Mississippi State to Open Baseball Series at Globe Life Field

ARLINGTON, Texas — Fourth-ranked Mississippi State will play its first away games of the season at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers, as part of the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. The Bulldogs open Friday against Arizona State at 11 a.m., according to team sources.

The three-day event continues Saturday with a 3 p.m. matchup against Virginia Tech and concludes Sunday at 2:30 p.m. with a game against No. 1 UCLA. All three contests will be streamed via FloCollege, a subscription service.

Mississippi State last participated in the event in 2021, finishing 2-1 with wins over then-No. 9 Texas and No. 3 Texas Tech. The Bulldogs went on to claim their first national championship that season.

The Bulldogs will start sophomore right-hander Ryan McPherson against Arizona State. McPherson has opened both series sweeps this season and leads the team with 15 strikeouts in 10 innings, posting a 1-0 record and a 2.70 ERA. Arizona State counters with junior southpaw Cole Carlon, who is 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 11 innings.

Mississippi State is off to a 9-0 start, its best since 2015, after a 16-3 win over Austin Peay on Tuesday. The team has outscored opponents 93-26, with three run-rule victories in its past five games. The Bulldogs are hitting .356 as a team and tied for the national lead with 30 doubles, according to team stats.

All-American third baseman Ace Reese leads the team with a .514 batting average, including eight doubles, three home runs, and 15 RBIs. Graduate outfielder Bryce Chance is perfect in stolen base attempts with five steals in five tries. The pitching staff boasts a 2.61 ERA with 111 strikeouts over 76 innings. Sophomores Tomas Valincius and Duke Stone are both 2-0, with Valincius maintaining a flawless ERA.

Arizona State is 8-1 after splitting a midweek series at No. 13 Oklahoma. Virginia Tech holds a 7-1 record, having won three straight after a loss to Rutgers. The top-ranked UCLA is 6-2, having lost to San Diego State on Tuesday. The weekend marks the first meeting between Mississippi State and Virginia Tech.

Visit www.HailState.com for updates on the baseball team and follow ‘HailStateBB’ on social media for news and highlights.

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