Mississippi State Hosts NCAA Baseball Regional at Dudy Noble Field

Mississippi State is hosting an NCAA regional at Dudy Noble Field for the first time since 2021. The No. 17 Bulldogs earned a No. 1 seed and will face No. 4 seed Lipscomb on Friday at 1 p.m., streaming on ESPN+.

The team is making its 42nd NCAA Tournament appearance and its 16th regional hosting. The Bulldogs, 40-17 overall, have built one of the nation’s most potent offenses this season, setting a school record with 106 home runs. They also boast a .313 batting average and a .544 slugging percentage.

Key players include third baseman Ace Reese, who is batting .327 with 20 home runs and 69 RBIs, and Noah Sullivan, hitting .348 with 12 homers. Freshman Jacob Parker has contributed 13 home runs, while Ryder Woodson is among the hottest hitters, batting .467 over his last five games.

On the mound, sophomore Duke Stone is scheduled to start against Lipscomb. He is 6-3 with a 5.69 ERA, having previously shut out Lipscomb during a March win. Lipscomb, 29-24 overall, features a .292 team batting average and a pitching staff with a 4.88 ERA.

Mississippi State has a perfect 12-0 record all-time against Lipscomb and swept the Bisons earlier this season. The Bulldogs also hold a 19-3 edge over the other regional teams, Cincinnati and Louisiana.

Head coach Brian O’Connor, in his first season at Starkville, led Virginia to 18 NCAA tournaments and a national championship in 2015. The team aims to advance past the regional, which could lead to a super regional and a shot at another College World Series appearance.

Games continue through Sunday, with an optional Monday if needed. The winner will face the winner of the Athens Regional in the next round.

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