Tracking the Diamond Dawgs: Mississippi State looking to handle A&M pitching
Another Thursday-Friday-Saturday matchup is on tap this weekend for the Mississippi State Bulldogs as they travel to College Station to take on the Texas A&M Aggies.
After breaking into most top-25 polls following a series win over LSU, Mississippi State is the winner of four of its last five games. The Bulldogs come in as one of the hottest offensive teams in the country with no less than eight runs scored over the course of the last four games, but A&M is absolutely swinging it at the plate, too. Texas A&M will try and put a stop to the Bulldog hot streak this weekend.
Mississippi State offense vs. A&M pitching
The Aggies boast a Friday night starter in Ryan Prager who is 4-0 across five starts. Prager’s strikeout number (41) and ERA (2.08) stand out, and the A&M dealer had a 24 inning scoreless streak snapped during his last time out. The most impressive number, though, is his strikeout to walk ratio. Prager’s only walked three batters all year. He’s going to pound the zone and try and miss barrels, and Mississippi State will have to find some way to get on the basepaths, whether that’s via hits or long, drawn out at bats.
The Aggies’ Saturday starter, Tanner Jones, has been hit hard thus far this year. He hasn’t gone any further than four innings across his four starts to this point. His 4.76 ERA is the highest among the presumed starters for the Aggies. RHP matchups have been a bit more favorable to Mississippi State up to this point as well, so the Bulldogs should have their eyes on Saturday as a big opportunity.
Sunday sets up to be another big-arm SEC matchup, with Mississippi State’s Jurrangelo Cijntje and A&M’s Justin Lampkin set to toe the rubber. Lampkin boasts a 1.57 ERA through his five starts, but is only credited with one win to this point. He’s walked seven and struck out 32 across 23.0 IP.
Mississippi State is set to face one of the toughest rotations in the country this weekend, but after lighting up LSU for a full weekend, the Bulldogs couldn’t ask for a better opportunity.
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Mississippi State pitching vs. Texas A&M offense
The Aggies love the long ball, no doubt about it. Sophomore CF Jace LaViolette has already knocked 10 homers on the year, and the former Mississippi State target Braden Montgomery has already hit nine. As a team, the Aggies have already hit 42 tanks on the season. With that long ball threat, though, comes something Mississippi State could use in its favor.
The averages for A&M are good, but they’re nothing to gawk at outside of senior catcher Jackson Appel hitting .362 and Montgomery’s .368. Four of A&M’s starters are hitting less than .300, with all being in the high .200’s.
Mississippi State is without Nate Dohm again this weekend, but with the addition of Pico Kohn back to the pen, the Bulldogs add another piece of depth at a time when it’s needed most. If State can get 3 innings out of Siary on Friday before having to win the rest of the matchup via committee, the Bulldogs would set themselves up in the best position possible to take the series win in two games instead of relying on another rubber match.
Tonight’s first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. with the game set to be broadcast on ESPNU. Saturday and Sunday’s games, starting at 6 p.m. and 2 p.m. respectively, are scheduled to be aired on the SEC Network+.
