Mississippi State to Host Starkville Regional in NCAA Tournament
Mississippi State will host the Starkville Regional for the third straight year as part of the NCAA Tournament, marking its 42nd appearance in the event. The Bulldogs enter the regional as the top seed, with Cincinnati, Louisiana, and Lipscomb following in seeding order.
MSU opens the tournament against Lipscomb on Friday at 1 p.m., with the game streaming on ESPN+. Later that day, Cincinnati faces Louisiana at 6 p.m., also on ESPN+. Game times for the remaining regional matchups are still to be determined, according to the university.
Head coach Brian O’Connor expressed excitement about postseason baseball returning to Dudy Noble Field. “I’m thrilled for our players and our fans that there will be postseason baseball back at Dudy Noble Field,” he said. “It will be an unbelievable experience for all involved. It will be a challenging regional with three talented teams coming to town.”
Mississippi State is hosting the regional at Dudy Noble Field for the 16th time in program history, with its last hosting in 2021. The Bulldogs previously advanced to a Super Regional that year and went on to win their first national championship. The team has a 91-47 record in NCAA Regional play overall and has won 16 regional titles.
The Bulldogs enter the postseason with a 40-17 record overall, setting a school record with 106 home runs. They also swept six series, including SEC road series at No. 18 Ole Miss and South Carolina, as well as at Vanderbilt at home. The team leads the county in average attendance at 11,780 fans per game.
Mississippi State has a 19-3 all-time record against the teams in the Starkville Regional. The Bulldogs are undefeated against Lipscomb, sweeping the Bison in early March with scores of 8-3, 9-4, and a 26-0 one-hitter in seven innings. They hold a 3-0 record against Cincinnati and are 4-3 versus Louisiana.
The Starkville Regional will be paired with the Athens Regional in the NCAA Tournament bracket. Fans can find the latest news and updates on the team at hailstate.com or follow the program on social media under the handle ‘HailStateBB’ on X, Facebook, and Instagram.
Source: Original Article
