LIVE BASEBALL UPDATES: Mississippi State at South Carolina (Friday, 5-7-21)
(NOTE: IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR UPDATES OF SUNDAY'S GAME, CLICK HERE)
No. 4 Mississippi State continues to fight for a Southeastern Conference championship on the road this weekend at No. 19 South Carolina.
The Bulldogs (33-10, 14-7 SEC) will meet the Gamecocks (27-15, 11-10 SEC) for the 22nd time in the Gamecocks' 30 seasons as a part of the SEC. Overall, South Carolina holds a three-game lead in the all-time series, 36-36, but Mississippi State has won each of the last four series and is 8-4 over that span.
The Diamond Dawgs have won five of seven SEC series this season and 14 of the last 18 conference series since sweeping No. 1 Florida to close out the 2018 campaign. Of those 14 series wins, seven have been sweeps, with three of those coming this season (TAMU, Kentucky and at Auburn).
This series features two of the top pitching staffs in the country, with Mississippi State leading the nation at 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings and South Carolina sitting No. 2 with 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings. State also ranks among the top 20 nationally in ERA (No. 18), hits allowed per nine innings (No. 7), strikeout-to-walk ratio (No. 9) and WHIP (No. 11).
Offensively, State owns the edge in in batting average (.281-.255), runs per game (7.3-6.0) and hits per game (9.4-85.), however SC is among the top home run hitting teams in the nation. The duo of Wes Clarke and Brady Allen each rank among the top 40 in home runs with 17 and 11, respectively. Clarke’s total ranks No. 2 nationally and leads the SEC.
As MSU and South Carolina start their series, keep it tuned right here to Cowbell Corner for the latest updates. First pitch for Friday's series opener is set for 6 p.m. central and live updates will begin then.
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Here are your starting lineups:
No. 6 Mississippi State Bulldogs (33-10, 14-7)
- Rowdey Jordan - CF
- Tanner Allen - RF
- Kamren James - DH
- Luke Hancock - 1B
- Logan Tanner - C
- Scotty Dubrule - 2B
- Brad Cumbest - LF
- Tanner Leggett - 3B
- Lane Forsythe - SS
Christian MacLeod - P
No. 19 South Carolina Gamecocks (27-15, 11-10)
- Braylen Wimmer - 2B
- Colin Burgess - C
- Brady Allen - CF
- Wes Clarke - DH
- Andrew Eyster - RF
- David Mendham - 1B
- George Callil - SS
- Brennan Milone - 3B
- Noah Myers - LF
Brannon Jordan - P
Alright, let's play ball!
TOP of 1 - MSU batting
- Jordan singled to left-center. Runner at first, nobody out.
- Jordan advanced to second on a wild pitch. Runner at second, no outs.
- Allen singles to center. Jordan advances to third. Runners at first and third, no outs.
- James singles to right-center. Jordan scores. It's 1-0 MSU. Allen to third on the play. Runners at first and third, no outs.
- Hancock grounds into a double play (4-6-3). Allen scores on the play. It's 2-0 MSU. Bases empty, two outs.
- Tanner walked. Runner at first, two outs.
- Dubrule flied out to left. Inning over.
- MID 1 - MSU 2, South Carolina 0
BOTTOM of 1 - South Carolina batting
- Wimmer strikes out swinging (thrown out at first on dropped third strike). One out.
- Burgess flies out to left. Two outs.
- Allen grounds out to third. Inning over.
- END of 1 - MSU 2, South Carolina 0
TOP of 2 - MSU batting
- Cumbest flies out to center. One out.
- Leggett strikes out looking. Two outs.
- Forsythe singles to center. Runner at first, two outs.
- Forsythe gets to second on a wild pitch. Runner at second, two outs.
- Jordan grounds out to short. Inning over.
- MID 2 - MSU 2, South Carolina 0
BOTTOM of 2 - South Carolina batting
- Clarke grounds out to third. One out.
- Eyster struck out swinging. Two outs.
- Mendham fouled out to catcher. Inning over.
- END of 2 - MSU 2, South Carolina 0
TOP of 3 - MSU batting
- Allen grounds out to first. One out.
- James singles to center. Runner at first, one out.
- Hancock fouls out to third. Runner at first, two outs.
- Tanner flies out to right. Inning over.
- MID 3 - MSU 2, South Carolina 0
BOTTOM of 3 - South Carolina batting
- Callil flied out to left. One out.
- Milone singled to left. Runner at first, one out.
- Myers walks. Milone goes to second. Runners at first and second, one out.
- Wimmer flies out to right. Milone tags up and moves to third. Runners at first and third, two outs.
- Burgess struck out swinging. (Thrown out at first on dropped third strike) Inning over.
- END of 3 - MSU 2, South Carolina 0
TOP of 4 - MSU batting
- Dubrule pops out to short. One out.
- Cumbest walks. Runner at first, one out.
- Leggett flies out to right. Cumbest was way away from the first base bag and gets doubled off to end the inning.
- MID 4 - MSU 2, South Carolina 0
BOTTOM of 4 - South Carolina batting
- Allen grounds out to second. One out.
- Clarke walks. Runner at first, one out.
- Eyster flies out to center. Two outs, runner at first.
- Mendham struck out looking. Inning over.
- END of 4 - MSU 2, South Carolina 0
TOP of 5 - MSU batting
- Forsythe flies out to center. One out.
- Jordan doubles down the right-field line. Runner at second, one out.
- Jordan to third on a wild pitch. Runner at third, one out.
- Allen RBI single to center. Jordan scores. It's 3-0 MSU. Runner at first, one out.
- Allen advanced to second on a wild pitch. Runner at second, one out.
- James struck out looking. Two outs, runner at second.
- Hancock fouls out to third. Inning over.
- MID 5 - MSU 3, South Carolina 0
BOTTOM of 5 - South Carolina batting
- Callil grounds out to second. One out.
- Milone grounds out to third. Two outs.
- Myers grounds out to second. Inning over.
- END of 5 - MSU 3, South Carolina 0
TOP of 6 - MSU batting
- Tanner singles to left. Runner at first, no outs.
- Dubrule taps it in front of the plate and is thrown out by the catcher. Tanner moves up to second. Runner at second, one out.
- Cumbest strikes out looking. Two outs, runner still at second.
- Leggett struck out swinging. Inning over.
- MID 6 - MSU 3, South Carolina 0
BOTTOM of 6 - South Carolina batting
- Wimmer struck out swinging. One out.
- Burgess flies out to right. Two outs.
- Allen popped out to short. Inning over.
- END of 6 - MSU 3, South Carolina 0
TOP of 7 - MSU batting
- South Carolina to the bullpen. Magdiel Cotto now pitching.
- Forsythe hits a ball up the middle that hits the pitcher and bounced all the way into left field. Single. Runner at first, no outs.
- Jordan walks. Forsythe moves up to second. Runners at first and second, no outs.
- Allen hit by a pitch. That loads the bases with nobody out.
- James with a three-run double down the right-field line. Clears the bases. MSU now leads 6-0. Runner at second, no outs.
- Hancock grounds out to second. James moves up to third base. Runner at third, one out.
- Tanner struck out swinging. Two outs, runner at third still.
- Dubrule walks. Runners at first and third, two outs.
- Dubrule moves up to second on a passed ball. James holds at third. Runners at second and third, two outs.
- Now, James scores on a passed ball and Dubrule moves up to third. It's 7-0 MSU. Runner at third, two outs.
- Cumbest doubles down the right-field line. Dubrule scores. It's 8-0 MSU. Runner at second, two outs.
- South Carolina to the bullpen. John Gilreath on to pitch.
- Leggett strikes out swinging. Inning over.
- MID 7 - MSU 8, South Carolina 0
BOTTOM of 7 - South Carolina batting
- Clarke struck out looking. One out.
- Eyster grounds out to third. Two outs.
- Mendham flies out to center. Inning over.
- END of 7 - MSU 8, South Carolina 0
TOP of 8 - MSU batting
- Forsythe struck out swinging. One out.
- Jordan walks. Runner at first, one out.
- Jordan advances to second on a wild pitch. Runner at second, one out.
- Allen RBI single to right. Jordan scores. It's 9-0 MSU. Allen advances to second as the throw to the plate to try and get Jordan got away. Runner at second, one out.
- James walked. Runners at first and second, one out.
- Hancock pops out to first. Two outs, runners still at first and second.
- South Carolina to the bullpen. C.J. Weins on to pitch.
- Brayland Skinner pinch runs for Allen.
- Tanner flies out to right. Inning over.
- MID 8 - MSU 9, South Carolina 0
BOTTOM of 8 - South Carolina batting
- MSU to the bullpen. Preston Johnson now pitching. Also, Skinner now playing left field. Cumbest moves to right field. Josh Hatcher in for Hancock, playing first base.
- Callil grounds out to short. One out.
- Milone lines out to third. Two outs.
- Myers singles to right. Runner at first, two outs.
- Wimmer grounds out to third. Inning over.
- END of 8 - MSU 9, South Carolina 0
TOP of 9 - MSU batting
- Dubrule grounds out to second. One out.
- Kellum Clark pinch hits for Cumbest – Clark struck out looking. Two outs.
- Leggett fouls out to right. Inning over.
- MID 9 - MSU 9, South Carolina 0
BOTTOM of 9 - South Carolina batting
- MSU to the bullpen. K.C. Hunt on to pitch. Also, Drew McGowan now playing right field.
- Burgess walks. Runner at first, no outs.
- Allen walks. Burgess moves up to second. Runners at first and second, no outs.
- Clarke struck out swinging. One out, runners at first and second.
- Eyster strikes out swinging. Two outs, runners at first and second.
- Mendham singles to center. Burgess moves up to third and Allen to second. Bases loaded, two outs.
- Callil grounds out to first. Ballgame.
FINAL: Mississippi State 9, South Carolina 0
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Photo courtesy of Mississippi State athletics
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