Cowbell Corner

Game Preview: Mississippi State at Missouri (Game 1)

The Bulldogs head north to face a Tigers that won its first SEC games last weekend and doomed Texas A&M's NCAA Tournament hopes. Are the Bulldogs next?
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Pitcher Pico Kohn during the game between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Dudy Noble Field at Polk-Dement Stadium in Starkville, MS.
Mississippi State Pitcher Pico Kohn during the game between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Dudy Noble Field at Polk-Dement Stadium in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Athletics

Missouri’s baseball team shocked a lot of people last weekend in a series sweep against Texas A&M. To a lesser extent, Mississippi State’s 6-1 performance since Chris Lemonis left the program has been shocking.

So, whose shocking performance will continue? Was Missouri’s play last weekend a fluke? Or have the Bulldogs finally hit an emotional burnout point in what’s been an emotional final month?

We’ll find out tonight when the Bulldogs take on the Tigers in Columbia, Mo. in the final SEC series before the conference’s 16 teams head to Hoover, Ala. for the SEC Tournament.

The Bulldogs have plenty of reasons to play hard and not overlook the previously-winless-in-SEC-games Tigers. Mississippi State can lock up its spot in the NCAA Tournament with multiple wins this weekend and improve its seeding in the conference tournament, with an outside chance at getting a first-round bye (it’s mathematically possible).

But Missouri showed last weekend it’s the “easy win” it appeared to be and turned a team destined to play in the NCAA Tournament into one that now needs a miracle run to make it. The same fate could happen to Mississippi State, which is why tonight’s series opener is important.

Here’s everything to know about Thursday night’s game between Mississippi State and Missouri.

Mississippi State Bulldogs Starting Lineup

  1. Gehrig Frei, LF
  2. Sawyer Reeves, SS
  3. Ace Reese, 3B
  4. Noah Sullivan, DH
  5. Hunter Hines, 1B
  6. Bryce Chance, CF
  7. Joe Powell, C
  8. Ross Highfill, RF
  9. Gatlin Sanders, 2B

Missouri Tigers Starting Lineup

  1. Jackson Lovich, SS
  2. Pierre Seals, RF
  3. Cayden Nicoletto, DH
  4. Chris Patterson, 3B
  5. Kaden Peer, CF
  6. Mateo Sema, 1B
  7. Keegan Knutson, 2B
  8. Jedier Hernandez, C
  9. Tyler Macon, LF

Pitching Matchup

LHP Brady Kehlenbrink (0-4, 9.68 ERA, 36 SO, 19 BB, 33 ER, .287 b/avg.) vs. LHP Pico Kohn (5-3, 4.38 ERA, 72 IP, 100 SO, 21 BB, 35 ER, .225 b/avg.)

Injury Report

Mississippi State

Out


C Jackson Owen
RHP Chase Hungate
RHP Gavin Black
RHP JT Schnoor

Missouri

Out

IF/OF Cameron Benson
IF/OF Brock Daniels
IF/RP Trey Lawrence
LHP Kadden Drew
INF Blake Simpson
LHP Nic Smith
LHP Javyn Pimental

Weather Forecast

This weekend’s weather forecast is welcome change from last week’s rainy, thunderstorm-filled forecast. AccuWeather’s forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and temperatures around 80 degrees at gametime. Winds will be somewhat of a factor at 13 mph and gusts reaching 25 mph.

How to watch: Mississippi State at Missouri

TV: SECN+

Radio: Live Radio

Stats: Live Stats

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Published
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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