Cowbell Corner

What to Expect from Starting Pitchers in Bulldogs-Golden Eagles Top 10 Showdown

No. 4 Mississippi State travels to Hattiesburg to face No. 10 Southern Miss in a high-stakes in-state showdown at Pete Taylor Park.
Taylor Hodges|
UCLA Bruins against Mississippi State Bulldogs during the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field.
UCLA Bruins against Mississippi State Bulldogs during the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Tuesday night’s baseball game in Hattiesburg won’t have the shine and sparkle Mississippi State’s last game had, but it’s still a big game.

Two days after falling to No. 1 UCLA in extra innings, the No. 4 Bulldogs will head south to face No. 10 Southern Miss. The Bulldogs proved they belong near the top of the rankings against the Bruins, but a two-game sample size showing that would feel much better.

In some ways, though, Tuesday’s game is much bigger for Mississippi State than its Sunday game in Arlington, Texas. The Golden Eagles represent an instate foe and considering how big college baseball is in the Magnolia State, bragging rights actually mean something.

Batting lineups will be announced later in the day, but we do know who each team will send to the mound first. Here’s a breakdown of the starting pitching matchups expected to see at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg.

Brendan Sweeney, Mississippi State

2026 Stats: 1.23 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, 4 App., 1 SV, 7.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 K, 1 HR, .174 Opp BA

Sweeney has appeared in three games in his first season with Mississippi State. He made his debut in the second game of the season against Hofstra (3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 5 K) and followed that with a scoreless, one hit allowed showing against Delaware the next weekend.

In Arlington, Sweeney made appearance in Saturday’s game against Virginia Tech where he threw just 27 pitches in 1.2 innings of work and allowed just one hit while striking out three.

Dylan Causey, Southern Miss

2026 Stats: 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 4 App, 1 Start, 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 K, 2 HBP, .222 Opp BA

Causey hasn’t spent too much time on the mound this season, but he’s been effective when he has been. The true freshman hasn’t allowed an earned run in four appearances and only two hits. He hasn’t issued any walks and has two strikeouts. He started for the Golden Eagles last week against Alabama where he didn’t allow any hits, but did hit one batter with a pitch and gave up two unearned runs as a result.

Taylor’s Take

The Golden Eagles aren’t to be taken lightly. They’re 10-1 this season and notched a run-rule win against Alabama last Tuesday. They’re capable of doing it again, but how they defeated the Crimson Tide is noteworthy.

Sure, the offense had its bats swinging, but Southern Miss used nine pitchers in that game and only one pitched for than one inning. That’s what we’ll likely see again this week. It’s a solid strategy since batters won’t get many chances to watch Southern Miss pitchers, let alone get multiple at-bats.

The Bulldogs could also implement a similar strategy. However, considering they used six pitchers against UCLA on Sunday and five against Virginia Tech on Saturday, coach Brian O’Connor probably wouldn’t mind if Sweeney worked further into the game than his Southern Miss counterpart will.

A game like this won’t define Mississippi State’s season, but it will say something about how this team handles tough, in‑state road tests. If the Bulldogs want to keep proving they belong near the top of the rankings, Tuesday night is another chance to show it.

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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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