Diamond Dawg Gameday: host Memphis

STARKVILLE – Entering the stretch run of the 2019 regular season, the No. 5 Mississippi State baseball program will welcome Memphis to Dudy Noble Field for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch on Wednesday, May 8.

Sitting 38-10 overall, Mississippi State is No. 5 in three of the six major national polls, while the Diamond Dawgs are No. 6 in the remaining polls. The program enters the week with a 15-9 record in Southeastern Conference play and owns the No. 3 RPI in college baseball.

Memphis will play Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday (May 7) at home before making the trek to Starkville for Wednesday evening's contest. Currently, the Tigers are 24-21 overall and 8-9 in the American Athletic Conference. Last weekend, Memphis took two of three games from USF in a weekend series at home.

Gameday Info
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Probable Starters
MSU: Keegan James, RHP, R-Jr.
UM: TBA

Live Video: https://hailst.at/2H9vDEk
Live Audio: https://hailst.at/audio
Live Stats: https://hailst.at/2H9vi4w

The contest can be heard on the Mississippi State Sports Network, along with a live audio stream via HailState.com/plus.

Quick Hitters

Redshirt-junior Ethan Small earned his first career SEC Player of the Week honor on May 6 after throwing seven hitless, scoreless innings at Texas A&M. MORE ON PAGE 11
Mississippi State and Memphis will meet for the 78th time in series history on Wednesday. While the Bulldogs own a 51-26 edge on the all-time ledger, the Tigers are 3-2 in the last five meetings.
MORE ON PAGE 5
Senior Jake Mangum passed LSU's Eddie Furniss as the Southeastern Conference's career hits leader. His 360 career hits lead all active Division I student-athletes and rank No. 9 on the NCAA's all-time list. MORE ON PAGE 6-7
Fans have flooded the gates at Dudy Noble Field thus far in 2019, with six crowds of 10,000-plus through 29 home dates, which is already tied for the second-most in program history. MORE ON PAGE 10
Of the 10 losses in 2019 for the Diamond Dawgs, four of them have come in one-run games, with three of those against ranked opponents.
Head coach Chris Lemonis won his first four games as Mississippi State skipper. Lemonis is one of nine MSU head coaches to win his first career game and one of three to start 4-0 or better.
BIO ON PAGE 3, MORE ON PAGE 10

Series Notes
Memphis

Mississippi State and Memphis will meet for the 78th time in program history on Wednesday. The Diamond Dawgs own a 51-26 all-time record against the Tigers.
Mississippi State has reeled off eight-straight wins twice in the series, doing so from 1996-2003 and 2004-07. One loss broke those streaks up, giving MSU a 16-1 record between 1996-2007.
Since 2000, the two programs have met in all but three seasons, with the 2001, 2002 and 2012 seasons not featuring a meeting on the diamond.
The longest winning streak for Memphis in the series sits at four games, winning both meetings in both the 1972 and 73 seasons
The first meeting between the two programs came in 1950, as State swept a two-game series with Memphis by scores of 14-2 and 11-1.
Since 2003, the two teams have met nine times at AutoZone Park, home of the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, and MSU is 5-4 in those contests, with those games counting as home games for Memphis.
Over the last 25 meetings, State has dropped just five of those and owns a 7-3 mark in the last ten games of the series.

Promotions
Along with $2 tickets and fan-focused concession pricing, fans arriving early will be able to pick up a "New Dude" lapel pin to commemorate the inaugural season at the new Dudy Noble Field. Lapel pins will be available while supplies last.

The Drew Wilson 'Lil Dudes Zone located beyond the right field wall will be available when gates open, weather dependent.

For all regular season home games at Dudy Noble, MSU students will be admitted into the games for free with their student ID and Bully's Kids Club members will also receive free admission.

Fans can upgrade their game day experience with multiple options throughout the year from HailState.com/memories.

Dudy Noble Field Policies
Gates open two hours before first pitch on game day and the stadium gates will close one hour after the conclusion of each game. The right field terrace is a public, grill-free, first come first served area. Should fans wish to purchase ice at Dudy Noble Field, they will be able to do so behind the center field wall in the Left Field Lounge.

Approved coolers cannot exceed the maximum size of 10" by 10" by 10" after gates open, with coolers exceeding that size prohibited. Other prohibited items include alcoholic beverages, smoking (in all areas), weapons, fireworks, electric power generators, pets, non-approved banners and signs, bicycles, any illegal substances, carts, wagons, wheeled supply carriers, personal tailgate tents (on concourse or lawn areas) and lawn chairs on sidewalks or concourse areas.

All bags are subject to search and security screening, along with items prohibited from being stored along stadium fencing and gates. MSU encourages fans to leave all unnecessary and prohibited items at home or in their vehicles to expedite security and screening procedures.

Tickets
Tickets for the remaining MSU home games can be purchased through HailState.com/tickets.

Follow the Diamond Dawgs
For more information on the Diamond Dawg program, follow the program on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateBB." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap.".

Diamond Dawg Gameday: host Memphis

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Keegan James

Jake Mangum

Ethan Small

Mississippi State University Athletics

Diamond Dawg Gameday: host Memphis

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Keegan James

Jake Mangum

Ethan Small

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