Mississippi State, ranked No. 4 nationally, is 5-0 after opening its season with a nine-game homestand. The Bulldogs will host Delaware in a three-game series beginning Friday at 4 p.m. All games will be streamed on SEC Network+.
This series marks just the second meeting between the teams. The Bulldogs won the first, a 2001 Columbus Regional game, 4-3, behind a strong performance from future MLB player Paul Maholm and Matthew Brinson, who went 4-for-4 with two home runs.
Mississippi State’s pitching staff will be led by sophomores Ryan McPherson, Tomas Valincius and Charlie Foster. McPherson will start Friday’s game. He pitched four innings against Hofstra last week, striking out four without issuing a walk. Delaware counters with sophomore Brady Blum.
The Bulldogs recently swept Troy and Alcorn State in midweek games, including a 19-0 shutout on Wednesday. They are batting .321 as a team with four home runs and averaging 10.2 runs per game. Junior third baseman Ace Reese leads with a .556 batting average, two homers and seven RBIs.
On the mound, Mississippi State maintains a 3.77 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 43 innings. The team has used 17 pitchers this season, with 12 making their debut during the first five games. Opponents are hitting .217 against MSU pitchers.
Delaware enters the weekend with a 1-3 record, having been swept at Elon last weekend before a win over La Salle. The Blue Hens are hitting .200 with three home runs and have a limited stolen-base success rate. Their pitching staff has an 8.18 ERA, with six hurlers posting perfect ERAs.
Fans can follow updates on the series through Mississippi State’s athletics website and social media channels, including X, Facebook, and Instagram, using the handle ‘HailStateBB.’
