Razorbacks Venture to No. 17 Mississippi State

STARKVILLE, Miss. – No. 12 Arkansas travels to No. 17 Mississippi State this weekend for a pivotal three-game SEC series at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville. Game times are set for 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. for Sunday’s series finale.

The series can be heard on the Razorback Baseball Radio Network with Chuck Barrett calling the play-by-play. The audio for all three games can also be heard over the internet inside the RazorZone on Hogwired.com. Live stats of all three games will can also be found on Hogwired.com.

The Razorbacks (28-11, 8-7) are coming off of a lethargic performance in a two-game mid-week series with Northern Colorado. The Hogs won 2-1 on a walk-off triple by Craig Gentry on Tuesday and then fell 4-2 to the Bears on Wednesday.

Arkansas has struggled in mid-week games this season, but has become weekend warriors in SEC play. The Razorbacks have won three straight SEC series over Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky to move into second in the SEC West, two games behind Alabama.

Mississippi State (29-9, 7-7) is the sixth straight SEC foe to be ranked entering their series with Arkansas. The Hogs boast an 11-7 record against ranked teams this season. The Bulldogs are coming off of a two-game sweep of Memphis on the road this week.

Friday night’s showdown will match two of the SEC’s best on the mound with UA left-hander Nick Schmidt (6-2, 2.27 ERA), squaring off with MSU lefty Brooks Dunn (6-2, 3.96 ERA). Saturday will feature Hogs’ senior left-handed pitcher Trey Holloway (4-0, 3.61 ERA) against Mississippi State’s RHP Josh Johnson (4-2, 4.56 ERA). The series finale pits Arkansas sophomore Shuan Seibert (2-0, 2.38 ERA) opposite Bulldogs’ right-hander John Lalor (2-2, 3.92).

Mississippi State has had its way with the Razorbacks this decade, winning five straight series and posting a 12-4 record against the Hogs in the process. UA’s last series win was a three-game sweep in 1999. The Bulldogs own a 36-23 lead in the all-time series and a 17-7 edge in Starkville. Arkansas last series win in Starkville came in 1998.

The Razorbacks are hitting .287 as a team and scoring 6.5 runs per game coming into Starkville. The Hogs’ pitching staff boasts a 3.51 ERA and has limited opponents to a .239 batting average. MSU is hitting .306 as a team and scoring 7.5 runs per game, while boasting a 3.35 ERA on the mound.

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