Opinion: Mississippi State Baseball Still Has Work to Do to Be a Host

STARKVILLE, Miss.— Mississippi State baseball has put itself in a decent position as a top 16 national seed. There is a strong case for MSU to host, but similarly, there is an argument for them not to be one.

However, let's make the case for State to be a host. First, the Southeastern Conference is the best league in the country and will likely get 11 of its 14 teams in the field of 64.

This year, the SEC is a top-heavy league with four elite teams that are locked for national seeds in Arkansas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Kentucky. MSU has faced both Western teams on the road, won a game at each, and could have easily taken the series at Arkansas.

That is the story of this team and what could have been if they had held onto leads at Florida and Ole Miss. However, despite all the frustrating losses, State finished with a respectable 17-13 conference record, which was good enough for them to finish fifth in the league.

State does have another win over a conference opponent as they beat Ole Miss in Pearl. That game is deemed nonconference, but whether the committee considers it a conference is all that matters.

Also, in Pearl, MSU took down a consensus top-25 team in Southern Miss. However, for the most part, nonconference games were not kind to State, as they finished with six losses, four of them Quad 4 losses.

The most prominent stain on the Bulldog's resume is their 11-5 record in Quad 4 games, as it overshadows an impressive 12 Quad 1 wins. A measurement used in college baseball is the RPI, a ranking that considers wins, losses, strength of schedule, and common opponents.

State is 22 in the RPI, which is not a good spot. However, only five teams ranked above them in the RPI have as many Quad 1 wins, and four of them are in the top five in the RPI.

"I think we have a great shot. It would shock me if we didn't (host)," Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis said.

Who is the competition?

Currently, the biggest competition is Oklahoma State and East Carolina. Both teams are slightly ahead of State in the RPI but have the edge in Quad 1 wins over both teams.

East Carolina plays in a weaker conference, and it has a 3-7 record in Quad 2 games, as opposed to State, which is 6-2 in the same games. Oklahoma State is in a stout conference, but MSU has the edge regarding schedule strength.

Georgia finished just behind State in the SEC standings. Both teams tied in conference record, but MSU won the tiebreaker because of their series win over Georgia in April.

However, the difference is enormous as Georgia is a lock to host and potentially could be a top-eight seed. Their case is strong and better than State as they are sixth in the RPI, have a tougher schedule, and have an impressive 22-1 nonconference record.

Georgia deserves a host over Mississippi State, but the series the two played cannot be ignored. MSU handled them on Friday night with a 6-1 win and overcame a 5-0 lead on Sunday to take the series.

State had all the momentum in a tied-ball game in game two as they had just gunned down a runner at the plate to end at the top of the eighth. However, chaos ensued, leading to multiple ejections, and State suffered the worst of it as six of their starters in the field were ejected.

It will never be known if MSU would have ultimately won the game, but being in a position to sweep a fellow host team potentially has to be considered.

What do they need to do?

The Bulldogs are back in action tonight against Ole Miss in the SEC tournament. A win over the Rebels would strengthen their case, but it would not lock up a hosting spot.

"We need to go out there and play well," Lemonis said.

If State defeats Ole Miss, it will take on Texas A&M, and a win over the Aggies would likely lock up a hosting spot. If State does not have a successful week in Hoover, it will likely hit the road for a regional.

While MSU has a legitimate case to be a host destination, it will not be robbery if they do not get it. The inconsistency and inability to put games away will ultimately cost MSU if they miss out on a host spot.

"Oh, yeah (we are in a position to host.)I mean, we finished fifth in the SEC, the hardest league in the country," Lemonis said.