The Bulldogs have an exciting 2022 baseball season ahead of them, and these five matchups look great.
The 2022 Mississippi State baseball season is a little over a week away, and players and fans alike are eagerly awaiting the first pitch.
The Bulldogs have been practicing for weeks to prepare for the season. They'll be the team to beat--they're the defending national champions, after all--but will also be on the hunt for back-to-back titles. MSU has many excellent returning players and will also include talented transfers and rookies, but some major changes are being made. Will all this be enough to score another run in the College World Series?
Every game is important in baseball, but some stand out above the rest. Here are the top five series to watch for the state of Mississippi this season; Buckle up, Bulldog, it's baseball time.
5. State of Mississippi v. State of Long Beach, February 18-20
Believe it or not, this looks to be a great opening weekend matchup between the two ranked teams. The No. 24 Long Beach State Dirtbags are traveling to Starkville and trying to upset the No. 4-ranked defending National Champs. This is going to be an important weekend for Bulldogs for many reasons. The team will debut some new players and see if they still have the magic they had throughout the 2021 season. Plus, there's no better time to work through any mistakes than in the first few games of the season. Long Beach State is a notable rival, so MSU will be able to get a real feel for the upcoming season very quickly.
4. Mississippi State in Georgia, March 18-20
The opening weekend is important, but the first series could be more important in SEC play. At this point, Mississippi State will have nearly a month of competition against teams from all sides of the spectrum – from powerful powerhouses to virtually unheard of clubs. Eventually they'll get their first taste of conference play, and it won't be easy. Georgia hasn't always been a force to be reckoned with, but they are approaching the 2022 season with high hopes. This matchup will be the perfect test to see how well Mississippi State's starting lineup and pitching rotation can hold up through a tough conference schedule.
3. State of Mississippi v. Tennessee, May 19-21
12-2. Does that score sound familiar? Similarly, Tennessee badly defeated the Bulldogs in the SEC tournament last season. Of course, there were a lot of different factors in that game, and a one-sided result didn't matter in the end. Finally, MSU will have the chance to host the volunteers—who also went to Omaha last season—in a true three-game series that will say a lot more than last season's tournament game. Will the Bulldogs be able to prove they are the best, or will Tennessee march on and put on another impressive performance?
2. Mississippi State at Ole Miss, April 21-23
Of course, this infamous rivalry had to be thrown into the mix. Mississippi State has won most of its games over the years against Ole Miss and is looking to continue to dominate. Winning against Ole Miss will be harder than usual - they are returning most of their batsmen and will play on their home turf - but it is certainly possible to walk away with a series win or even a sweep. Once again, Magnolia State Rivalry Weekend is already shaping up to be a top-tier matchup across the SEC.
1. Mississippi State in Arkansas, April 1-3
Coming in as the best series to watch Bulldogs this season is the Arkansas series in Fayetteville. It has been arguably the most anticipated matchup since last season when the Razorbacks marched up to Starkville and did a series sweep. Two major fans of two-story shows who are constantly at each other's throats... could it get better? Mississippi State will certainly be looking to avenge last season's embarrassment, and there's no better way to do it than with a major visiting team.