LIVE BASEBALL UPDATES: Mississippi State at Alabama (Thursday, 5-20-21)
(NOTE: IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR LIVE UPDATES OF SATURDAY AFTERNOON'S GAME, CLICK HERE)
It's the final regular-season series and No. 10 Mississippi State is looking to head into the postseason with momentum as the Bulldogs open up a three-game series at Alabama beginning on Thursday at 6 p.m. central.
Mississippi State (37-13, 17-10 SEC) enters looking to lock up a top four seed at the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama next week, while Alabama (29-19, 12-14 SEC) is in the midst of an 11-game SEC stretch and currently sits fourth in the SEC West and No. 7 in SEC Tournament seeding.
MSU goes into the final weekend with a lot up in the air in terms of seeding for the SEC Tournament. Entering Thursday, State is tied for the No. 4 seed – and a bye into the double-elimination portion of the bracket – with Florida. By the time the series with Alabama is through, MSU can finish as high as tied for first in the conference and as low as seventh in tournament seeding.
Tanner Allen continues to lead of the State offense with an SEC-leading .389 batting average and 74 hits. He is the only Power 5 hitter with 70 hits, 50 runs scored and 45 RBIs this season and ranks among the top 10 in the SEC in seven of the major offensive categories. He has reached base safely in 47 of 49 games this season, including 34 games being on base multiple times.
Reaching base has been a theme for Rowdey Jordan, as the junior enters the weekend with a 35-game reached base streak, which is the third-longest streak in the SEC this season. Overall, Jordan is hitting .316 with a team-best 54 runs scored. He has 27 walks and 15 hit-by-pitch to just 28 strikeouts in 50 starts.
Alabama grabbed one win at LSU last weekend and is 4-4 over its last eight SEC contests, with its last two midweek games cancelled. Zane Denton leads the offense with a .328 batting average and a .409 on-base percentage, while the duo of Sam Praylor (13 home runs) and Own Diodati (11 home runs) have each reached double-digit home runs in 2021, while Denton and Peyton Wilson have each hit nine. Their 60 home runs as a team rank No. 24 nationally.
You can find the latest score and live play-by-play updates of Thursday's game right here on Cowbell Corner all night long. Again, first pitch is set for around 6 p.m. central and live updates will begin then.
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Here are your starting lineups:
No. 10 Mississippi State Bulldogs (37-13, 17-10)
- Rowdey Jordan - CF
- Tanner Allen - RF
- Logan Tanner - C
- Luke Hancock - 1B
- Kamren James - DH
- Scotty Dubrule - 2B
- Kellum Clark - LF
- Tanner Leggett - 3B
- Lane Forsythe - SS
Christian MacLeod - P
Alabama Crimson Tide (29-19, 12-14)
- Peyton Wilson - 2B
- William Hamiter - RF
- Zane Denton - 3B
- Sam Praytor - C
- Owen Diodati - DH
- Jackson Tate - LF
- Davis Heller - 1B
- Jim Jarvis - SS
- Caden Rose CF
Tyler Ras - P
Alright, let's play ball!
TOP of 1 - MSU batting
- Jordan batting...strikes out swining. One out.
- Allen batting...ground out to second. Two outs.
- Tanner batting...strikes out swinging. Inning over.
- MID 1 - MSU 0, Alabama 0
BOTTOM of 1 - Alabama batting
- Wilson batting...strikes out looking. One out.
- Hamiter batting...strikes out swinging. Two outs.
- Denton batting...flies out to center. Inning over.
- END of 1 - MSU 0, Alabama 0
TOP of 2 - MSU batting
- Hancock batting...grounds out to second. One out.
- James batting...pops out to second. Two outs.
- Dubrule batting...grounds out to short. Inning over.
- MID 2 - MSU 0, Alabama 0
BOTTOM of 2 - Alabama batting
- Praytor batting...flies out to center. One out.
- Diodati batting...strikes out swinging. Two outs.
- Tate batting...strikes out swinging. Inning over.
- END of 2 - MSU 0, Alabama 0
TOP of 3 - MSU batting
- Clark batting...singles to right. Runner at first, no outs.
- Leggett battling...flies out to right. One out, runner at first.
- Forsythe batting...strikes out looking. Runner at first, two outs.
- Jordan batting...grounds out to first. Inning over.
- MID 3 - MSU 0, Alabama 0
BOTTOM of 3 - Alabama batting
- Heller batting...strikes out looking. One out.
- Jarvis batting...singles to right. Runner at first, one out.
- Rose batting...sacrifice bunt back to the pitcher. Jarvis moves to second. Runner at second, two outs.
- Wilson batting...pops out to first. Inning over.
- END of 3 - MSU 0, Alabama 0
TOP of 4 - MSU batting
- Allen batting...grounds out to first. One out.
- Tanner batting...single to right field. Runner at first, one out.
- Hancock batting...flies out to right. Runner at first, two outs.
- James batting...grounds out to short. Inning over.
- MID 4 - MSU 0, Alabama 0
BOTTOM of 4 - Alabama batting
- Hamiter batting...flies out to center. One out.
- Denton batting...strikes out looking. Two outs.
- Praytor batting...flies out to right. Inning over.
- END of 4 - MSU 0, Alabama 0
TOP of 5 - MSU batting
- Dubrule batting...taps one that stops on top of the plate, so fair ball and he's thrown out by the Alabama catcher. One out.
- Clark batting...grounds to second and it's not fielded cleanly. Error. Clark reaches. Runner at first, one out.
- Clark steals second. Runner at second, one out.
- Leggett batting...bunts towards third and he's thrown out. Clark advances to third. Runner at third, two outs.
- Forsythe batting...grounds out to third. Inning over.
- MID 5 - MSU 0, Alabama 0
BOTTOM of 5 - Alabama batting
- Diodati batting...strikes out swinging. One out.
- Tate batting...high fly ball to right and it carries out for a solo home run. Alabama takes a 1-0 lead.
- Heller batting...struck out looking. Two outs.
- Jarvis batting...grounds out to first. Inning over.
- END of 5 - Alabama 1, MSU 0
TOP of 6 - MSU batting
- Jordan batting...singles to right field. Runner at first, no outs.
- Allen batting...singles to center. Jordan moves up to second. Runners at first and second. No outs.
- Tanner batting...pops out to short. Runners still at first and second, one out.
- Hancock batting...lines out to center. Runners hold, still at first and second, two outs.
- James batting...flies out to center. Inning over.
- MID 6 - Alabama 1, MSU 0
BOTTOM of 6 - Alabama batting
- Rose batting...pops out to second. One out.
- Wilson batting...singles to left. Runner at first, one out.
- Hamiter batting...grounds to first and it's a double play (3-6). MSU first baseman Hancock steps on the bag at first and throws to second where Wilson is tagged out. Inning over.
- END of 6 - Alabama 1, MSU 0
TOP of 7 - MSU batting
- Dubrule batting...he walks. Runner at first, no outs.
- Clark batting...RBI double off the centerfield wall. Dubrule scores. Tie game 1-1. Runner at second, no outs.
- Leggett batting...he bunts in front of the plate. Catcher throws to third to try and get Clark, but he's safe. Leggett reaches. Runners at first and third, no outs.
- Forsythe batting... grounds up the middle and it's a great diving stop by the Alabama shortstop. Throw to first though and Forsythe is safe. RBI infield single. Clark scores. MSU now leads 2-1. Leggett gets to second. Runners at first and second, no outs.
- Denton now playing first for Alabama after injury to Heller. Eblin to play shortstop. Jarvis to play third base.
- Jordan batting...fly out to right. Runners still at first and second, one out.
- Allen batting...2-run double to left-centerfield. Leggett and Forsythe both come around to score. MSU now leads 4-1. Runner at second, one out.
- Alabama to the bullpen. William Freeman now pitching.
- Tanner batting...grounds out to short. Allen moves to third. Runner at third, two outs.
- Hancock batting...grounds out to the pitcher. Inning over.
- MID 7 - MSU 4, Alabama 1
BOTTOM of 7 - Alabama batting
- Denton batting...he walks. Runner at first, no outs.
- Praytor batting...strikes out swinging. Runner still at first, one out.
- Diodati batting...strikes out swinging. Runner still at first, two outs.
- Tate batting...slow grounder to short and he beats it out for an infield single. Denton advances to second. Runners at first and second, two outs.
- Eblin batting...RBI single to right. Denton scores. Score is now MSU 4, Alabama 2. Tate advances to third. Runners at first and third, two outs.
- Jarvis batting...flies out to center. Inning over.
- END of 7 - MSU 4, Alabama 2
TOP of 8 - MSU batting
- James batting...he walks. Runner at first, no outs.
- Dubrule batting...strikes out swinging. Runner still at first, one out.
- James advances to second on a wild pitch, but close play at second as James might've come off the bag when tagged and it's being reviewed...Call stands. James is safe. Runner at second, one out.
- Clark batting...grounds out to third. James advanced up to third on the play. Runner at third, two outs.
- Leggett batting...strikes out looking. Inning over.
- MID 8 - MSU 4, Alabama 2
BOTTOM of 8 - Alabama batting
- MSU to the bullpen. Landon Sims now pitching. Brayland Skinner now playing left field, in place of Clark.
- Rose batting...he walks. Runner at first, no outs.
- Wilson batting...strikes out swinging. Runner still at first, one out.
- Hamiter batting...singles to right-centerfield. Rose advances to third. Runners at first and third, one out.
- Denton batting...strikes out looking. Runners still at first and third, two outs.
- Praytor batting...flies out to center. Inning over.
- END of 8 - MSU 4, Alabama 2
TOP of 9 - MSU batting
- Forsythe batting...strikes out looking. One out.
- Jordan batting...strikes out looking. Two outs.
- Allen batting...pops out to shortstop. Inning over.
- MID 9 - MSU 4, Alabama 2
BOTTOM of 9 - Alabama batting
- Josh Hatcher now playing first for MSU in place of Luke Hancock.
- Patota pinch hits for Diodati and Patota strikes out looking. One out.
- Tate batting...strikes out swinging. Two outs.
- Eblin batting...strikes out swinging. Ballgame.
FINAL: Mississippi State 4, Alabama 2
CHECK BACK SOON FOR FULL POSTGAME COVERAGE ON COWBELL CORNER!
Alabama's Sewell-Thomas Stadium is the setting for this week's three-game series between the Crimson Tide and Mississippi State. (Photo courtesy of Alabama athletics)
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