Dogs in the Polls: How Far Did MSU Fall After Series Loss to Missouri?
There's no doubt about it. It was a tough few days this past weekend for Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs dropped two out of three games to Southeastern Conference cellar-dwelling Missouri and it put a screeching halt to all of State's recent momentum.
MSU now sits at 36-13 overall this season and the team is 17-10 in SEC play following the weekend against the Tigers. So where did the last few days of action land the Bulldogs in this week's national polls? Well, let's have a look.
Before getting there, here are a few weekly reminders. It's useful to note there are six national polls recognized in Mississippi State baseball's game notes issued to the media for each contest. It's those six polls we'll keep an eye on in this space each week – the D1Baseball poll, the Baseball America poll, the Perfect Game poll, the USA Today poll, the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) poll.
Also, a frequent question is, 'Well which poll really matters?' The short answer here is, 'None of them'. The only thing that truly matters is what the baseball committee members that put together the NCAA Tournament field think. And those individuals don't release a poll.
Another item that might be notable is different media outlets or TV broadcasts sometimes use different polls. Here at Cowbell Corner, it's the D1Baseball poll that is relied on in all articles, previews, etc. due to the level of trust in that organization's opinion.
OK, now that all of that is out of the way, here is where Mississippi State sits in the aforementioned six polls in the latest rankings released Monday, May 17:
- D1 Baseball - No. 10 (previously No. 3)
- Baseball America - No. 6 (previously No. 3)
- USA Today - No. 6 (previously No. 3)
- Perfect Game - No. 4 (previously No. 2)
- Collegiate Baseball Newspaper - No. 3 (no change from last week)
- NCBWA - No. 6 (previously No. 3)
Mississippi State's Tanner Leggett adjusts his hat this past weekend against Missouri. The Bulldogs lost two out of three games to the Tigers and as a result, dropped a few spots in this week's national rankings. (Photo courtesy of Mississippi State athletics)
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