STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State University baseball team isn’t interested in leaving Regions Park in Hoover shaking their heads like last year.
After going a disappointing 0-2 with losses to the University of Florida and University of Arkansas in the 2011 Southeastern Conference Tournament, MSU was sent packing their bags back to Starkville early in the morning of the second day.
Not the best way to reintroduce yourself to the postseason play in Hoover, Ala.
“I think a lot of the kids that are back on this team that got a taste of what that was like didn’t like how that exactly tasted,” Cohen said. “Our kids felt they were two or three pitches, not outs but pitches, away from being in a commanding position of that tournament.”
It’s this feeling of revenge that makes the first round opponent of MSU (34-21, 16-14) all that more interesting as six-seeded Arkansas have claimed all four previous SEC Tournament matchups with the Bulldogs, including a 7-2 decision that eliminated the Diamond Dogs from last year’s tournament at Regions Park.
“We still feel like we have something left to prove especially in this event,” MSU coach John Cohen said. “There’s nothing guaranteed for us at this time of the year but we feel like we’re playing our best baseball right now.”
The 24th-ranked Bulldogs climbed into all four national polls this week after sweeping No. 4 University of Kentucky at Dudy Noble Field.
The game today will be televised by SportSouth, and is scheduled to begin approximately 30 minutes following the tournament-opening 9:30 a.m. matchup between No. 4 seed Kentucky and No. 9 seed University of Mississippi.
Top-seeded LSU is also in MSU’s half of the bracket and gets a bye from opening day competition.
If MSU and Ole Miss both win today, the Bulldogs would be allowed a bye from Wednesday’s session and have an opportunity to get to Friday on a 2-0 record.
Freshman right-hander Brandon Woodruff (0-2, 3.46) will open on the mound for MSU as the former fifth-round pick by Texas last year will stare down while Arkansas ace sophomore Ryne Stanek (6-3, 2.96). It will be the fifth start of the year for Woodruff, who took the loss in a midweek matchup with Central Arkansas a week ago. Stanek is coming off back issues and a recent injury where he was struck on the shoulder by a line drive in his first inning Friday at the University of Tennesseee.
“Luis Pollorena is a possibility and even Ben Bracewell are possibilities for us to pitch (Tuesday) as well,” Cohen said.
The Bulldogs are paced at the plate by sophomore shortstop Adam Frazier (.360), who has hit safely in 45 of MSU’s 55 games. Frazier was named this week to the 2012 USA Baseball National Collegiate Team.
He leads the SEC with 193 assists and 45 walks and ranks second with a .475 on-base percentage.
“I’m so proud of Adam and even got him good with that announcement Saturday,” Cohen said. “He gets me with pranks all the time so I told him his Cape Cod League team cut him and waited a few seconds. When he asked why that’s when I told him it was because he was playing for Team USA.”
In a sweep over the Volunteers, Arkansas continued their hot hitting Saturday, finishing the series finale with 13 hits, the team’s third double-digit hit game of the series. Brian Anderson, Dominic Ficociello, John Clay Reeves and Matt Vinson each had two hits to lead the Razorbacks.
“They are such a deep, talented bunch and that’s why Dave always has them ready to go come postseason play,” Cohen said. “When you have so many teams as close as we have in this league then it’s a play here and a play there.”
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.