Mississippi State is back home this weekend, and it won’t take long for things to get interesting.
Vanderbilt rolls into Starkville with a lineup that can do some real damage, ranking among the national leaders in power and run production.
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are coming off a dominant midweek win and looking to bounce back in SEC play.
With two talented offenses and a solid Friday night pitching matchup on deck, this series opener has plenty of intrigue.
If both teams swing it like they’re capable of, runs could come in a hurry at Dudy Noble Field Friday night.
Vanderbilt brings a 13-9 overall record with it, including a series win over defending national champion and then 13th-ranked LSU at home last weekend. The Commodores are coming off a 5-1 loss to Indiana in Nashville on Tuesday.
Vandy is No. 2 nationally with 52 home runs, rank fourth in slugging (.603) and 10th in drawing walks (136). Tim Corbin's club is batting .308 and scoring 8.6 runs per game. They have also stolen 26 bases in 31 attempts and have a fielding percentage of .979.
Brodie Johnston tops Vanderbilt hitting .393 while Braden Holcomb is tied for second in the league with 11 long balls to go along with 33 RBIs. Rigdon Rustan has been the Commodores biggest base thief with six steals in seven tries.
Fennell leads the way in strikeouts while Austin Nye, Nate Schlote and Adria Casoliba all sport flawless ERAs. Tristan Bristow and England Bryan are responsible for both of Vanderbilt's saves this season.
Fans attending Friday night’s series-opening game between the Bulldogs and Commodores can expect near perfect weather conditions. The National Weather Service forecast calls for skies to be “mostly clear, with a low around 59. Southwest wind around 5 mph.”
𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 pic.twitter.com/z9b6ujTpJ4
P #43 Matthew Shorey
P #90 Miller Green
P #92 Adria Casoliba
P #99 England Bryan
P #40 Austin Nye
C #44 Colin Barczi
OF #5 Aidan Teel
This weekend's rotation pic.twitter.com/ua0KmEiysk
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Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.
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