What to know ahead of MSU baseball's opening weekend
After 346 days away, Mississippi State baseball is finally back.
The Bulldogs open up the 2021 season on Saturday at the State Farm College Showdown in Arlington, Texas. The games will all be played at Globe Life Field – home of MLB's Texas Rangers.
Here's all you need to know as the Diamond Dogs return to action:
What time are the games?
Mississippi State is set to play at 11 a.m. central for each day of the event. On Saturday, the Bulldogs open up with Texas before battling TCU on Sunday and Texas Tech on Monday.
How can I watch?
The State Farm College Showdown will not be televised. You can, however watch online with a subscription to FloBaseball. To register, you'll have to either select a monthly or yearly plan. The monthly plan runs $29.99 per month. The yearly plan is a total of $149.88, which is an average of $12.49 per month. In making your decision, it might be helpful to note these three games are the only three Mississippi State games slated to be on FloBaseball all year long. However the site also offers a wide variety of college baseball action throughout the season, so perhaps it's something you'd enjoy going back to even after the State Farm College Showdown is over. The site claims you can cancel your subscription anytime with access being discontinued at the end of whichever billing cycle you choose. So note, if you pick the yearly plan, you will be billed for the entire year. If you're solely wanting to watch Mississippi State this weekend, your best option is probably to pick a monthly plan then cancel after this weekend's games. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.
How can I listen?
All three games this weekend are scheduled to be carried by the Mississippi State baseball radio network. CLICK HERE FOR A FULL LIST OF AFFILIATES TO SEE WHERE TO LISTEN IN YOUR AREA. The radio broadcast will also be carried by TuneIn via the TuneIn mobile app and TuneIn.com. Fans can simply search "Mississippi State" on the TuneIn app. TuneIn is available for download on iOS and Android, plus more than 200 connected devices.
Who is pitching?
Saturday - 11 a.m. central
MSU: Christian MacLeod, LHP, Fr. (0.86 ERA in 21 IP in 2020)
Texas: Ty Madden, RHP, So. (1.80 ERA in 25 IP in 2020)
Sunday - 11 a.m. central
MSU: Will Bednar, RHP, Fr. (1.76 ERA in 15.1 IP in 2020)
TCU: Russell Smith, LHP, R-So. (2.57 ERA in 21 IP in 2020)
Monday - 11 a.m. central
MSU: TBD (originally-scheduled starter Eric Cerantola didn't make the trip to Texas. MORE ON THAT BY CLICKING HERE)
Texas Tech: Mason Montgomery, LHP, So. (3.00 ERA in 18 IP in 2020)
What might MSU's starting lineup look like?
As for the batting order, that's anybody's guess. But here are some likely options for who might start where on opening weekend.
C: Logan Tanner or Luke Hancock
1B: Josh Hatcher
2B: Scotty Dubrule
3B: Landon Jordan or Kellum Clark
SS: Kamren James
LF: Brad Cumbest/Drew McGowan/Brandon Pimentel
CF: Rowdey Jordan
RF: Tanner Allen
DH: Any of the above mentioned names that don't start in the field
Given the recent winter weather, will the State Farm College Showdown for sure happen?
Well, nothing is absolutely for sure until it happens. But Globe Life Field has a retractable roof, weather conditions have improved and perhaps the most important sign of them all – MSU is making its way to Texas. The Bulldogs flew out of Birmingham, Alabama, on Friday afternoon. So it sure seems like it's almost time to play ball.
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