Everything to Know About No. 4 Mississippi State vs. Arizona State on Friday

The Bulldogs open a three-game stay at Globe Life Field against Arizona State, a disciplined lineup built to score in bunches.

Mississippi State outfielder Bryce Chance (#38) during the game between the Austin Peay Governors and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Dudy Noble Field at Polk-Dement Stadium in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Athletics

Ready or not, the competition is about to get a lot tougher for No. 4 Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs are set to begin a three-game weekend stay at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas and will see them face their toughest opponents this season.

That begins at 11 a.m. Friday morning when Mississippi State faces Arizona State.

Can the Bulldogs keep their perfect record unblemished? Will the pitching continue to shut down opposing batters? Can the bats keep swinging?

We’ll find out soon enough. Here’s everything to know about Friday’s game against the Sun Devils.

The Opponent: Arizona State

Arizona State shows up looking a lot like a team that knows exactly what it is: deep, disciplined, and pretty comfortable turning any inning into a crooked number. Over its last 83 regular‑season games, ASU has outscored opponents by more than 300 runs and gone 58-25, and the early returns this year look like more of the same.

When they score, they tend to score in bunches with multiple runs in 19 of their 30 scoring innings so far, with a surprising number of threes, fours, and fives mixed in. It’s not a lineup built on one star; it’s a lineup that stacks quality at‑bats and forces pitchers into mistakes.

That approach shows up everywhere in the numbers. ASU owns a 55.5 percent quality‑at‑bat rate, one of the better marks in the country, and they don’t give away many swings with just 49 strikeouts through their first nine games, which puts them among the nation’s tougher lineups to punch out. They’re also hitting .333 with two outs and .375 with runners in scoring position, so the inning doesn’t really end until you actually get the third out.

Defensively, they’ve tightened up the places where teams usually bleed runs. Opponents’ 7-9 hitters are batting just .157, which keeps the lineup from flipping cleanly, and Nu’u Contrades has been one of the more effective infield defenders in the country at cutting off runs on ground balls.

On the mound, ASU has been just as stingy in big spots. Opponents are hitting only .152 with runners in scoring position in innings one through seven. Sean Fitzpatrick has been the early bullpen headline, recording nine outs this season and striking out eight of them before finally giving up a groundout on Wednesday.

Weather Report

Globe Life Field has a retractable roof, allowing some games to be played in the elements. But for most of the college games the stadium has hosted this month, it has been closed. Expect the same this weekend, which means the weather outside won’t impact the game.

How to Watch: Arizona State vs. No. 4 Mississippi State

• Who: Arizona State Sun Devils (8-1) vs. No. 4 Mississippi State Bulldogs (9-0)
• When: 11 a.m., Friday
• Where: Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas
• TV: FloCollege (subscription required)
• Radio: Live Radio
• Stats: Live Stats
• Series History: All-time series is tied 2-2
• Last Meeting: Mississippi State 16, Arizona State 3 (February 26, 2023)
• Last time out, Bulldogs: def. Austin Peay, 16-3 (7 inn.)
• Last time out, Sun Devils: lost to No. 13 Oklahoma, 4-3

Pitching Matchup

RHP Ryan McPherson (1-0, 2.70 ERA) vs. LHP Cole Carlon (2-0, 1.64 ERA)

Mississippi State Batting Lineup

1. Drew Wyers 2B
2. Ace Reese 3B
3. Noah Sullivan DH
4. Vytas Valincius LF
5. Chones James C
6. Blake Bevis 1B
7. Ryder Woodson SS
8. Aidan Teel CF
9. Bryce Chance RF