Why there's no sugarcoating importance of Ole Miss series for Mississippi State baseball
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball coach Chris Lemonis earned his 300th career victory in last week’s series at Alabama, leading to a congratulatory graphic from the Bulldogs' social media accounts. The milestone was met with joy from some fans, but not all.
Plenty of fans expressed their displeasure in the replies and comments, suggesting win No. 300 should have come a while ago and that Lemonis should be fired. Back-to-back underwhelming seasons off a national championship have the maroon and white faithful building pressure on the coaching staff, even in victory.
Some of that weight was lifted with the result against Alabama – the Bulldogs' first SEC series win in nearly a year. However, the schedule offers little relief. The temperature only builds this week with Ole Miss (18-13, 2-10 SEC) coming to Starkville for Super Bulldog Weekend.
“It’s a big deal at these programs,” Lemonis said. “To act like these series aren’t big, you’d be fooling yourself. It should be a fun weekend.”
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To call it a must-win series in mid-April may be overzealous, but every weekend has felt that way for the better part of a month. This series is massive for the rivalry and for postseason implications.
If you believe MSU's woeful pitching eliminates any reason to look ahead to June, few will disagree. However, Mississippi State (19-14, 3-9 SEC) is No. 30 in the RPI. The Rebels (18-13, 2-10) were just inside the top 50 when they earned the last spot in the NCAA Tournament last season, and that led to a national title run.
At this point last year, Ole Miss was 19-12 and 4-8 in SEC play. To say a run to Omaha is unlikely is fair, but to say MSU’s season is done isn’t. It only adds to the importance of beating Ole Miss.
“Everybody is very excited for Ole Miss weekend,” freshman outfielder Dakota Jordan said Saturday. They should be considering the road ahead.
Mississippi State’s schedule beyond this weekend features trips to No. 1 LSU and No. 8 Tennessee along with a home series against No. 5 Arkansas.
Relative to the rivalry, a huge weekend looms in Starkville. Legendary baseball coach Ron Polk will have his statue unveiled prior to Friday’s series opener. Saturday, the football team will host its spring game.
Big crowds are expected if the weather cooperates, meaning plenty will be watching as Mississippi State looks for its seven straight series win in the rivalry. MSU hasn’t dropped a series to Ole Miss since 2015. Even in last season’s magic for the Rebels, they couldn’t take two at home against the Bulldogs.
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss series pivotal for Mississippi State baseball, Chris Lemonis
