Mississippi State Holds Firm in National Polls Ahead of Key Early-Season Test

Mississippi State remained steady in the national polls after an 8-0 start, setting up a pivotal weekend in Arlington against Arizona State, Virginia Tech and UCLA.

Mississippi State Pitcher Ryan McPherson (#28) during the game between Delaware and Mississippi State at Dudy Noble Field at Polk-Dement Stadium in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Athletics

Mississippi State can’t achieve its season goals in February, but the Bulldogs are doing what they need to do to keep those hopes alive.

Through two weeks, the Bulldogs are a perfect 8-0 and have outscored opponents 58-12 in their last five games.

That type of performance has kept Mississippi State near the top of college baseball’s major polls.

The Bulldogs kept their same rankings from last week in the D1Baseball and Baseball America top 25 polls. They’re ranked No. 4 by D1Baseball and No. 3 by Baseball America.

Baseball America highlighted starting pitcher Ryan McPherson, who is starting to grow into the Bulldogs’ ace pitcher.

“Starting pitcher Ryan McPherson continued to look sharp at the front of the Bulldogs’ staff, tossing six innings while allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out a career-high 11 against one walk. Through 10 innings this season, McPherson has 15 strikeouts and three earned runs allowed (2.70 ERA).”

The Bulldogs have yet to play a Power 4 conference team, but that’ll change this weekend. Mississippi State is slated to head to Arlington, Texas for three games in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. There the Bulldogs will face Arizona State on Friday, Virginia Tech on Saturday and No. 1 UCLA on Sunday.

“I know Arizona State is off to a great start to the season. I'm very familiar with Virginia Tech and the way that they play. UCLA is one of the top-rated teams in the country,” Mississippi State coach Brian O’Connor said after Sunday’s win against Delaware. “Going into that weekend we'll have a better idea of this is what we're going to do. You're always evaluating it throughout the year, certainly, and players get hot and different opportunities come about, but that will be a big weekend for us.”

The final game of the weekend against the Bruins is easily one of the biggest games of the early college baseball season.

Here are Monday’s full Top 25 rankings.

D1 Baseball Top 25

1. UCLA 6-1
2. LSU 8-0
3. Texas 7-0
4. Mississippi State 8-0
5. Georgia Tech 8-0
6. Arkansas 6-1
7. Auburn 6-1
8. North Carolina 6-1-1
9. Coastal Carolina 5-2
10. Florida 7-1
11. Georgia 6-1
12. Southern Miss 6-1
13. Oklahoma 7-0
14. NC State 5-1
15. Clemson 7-0
16. Wake Forest 6-1
17. Miami 9-0
18. TCU 2-5
19. Oregon State 4-3
20. Tennessee 5-2
21. Florida State 4-2
22. Kentucky 5-2
23. Texas A&M 7-0
24. West Virginia 5-1
25. Ole Miss 8-0

Baseball America

1. UCLA 6-1
2. LSU 9-0
3. Mississippi State 8-0
4. Georgia Tech 7-0
5. Auburn 6-1
6. Texas 7-0
7. North Carolina 6-1-1
8. Georgia 6-1
9. Arkansas 6-1
10. Oklahoma 7-0
11. Ole Miss 8-0
12. Virginia 6-1
13. TCU 2-5
14. Clemson 7-0
15. NC State 5-1
16. Coastal Carolina 5-2
17. Florida State 4-2
18. Southern Miss 6-1
19. Tennessee 5-2
20. West Virginia 5-1
21. Texas A&M 7-0
22. Miami (FL) 9-0
23. Florida 7-1
24. Oregon State 4-3
25. Vanderbilt 6-2