No. 11 Mississippi State baseball begins its 126th season this weekend with four games at Dudy Noble Field. The Bulldogs play FAU Friday at 4:30 p.m. CT, followed by a doubleheader against South Dakota State (12 p.m.) and the Owls (3:30 p.m.) Saturday. MSU wraps up the weekend with a 3:30 p.m. first pitch against the SDSU Jackrabbits Sunday.

VIDEO: John Cohen Previews the 2016 Season

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Friday, Feb. 19, 2016

G1 - 12 p.m. - FAU vs. South Dakota State

G2 - 4:30 p.m. - FAU vs. Mississippi State

Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016

G3 - 12 p.m. - South Dakota State vs. Mississippi State

G4 - 3:30 p.m. - FAU vs. Mississippi State

Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016

G5 - 10:30 a.m. - South Dakota State vs. FAU

G6 - 3:30 p.m. - South Dakota State vs. Mississippi State

*Home Team Listed Second

The Bulldogs are 2-0 all-time against FAU, with both games occuring at the 2005 NCAA Coral Gables Regional in Miami. State beat the Owls by a score of 13-2 in game one of the Regional, before ending their season one day later by a score of 8-4. The Diamond Dawgs have never played South Dakota State.

Game Notes | Live Stats

Rankings

Mississippi State – 11th by Collegiate Baseball, 15th by D1Baseball, 17th by Perfect Game and the USA Today Coaches Poll, 19th by NCBWA and 20th by Baseball America

FAU – Not Ranked

South Dakota State – Not Ranked



Need To Know

Mississippi State begins its 126th season of baseball this weekend.

The Bulldogs are 80-43-2 all-time in season openers.

John Cohen 's club was given the Most Valuable Program Award by the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball last month for having the best summer of any college program in America.

's club was given the Most Valuable Program Award by the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball last month for having the best summer of any college program in America. Cohen sent a school-record eight players to the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League.

MSU's 13 returning hitters this past summer hit .316, while its nine returning pitchers recorded a 2.13 ERA in 292 innings with 251 strikeouts and a 1.15 WHIP.

Junior right-hander Dakota Hudson was named a preseason All-American by D1Baseball and Perfect Game.

was named a preseason All-American by D1Baseball and Perfect Game. State owns the fourth-highest fielding percentage (.979) in the nation over the past two seasons.

Pitching coach Wes Johnson makes his MSU debut this weekend after spending the previous four seasons at Dallas Baptist.

makes his MSU debut this weekend after spending the previous four seasons at Dallas Baptist. Since 2012, the Diamond Dawgs rank first nationally in double plays (264) and ninth in strikeouts (2,032).

MSU's returning pitchers are 12-4 (.750) all-time in non-conference games and own a 15-6 (.714) mark all-time at Dudy Noble Field.

Forecast

Friday Forecast: High 73, Low 52 - Sunny - 0% Chance of Rain

Saturday Forecast: High 70, Low 55 - Cloudy - 10% Chance of Rain

Sunday Forecast: High 69, Low 54 – Evening Showers - 40% Chance of Rain

Live Video and Television

All four of MSU's games this weekend will be streamed live on SEC Network + via the WatchESPN app.

Watch Friday's Game | Watch Saturday's Game One

Watch Saturday's Game Two | Watch Sunday's Game

Live Audio and Radio

Opening Day will air live on the Mississippi State Baseball Radio Network. The other three games will air only on WKBB 100.9 in the Starkville area. All four games will also be audio streamed live online at HailState.com/Plus (requires subscription).

Probable Starters

Friday – G1 – SDSU RHP Ryan Froom vs. FAU RHP David McKay

Friday – G2 – FAU LHP Brandon Rhodes vs. MSU RHP Dakota Hudson

Saturday – G3 – SDSU LHP Landon Busch vs. MSU LHP Daniel Brown –OR– RHP Austin Sexton

Saturday – G4 – FAU RHP Marc Stewart vs. MSU LHP Daniel Brown –OR– RHP Austin Sexton

Sunday – G5 – FAU TBA vs. SDSU RHP Andrew Clemen

Sunday – G6 – SDSU TBA vs. MSU TBA

Tickets

Tickets are still available and can be purchased at HailState.com/tickets or at the MSU ticket office behind home plate, which opens two hours before first pitch every game.

Special Note: Sunday's gates will open at 9:30 a.m.

Promotions

Friday – The first 2,000 fans receive a free M-over-S baseball decail. Former MSU All-American Jonathan Holder will throw out the first pitch.

Saturday – Former MSU pitcher and current Oakland Athletics prospect Ben Bracewell will throw out the first pitch. Bully's Kids' Club members and MSU students get in free with ID.

Sunday – “Kids' Day at the Park” featuring inflatables and kids running the bases postgame. Bully's Kids' Club members and MSU students get in free with ID.

Fans can also visit HailState.com/memories for incredible fan experiences such as:

Leading 7 th Inning Stretch ($10)

Inning Stretch ($10) Announce the Batters ($10)

Diamond Girl for a Day ($50)

Hall of Champions Tour ($5)

Play Ball Kid ($5)

Visit the Dugout ($20)

Deliver the Rosin Bag to Pitcher ($15)

Second Base Delivery ($5)

Social Media

For more information on head coach John Cohen's club, follow the team on Twitter, like them on Facebook and join them on Instagram by searching for “HailStateBB.” You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for “HailStateSnap.”