Cowbell Corner

Comparing Mississippi State, Tulane Starting Pitchers for Midweek Game in Biloxi

Charlie Foster will start for Mississippi State while Jack Brafa takes the mound for Tulane in a midweek showdown at Keesler Federal Park.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Pitcher Charlie Foster (#8) during the game between the Hofstra and Mississippi State at Dudy Noble Field at Polk-Dement Stadium in Starkville, MS.
Mississippi State Pitcher Charlie Foster (#8) during the game between the Hofstra and Mississippi State at Dudy Noble Field at Polk-Dement Stadium in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Athletics

Mississippi State gets one final tune up game before starting what’s expected to a challenging, wild two months of conference play.

The Bulldogs are headed to Keesler Federal Park in Biloxi for Tuesday night’s game against Tulane.

Both teams have announced their starting pitchers for the matchup. Mississippi State will send out lefty Charlie Foster for his third start of the season. Tulane will counter with right-hander Jack Brafa, who will be making his second start this season.

Here’s a look at both starting pitchers for Tuesday’s midweek matchup in Biloxi

Mississippi State: LHP Charlie Foster

Foster gets another chance to settle into a role that’s still very much up for grabs.

Foster has made four appearances this season, including two weekend starts, and carries a 4.05 ERA across 6.2 innings. He’s struck out 12, allowed five runs on eight hits, and is still looking for his first decision.

His early starts came in the third games of the Hofstra and Delaware series, where he combined for 5.0 innings before turning things over to the bullpen. That’s not exactly what you want from a weekend starter.

Since then, he’s shifted into shorter relief work. He threw two‑thirds of an inning at Southern Miss in a Tuesday game, then a clean 1.0 inning against Lipscomb last weekend, needing only 12 pitches in Mississippi State’s 26-0 win.

This outing is a meaningful opportunity for him. The Bulldogs haven’t locked down a midweek starter yet. Duke Stone opened the first one, followed by Tyler Pitzer, William Kirk, and Brendan Sweeney. Pitzer handled his turn well, but Kirk is out with a torn ACL, Stone has moved into a weekend starter role and Sweeney struggled in his start last week. That leaves the door wide open for someone to take control.

Foster has shown he can miss bats, and the staff keeps giving him innings, which says something. If he can get ahead in counts and stretch deeper than he has in his first two starts, he has a real shot to claim the midweek job moving forward.

Tulane: RHP Jack Brafa

Mississippi State will see Brafa on the mound for the midweek matchup, a pitcher who’s been steady in limited work this season. He’s made five appearances, including one start, and has logged 9.0 innings with four earned runs on five hits. The strikeout numbers jump out (13) but so do the seven walks. Opponents are hitting just .167 against him, so when he’s in the zone, he’s tough to square up.

Brafa came out of South Gibson High School in Tennessee and started his college career at Tennessee Tech.

As a freshman, he appeared in 14 games with seven starts, posting a 1-1 record and two saves with a 5.13 ERA across 47.1 innings. He allowed 27 earned runs on 51 hits while striking out 32 and walking 16. Last season, he threw 51.2 innings for the Golden Eagles, giving up 20 earned runs on 51 hits with 38 strikeouts and 12 walks. Across his career, he’s hovered around a 2:1 strikeout‑to‑walk ratio.

The splits tell a clearer story: right‑handed hitters have had a miserable time against him, batting just .111. Lefties have had more success, sitting around .250.

Brafa works with a three‑pitch mix of fastball, slider, changeup. Nothing overpowering, but he can land all three for strikes when he’s in rhythm.

The issue has always been command. Walks have followed him throughout his career, and that’s where Mississippi State hitters can take advantage. If they stay patient and force him into deeper counts, they’ll eventually get something to handle.

But if they let him settle in early, he’s shown he can make a midweek game uncomfortable.

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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