Bleav in Mississippi State

The losing streak is over as the Diamond Dogs won a game from South Carolina. But the lost series streak continues as Mississippi State remains tied for last in the SEC and Western Division. Coach Chris Lemonis continues shuffling the weekend rotation as well as the defensive lineup, and now the batting order as well. Individual talent is not the problem, getting all the talent playing the same game is. Spring football is half-finished for Coach Zach Arnett, and in hoops All-SEC big man Tolu Smith has declared for the NBA Draft but left his college option open for one more season.

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Mississippi State's 0-6 SEC start already has the team far behind the post-season eligibility curve. After consecutive sweepings by SEC East teams, here comes Division leader South Carolina for the next series. Bulldog offense remains competitive most games but pitching, both starting and rotation, continues to struggle as does the defense not backing them up. Coach Chris Lemonis and staff haven't hesitated to make moves in the order, the lineup, the rotation and relief staff in search of the best combinations. At some point the Bulldogs just have to play basic baseball basically and figure out how to win a SEC game. Spring football continues with full-contact work in effect and Coach Zach Arnett's competitive theme is win the day, which harks back five decades to another Mississippi State coach's mantra.

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With basketball, men and women, done and turned to recruiting, all attention returns to a Diamond Dog team already in deep SEC trouble. A sweeping at Kentucky means Mississippi State must begin digging out on the home field against visiting Vanderbilt. The weekend rotation is changing for a fourth time as reliever Nate Dohm could come out of the pen again or grab a starting job as this series plays out. Bulldog pitching is struggling already and not helped by the league's lowest-rated defense. Coach Chris Lemonis has potent offensive pieces but changes to the lineup complicate an order. Spring football resumed on Tuesday and has three practices this week, with shortened media access.

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SEC baseball season is here and Mississippi State opens with a first true road games of the schedule at Kentucky. The Bulldogs are hot with a seven-win streak but the Wildcats may be even hotter. Bulldog offense has been the strong point with consistent power, though strikeouts are up of late and walks are down. State's rotation will remain the same another weekend and try to give good innings before handing the ball to a bullpen that has been erratic all season and needs more reliable defensive support against SEC swingers. A turnaround season for Bulldog basketball ended on a missed tip attempt in the first NCAA Tournament round. But the first year for Coach Chris Jans is a success by any measure. This may be even more so for Coach Sam Purcell's Lady Bulldogs as they whipped Illinois in the NCAA play-in round and advance to the full field of 64 Friday.

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Chris Jans' Bulldogs received the NCAA Tournament berth they deserved and face Pitt in Tuesday's play-in game of #11 seeds in Dayton. An overtime win over Florida in the SEC Tournament was enough for a return to the big dance for the first time since 2019. It looks like a winnable matchup for Mississippi State in Dayton, too. Maybe an even greater feat was scored by Sam Purcell's Lady Bulldogs by also earning a play-in round berth. A program that has been in flux and often chaos for three years came together for a well-won NCAA bid. Meanwhile Bulldog baseball battered Lipscomb with power and average, and got good enough starting pitching to score a much-needed sweep. But two games in Biloxi and a weekend trip to chilly Kentucky will be the real measure of how Chris Lemonis' club is gelling, and more to point pitching.

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Mississippi State heads home from the SEC Tournament having done the necessary business of a 21st win to solidify NCAA Tournament selection. Center Tolu Smith is both All-SEC and the Mississippi collegiate Player of the Year. The Bulldogs will find out Sunday if they play the Tuesday pre-tourney round of 68, or advance directly to the field of 64. Spring football began for first-year Coach Zach Arnett and staff and while a new coaching regime always has a team working harder this Bulldog spring roster has some extra pep in their steps. Arnett and offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay have scripted a daily regimen that keeps everyone working and getting some sort of rep all the working day and without wasting time. It was just a two-day opening week and the Bulldogs won't practice again until March 21 after the spring break interruption.

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After changing the starting rotation last weekend, Mississippi State is doing it again for the Frisco, Texas, showcase series, and for the Friday night lead Dog role no less. Pitching has thrown plenty of strikeouts but not enough total strikes on the early season. When they do, defensive lapses make it moot. But a new rotation should keep more batters off bases, and struggling Dog defenders are carrying more than their weight at the plate. The order is led by three first-year State players in average, power, and RBI. Meanwhile the 20-win basketball Bulldogs need to beat Vanderbilt to finish .500 SEC, which may be enough for a NCAA Tournament bid. But a loss Saturday evening would mean State goes back to Nashville next week needing some SEC Tournament wins, and from a low seeding position at that.

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Sam Purcell is the first Lady Bulldog coach to score 20 wins in his debut season, and now the NCAA Tournament is in reach for his team as the regular schedule ends Sunday. Meanwhile Mississippi State has a quad one win opportunity with Texas A&M coming to Humphrey Coliseum. The 10th-place Bulldogs need at least two more SEC wins down the stretch to avoid a first-day game at the league tournament. Tolu Smith is carrying the club in the paint, now if Shakeel Moore and others put in some outside scoring State can get on the right side of that NCAA bubble. Smith is a finalist for and should come away with the Bailey Howell Trophy for best player in Mississippi this winter.

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The bats were out in force for Mississippi State's opening weekend and portal players led the way with consistency, power, and even aggression on the basepaths. But free bases from pitching and defensive breakdowns kept the Diamond Dogs from sweeping the series, and raise questions for the lineup and rotation. Meanwhile an overtime win give Bulldog basketball a season sweep of Ole Miss and more to point keeps their path to the post-season open. But State needs to climb in the league standings in these final two weeks of the regular schedule for NCAA Tourney status and SEC seedings.

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The 2023 Diamond Dog season is finally begun and opening weekend opened well with a win over VMI. Besides a few defensive lapses, Mississippi State was efficient at the plate and on the mound. Chris Lemonis put two of his transfers at the top of the order and both delivered, as did another in a relief pitching role to get the win. It's a transitional season as Lemonis and staff mix veterans, transfers, new faces and a talented redshirt or two. The basketball Bulldogs can't let a midweek home loss linger as they go to rival Ole Miss playing to sweep the season series and keep their NCAA Tournament hopes trending in the right direction. And, a spring football schedule is ready and waiting for Zach Arnett's first full season.

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