Dogs in the polls: Where MSU now sits after series win at South Carolina

Another strong week keeps the Bulldogs near the top of the rankings

Author:
Joel Coleman
Publish date:
May 10, 2021 1:00 PM EDT

It was another strong week for Mississippi State last week. The Bulldogs hit the road and won three out of four games, claiming a midweek contest over The Citadel before taking a series victory over South Carolina.

The Bulldogs now sit at 35-11 overall this season and are 16-8 in SEC play following the victories over the Gamecocks. So where did the last few days of action land the Bulldogs in this week's national polls? Well, let's have a look.

Before getting there, here are a few weekly reminders. It's useful to note there are six national polls recognized in Mississippi State baseball's game notes issued to the media for each contest. It's those six polls we'll keep an eye on in this space each week – the D1Baseball poll, the Baseball America poll, the Perfect Game poll, the USA Today poll, the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) poll.

Also, a frequent question is, 'Well which poll really matters?' The short answer here is, 'None of them'. The only thing that truly matters is what the baseball committee members that put together the NCAA Tournament field think. And those individuals don't release a poll.

Another item that might be notable is different media outlets or TV broadcasts sometimes use different polls. Here at Cowbell Corner, it's the D1Baseball poll that is relied on in all articles, previews, etc. due to the level of trust in that organization's opinion.

OK, now that all of that is out of the way, here is where Mississippi State sits in the aforementioned six polls in the latest rankings released Monday, May 10:

D1 Baseball - No. 3 (previously No. 4)
Baseball America - No. 3 (previously No. 4)
USA Today - No. 3 (previously No. 4)
Perfect Game - No. 2 (no change from last week)
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper - No. 3 (previously No. 4)
NCBWA - No. 3 (previously No. 4)

Thank you for coming to Cowbell Corner for coverage of Mississippi State sports. Be sure to follow Cowbell Corner on Twitter (@SIBulldogs) by clicking here, and like it on Facebook by clicking here.