Cowbell Corner

Will there be a home run derby at the Tallahassee NCAA Regional this weekend?

Mississippi State has some history of hitting home runs in Tallahassee and fans could see a lot of home runs hit this weekend. Unless Northeastern is playing.
Taylor Hodges|
Hunter Hines watches a home run during a game this season.
Hunter Hines watches a home run during a game this season. | Mississippi State Athletics

College baseball fans looking to catch a home run or watch a bunch of home runs hit should check out the Tallahassee NCAA Regional.

Two of the top 25 teams nationwide in home runs will be in Tallahassee this weekend and all four teams rank inside the top 60 of all teams. Conversely, only one team has allowed fewer than 45 home runs this season and Dick Howser Stadium’s dimension aren’t a hinderance to home runs being hit.

The most intriguing game, from a home run perspective, is Friday’s game between No. 3-regional seed Mississippi State and No. 2 Northeastern. The Bulldogs have the most home runs of any team in the regional and Northeastern has allowed the fewest. Bethune-Cookman is in the middle, but has one of the most exciting home runs of the season.

“On paper, it’s one of the most complete teams in the country,” Mississippi State interim coach Justin Parker said earlier this week. “They defend at an incredibly high level, they pitch and make you earn everything. It’s a deep pitching staff. This team has 10 or 11 guys and it’s really good stuff. We’re going to have our hands full with them.”

On the flip side, Mississippi State has given up the most home runs of the four teams in the regional and Northeastern has hit the fewest (but is second in the nation in stolen bases).

It’ll be tough for the Bulldogs to sustain their home run pace, but history is on their side.

“We hope history repeats itself,” Parker said about the 2018 team that won a regional in Tallahassee. “ Everybody talks about Florida State and that moment, but we have a really good Northeastern team first and we’re going to have to earn everything.”

Home Runs (National Rank)

Mississippi State: 97 (16)
Florida State: 93 (22)
Bethune-Cookman: 82 (39)
Northeastern: 76 (58)

Home Runs Allowed

Mississippi State: 55
Florida State: 53
Bethune-Cookman: 47
Northeastern: 27

Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium Field Dimensions

Right Field: 320-feet
Right Center Field: 360-feet
Center Field: 400-feet
Left Center Field: 340-feet
Left Field: 340-feet
Height of Wall: 10-feet
Height of RF Screen: 30-feet
Playing Surface: Natural grass (Bermuda)

DAWG FEED:

Published
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.

Home/Baseball