FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — No. 3 Mississippi State begins Southeastern Conference play with a key series against fifth-ranked Arkansas. The Bulldogs travel to Baum-Walker Stadium for a three-game set, starting Friday at 6 p.m.
The series will be streamed on SEC Network+ Friday, with the final two games airing on SEC Network on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., respectively, according to sources familiar with the schedule.
Mississippi State will rely on its consistent sophomore pitching rotation. Ryan McPherson (3-0, 1.96 ERA) is set to start Friday against Arkansas junior Gabe Gaeckle (2-1, 2.61 ERA). On Saturday, Tomas Valincius (3-0, 1.74 ERA) will face Arkansas redshirt sophomore Hunter Dietz (2-1, 2.84 ERA). The series concludes Sunday with Duke Stone (3-0, 3.06 ERA) for the Bulldogs against Arkansas junior Colin Fisher (2-1, 1.17 ERA).
Mississippi State enters the series on a four-game winning streak, holding a 15-2 overall record. The Bulldogs swept Lipscomb last weekend and beat Tulane in Biloxi on Tuesday. The team finished last season 15-15 in SEC play, winning series against Kentucky, Missouri, and archrival Ole Miss under interim coach Justin Parker.
Under first-year head coach Brian O’Connor, Mississippi State boasts one of the nation’s top offenses. The Bulldogs rank third in doubles (50), fourth in batting average (.354), and sixth in hits (203). They have hit 28 home runs and stolen 31 bases in 38 attempts. The team maintains a .983 fielding percentage.
Reed Stallman leads the team with a .457 batting average, while Gehrig Frei is riding a 15-game hitting streak. Ace Reese and Noah Sullivan each have five home runs, with Reese also leading in hits, doubles, and RBIs. Bryce Chance has stolen seven bases, successfully on eight attempts this spring. Pitchers have posted a collective 3.76 ERA with 198 strikeouts and 51 walks over 146 innings, with opponents batting .223 against them.
Arkansas, entering the series with a 12-5 record, split a four-game series with Stetson last week. The Razorbacks won the first two games but lost the final two. They hit .296 overall, with 22 home runs and an average of 6.5 runs per game. The team has stolen 20 bases in 26 attempts and holds a .974 fielding percentage.
Camden Kozeal is batting .359 with six homers and 22 RBIs. Damian Ruiz has six stolen bases and a .340 average. Arkansas’s pitching staff owns a 2.74 ERA, with 186 strikeouts and just 38 walks in 148 innings, and opponents are batting .199 against them. The Razorbacks have recorded three shutouts and hold a slight series lead over Mississippi State, 59-58, including winning the last series in Fayetteville in 2024.
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