LIVE BASEBALL OPENING DAY UPDATES: Mississippi State vs. Texas

The Bulldogs are finally back in action

At long last, Mississippi State baseball is back! The No. 7 Bulldogs battle No. 9 Texas on Saturday at 11 a.m. central in the opening game of the season and the first contest in the State Farm College Showdown. Check back here (or stay here and refresh your browser) throughout the game for live updates.

Here are your starting lineups. MSU is the visitor for today's game.

No. 7 Mississippi State Bulldogs

1. Rowdey Jordan - CF
2. Kamren James - SS
3. Tanner Allen - RF
4. Josh Hatcher - 1B
5. Logan Tanner - C
6. Luke Hancock - DH
7. Scotty Dubrule - 2B
8. Landon Jordan - 3B
9. Drew McGowan - LF

Christian Macleod - P

No. 9 Texas Longhorns

1. Austin Todd - RF
2. Eric Kennedy - LF
3. Mike Antico - CF
4. Zach Zubia - 1B
5. Trey Faltine - SS
6. Ivan Melendez - DH
7. Cam Williams - 3B
8. Silas Ardoin - C
9. Murphy Stehly - 2B

Ty Madden - P

A few notable things about MSU's Opening Day lineup. State head coach Chris Lemonis has stacked it with left-handed hitters against Texas star right-handed pitcher Ty Madden. Kamren James and Logan Tanner are the only two true right-handed hitters in State's starting nine. And in somewhat of a surprise, Drew McGowan got the Opening Day nod in left field. Brad Cumbest and Brandon Pimentel were two other candidates. Those guys will likely get a shot, perhaps over the next couple days, but cool for McGowan that he gets to start the first game of the year. It's also notable Landon Jordan is playing third and Luke Hancock is the designated hitter. That, in and of itself, isn't a huge surprise, but it's notable because it keeps standout freshman Kellum Clark's bat out of the Opening Day lineup and Lemonis has said numerous times he's got to find a way to get Clark's promising stick in there.

TOP 1 - MSU batting

-Rowdey Jordan leads off for State, works the count full, but strikes out to start the 2021 season.

-Dogs are making Ty Madden work. Kamren James works a full count as well, but he strikes out as well. 2 up, 2 down. Tanner Allen up.

- Now Tanner Allen strikes out. 3 up, 3 down and 3 strikeouts for MSU in the first. Ty Madden showing how tough he can be. 

- MID 1 - MSU 0, Texas 0

BOTTOM 1 - Texas batting

- First Texas batter that Christian MacLeod faces flies out to deep left. One down.

- Texas has the game's first baserunner. Bunt single by Eric Kennedy. Runner on first with one out.

- Christian MacLeod with a fantastic breaking ball. Strikes out Antico. Two out. Man still on first for Texas.

- Kennedy steals second base. Texas with a man on second and two out.

- MacLeod strikes out Zubia to end the threat. No score after one full inning.

- END 1 - MSU 0, Texas 0

TOP 2 - MSU batting

- Josh Hatcher grounds out to second base. One out.

- Logan Tanner just drove a ball about 400 feet to deep center, but problem is it's 407 feet to the wall in center and it's caught. Two out.

- MSU now has its first baserunner. Two-out walk from Luke Hancock. Bulldog runner on first with two down.

- Now the Bulldogs have their first hit. Scotty Dubrule with a single to center. MSU threatening with runners at first and second with two outs.

- Landon Jordan RBI single to center. Hancock scores and the Bulldogs lead 1-0.

- Drew McGowan RBI single to center. Dubrule scores and the Bulldogs lead 2-0.

- Rowdey Jordan flies out to RF. Inning over, but the Dogs get a pair of runs and Texas ace Ty Madden is already up to 47 pitches through two innings.

- MID 2 - MSU 2, Texas 0

BOTTOM 2 - Texas batting

- MacLeod strikes out Faltine. One out.

- And now MacLeod strikes out Melendez. Two out.

- And a fly out to center. MacLeod is rolling. 3 up, 3 down. 

- END OF 2 - MSU 2, Texas 0

TOP 3 - MSU batting

- Kamren James grounds out to third. One out.

- Tanner Allen goes down swinging. Two outs.

- Josh Hatcher grounds out to second. Inning over. Quick inning for Ty Madden. He needed it.

- MID 3 - MSU 2, Texas 0

BOTTOM 3 - Texas batting

- Ardoin flies out to right field. Nice play by Tanner Allen in right. One out.

- And now Christian MacLeod gets his fifth strikeout. Man, he's starting to roll. Two out.

- Austin Todd singles to center. Texas with a man on first and two outs.

- Sixth strikeout now for MacLeod. Inning over. MacLeod is at 48 pitches.

- END of 3 - MSU 2, Texas 0

TOP 4 - MSU batting

- Logan Tanner strikes out looking. One out.

- Luke Hancock with a solo home run down the right field line. Bulldogs lead 3-0.

- Scotty Dubrule walks. Runner at first with one out for MSU.

- Landon Jordan now walks. Dubrule to second base. Runners at first and second with one out for the Dogs.

- Drew McGowan grounds out to first, but both runners move up. MSU with runners at second and third with two outs. 

- Rowdey Jordan grounds to short, but the first baseman can't handle the throw. Dubrule scores. Bulldogs lead 4-0 and still have runners at first and third with two outs.

- Kamren James flies out to center to end the inning.

- MID 4 - MSU 4, Texas 0

BOTTOM 4 - Texas batting

- Antico flies out to left. One out.

- Zubia strikes out. That's seven for MacLeod. Two outs.

- Faltine ground out to short. Three outs. MacLeod has allowed just two hits and struck out seven through four scoreless innings. He's at 61 pitches.

END of 4 - MSU 4, Texas 0

TOP 5 - MSU batting

- Texas has changed pitchers. Ty Madden is out. Pete Hansen is in. Madden final line: 4 IP, 4 H, 4 R (3 ER), 3 BB, 5 K, 79 pitches

- Tanner Allen welcomes Hansen to the game with a leadoff single to left. Runner on first with nobody out.

- Josh Hatcher strikes out. Still a runner on first. One out.

- Wild pitch. Allen to second base with one out.

- Logan Tanner grounds out to third. Two outs. Runner still at second.

- Luke Hancock with another big hit. This time, an RBI single to center that drives home Tanner Allen. Bulldogs up 5-0. Runner at first now with two outs.

- Hancock advances to second on a balk. Still two outs.

- Scotty Dubrule grounds out to short to end the inning.

- MID 5 - MSU 5, Texas 0

BOTTOM 5 - Texas batting

- Texas is on the board. Melendez with a solo shot over the left-centerfield wall. Bulldogs lead is cut to 5-1.

- Williams now doubles to center. The Texas bats have come alive. Runner at second with no one out.

- Infield single now by Ardoin. Runner holds at second. Texas has runners at first and second with nobody out.

- Stehly now with a single to left and the Longhorns have the bases loaded with nobody out. The tying run is coming to the plate and MSU will change pitchers. Out goes MacLeod. In comes Landon Sims.

- Sims strikes out Todd. One out. Bases still loaded though for Texas.

- And now Sims strikes out Kennedy. Two out. Bases still loaded, but Sims is an out away from getting out of the mess.

- Sims strikes out Antico. Wow. Just an amazing job by Landon Sims. Enters with the bases loaded and nobody out and strikes out three straight guys to end the inning.

- That makes Christian MacLeod's final line this: 4+ IP, 6 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 7 K, 73 pitches

- END of 5 - MSU 5, Texas 1

TOP of 6 - MSU batting

- Landon Jordan walks to start the inning.

- Drew McGowan singles to left and Jordan advances to third. Bulldogs at first and third with nobody out.

- Texas going to the bullpen. Hansen is out. Cole Quintanilla in.

- Rowdey Jordan drives in Landon Jordan on a fielder's choice ground out. Texas gets two outs on the play though after Rowdey Jordan made a move to go towards second base when the throw got away at first. They tagged Rowdey and the ump ruled him out. Still, it's now MSU 6, Texas 1.

- Kamren James reaches on an error by the third baseman. Runner at first, two outs for MSU.

- Allen grounds out to second to end the inning.

- MID 6 - MSU 6, Texas 1

BOTTOM of 6 - Texas batting

- Sims still pitching for MSU and gets a groundout to second to start the inning. One out.

- Sims with a strikeout. Two down.

- And Sims with another strikeout. Man. He is such a weapon. That's five strikeouts of the six batters he's seen. Inning over.

- END of 6 - MSU 6, Texas 1

TOP of 7 - MSU batting

- Josh Hatcher strikes out. One down.

- Logan Tanner singles to left. Runner on first with one out for State.

- Luke Hancock single to center. Runners on first and second with one out for MSU.

- Scotty Dubrule lines out to RF. Still runners on first and second. Two outs.

- Texas goes to the bullpen. Caden Noah now in.

- Landon Jordan flies out to center to end the inning.

- MID 7 - MSU 6, Texas 1

BOTTOM OF 7 - Texas batting

- Landon Sims with another strikeout. That's six already and he's only faced seven batters. One out.

- Make it another Landon Sims strikeout. He's about unhittable today. Two out.

- Stop me if you've read this already...A Landon Sims strikeout. Inning over.

- END of 7 - MSU 6, Texas 1

TOP of 8 - MSU batting

- Drew McGowan grounds out to second. One out.

- Rowdey Jordan with a no-doubt solo homer to LF. MSU now up 7-1 over Texas.

- Kamren James strikes out. Two out.

- Tanner Allen singles to center.

- Josh Hatcher with an RBI double to right field scores Allen. It's 8-1 MSU over Texas.

- Texas back to the bullpen. Jared Southard now on the mound for the Longhorns.

- Logan Tanner walks. MSU runners at first and second with two outs.

- Luke Hancock flies out to center to end the inning. First time today he hasn't reached.

MID 8 - MSU 8, Texas 1

BOTTOM of 8 - Texas batting

- Landon Sims. Yet another strikeout.

- Yep. Sims strikeout. This is absolutely incredible. Two out.

- Texas finally puts one in play but it's a harmless fly out to right field. Sims gets them in order again. 

- END of 8 - MSU 8, Texas 1

TOP of 9 - MSU batting

- Palmer Wenzel now pitching for Texas

- Scotty Dubrule strikes out. One out.

- Landon Jordan strikes out. Two down.

- Kellum Clark makes his MSU debut as he pinch hits for Drew McGowan. Clark flies out to left to end the inning.

- MID 9 - MSU 8, Texas 1

BOTTOM of 9 - Texas batting

- Brad Cumbest now in LF for MSU.

- Riley Self on to pitch for MSU. Landon Sims final line: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 Ks

- Zubia singles to RF to start the 9th for Texas. Runner at first with nobody out.

- Faltine is struck out by Self. One out. Runner still at first.

- Melendez with an RBI double to LF. Zubia scores. MSU lead cut to 8-2. Runner at second with one out.

- Self walks Williams. So the Longhorns trying to get something going. Runners first and second with just one out.

- Ardoin RBI single to center. Melendez scores. MSU lead now 8-3. Runners first and second and still just one out.

- Bulldogs will go to the bullpen. Spencer Price coming on.

- Campbell flies out to RF. Two outs. Runners still first and second, but MSU is an out away from victory.

- Todd pops out to second and that's it.

FINAL: Mississippi State 8, Texas 3

CHECK BACK WITH COWBELL CORNER SOON FOR FULL POSTGAME COVERAGE INCLUDING PRESS CONFERENCES WITH MSU HEAD COACH CHRIS LEMONIS AND PLAYERS. 

Thank you for coming to Cowbell Corner for coverage of Mississippi State sports. Be sure to follow Cowbell Corner on Twitter (@SIBulldogs) by clicking here, and like it on Facebook by clicking here.