO, 9 BB)
  • UGA: Jonathan Cannon, RHP, Jr. (3-1, 2.39 ERA, 4-4 APP-GS, 26.1 IP, 28 SO, 1 BB)
• Saturday, March 19
  • MSU: Parker Stinnett, RHP, Jr. (3-0, 3.57 ERA, 6-2 APP-GS, 17.2 IP, 36 SO, 9 BB)
  • UGA: Luke Wagner, LHP, So. (5-0, 0.73 ERA, 5-0 APP-GS, 12.1 IP, 17 SO, 7 BB)
• Sunday, March 20
  • MSU: Cade Smith, RHP, So. (3-0, 2.05 ERA, 4-4 APP-GS, 22.0 IP, 23 SO, 6 BB)
  • UGA: Garrett Brown, RHP, R-So. (0-0, 5.40 ERA, 4-4 APP-GS, 8.1 IP, 6 SO, 6 BB)

 

 

DAWG BITES

 

• Mississippi State enters the weekend with an 11-7 overall record over the first 18 games of the season, with 12 of those games coming at home. The Diamond Dawgs are in the midst of a four-game winning streak after sweeping Princeton in a three-game home series and downing Binghamton on Monday night.

 

• This weekend’s series will mark the first time MSU and Georgia have met on the diamond since the 2019 season when State swept Georgia in a three-game series in Starkville. Mississippi State is 50-48 all-time against Georgia in a series that dates back to 1915. The last time State traveled to Athens was on May 12-14, 2017, when the host Bulldogs took two of three over MSU at Foley Field. MSU won the opener of that series, 9-3, before Georgia won the following two games by identical scores of 4-1 in Athens. MSU has won four straight over Georgia dating back to 2017 when State posted a 3-0 victory over UGA in the first round of the SEC Tournament in Hoover.

 

• MSU first baseman Luke Hancock is currently enjoying a 17-game reached base streak, the longest of his career. The only game this season Hancock did not reach base was the season-opener vs. Long Beach State (2/18). Hancock ranks 2nd in the SEC and 13th nationally in toughest to strikeout. He has only struck out three times in 64 at bats.

 

• MSU’s Hunter Hines enters the weekend with five home runs on the young season, which ranks as the third-most in the nation among freshmen this season. Overall, the Dawgs rank 4th in the SEC and 11th nationally in home runs with 25 as a team. Kellum Clark and Hunter Hines lead MSU with five each on the season.

 

• MSU’s pitching staff enters the week ranked 2nd in the SEC and 3rd nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (12.3). MSU RHP Parker Stinnett leads the team with 36 strikeouts in six appearances (2 GS), while he is ranked 2nd among SEC pitchers and 18th nationally in that category. RHP Preston Johnson is 5th in the league and 31st nationally with 33 strikeouts.

 

 

 

THE COMPETITION

Opponent: No. 10 Georgia Bulldogs

2022 Record: 14-3

 

Georgia, who is led by ninth-year head coach Scott Stricklinenters the week ranked as high as No. 10 with a 14-3 overall record on the season. Georgia is 11-0 this season in games at Foley Field. The Bulldogs have won five straight entering SEC play with a win over Georgia Southern, a three-game sweep over Lipscomb and a midweek victory over USC Upstate.

 

Georgia has six players hitting over .300 through 17 games, led by Cole Tate and Ben Anderson who are each hitting .373 on the season. Corey Collins leads the Bulldogs with six home runs and 15 RBIs on the year. Georgia is hitting .304 as a team.

 

The UGA pitching staff enters the weekend with a 3.36 team ERA in 150 inning, while the Bulldogs are holding opponents to a .233 average with 172 strikeouts.

 

 

 

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