MSU's 2021 baseball schedule might look familiar

Bulldogs slated to keep original 2020 SEC slate, though order likely to change

Some details have started to emerge regarding Mississippi State’s 2021 baseball schedule and while things could of course change due to the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Bulldogs are right now looking at a Southeastern Conference slate that will look a lot like the 2020 version that didn’t happen.

MSU head coach Chris Lemonis confirmed to Sports Illustrated’s Cowbell Corner that, as of now, the SEC plans to keep its schools with same home/away league slate it had in 2020, although the order of those series will likely change.

“We don’t have our schedule yet, but my five home teams and my five away trips are the same as they were last year, we just don’t know the order right now,” Lemonis said. “They’re having to reorder it because of different conflicts of schools. But Ole Miss is supposed to be coming to Starkville next year. And we’re supposed to be going to South Carolina, just like this past year’s schedule. We never started SEC play (in 2020), so the decision was made to keep it. Now could that change? It could possibly change. But that’s how it’s set up right now. It just may not be Ole Miss on Super Bulldog Weekend. It could be somebody else. That’s kind of where we’re at right now.”

Assuming nothing does change, that means Mississippi State would host league series against Arkansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Missouri at Dudy Noble Field in 2021. The Bulldogs would travel to LSU, Auburn, South Carolina, Alabama and Vanderbilt.

As for Mississippi State’s non-conference schedule – again pending things starting on time – the Diamond Dawgs will open up the 2021 season at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The new home of the Texas Rangers will host a season-opening tournament that includes SEC teams MSU, Ole Miss and Arkansas as well as Big 12 clubs Texas, TCU and Texas Tech.

Lemonis also noted Mississippi State is slated to play against a couple of northern schools in non-conference play, but those games haven’t been officially announced yet.