The Bulldogs usher in the Cohen era with a nine-game home stand,
beginning with the BankFirst Baseball Challenge Feb. 20-22. State
meets North Florida and Northern Illinois in the three-day, six-game
season-opening event at Dudy Noble Field. State plays 17 of its first 21
games on the home field.
"Our 2009 schedule has plenty of challenges --- more than half of
our games are against teams that played in the 2008 NCAA Tournament,"
said Cohen. "We’re looking forward to opening our season at Dudy Noble
Field with the BankFirst Baseball Challenge in February and we are
deeply appreciative of BankFirst’s sponsorship of the tournament."
The first road trip on the 2009 schedule is a four-game series at the
University of Hawaii, MSU’s fourth visit to Hawaii for baseball and
the first since 1989. "The trip to Hawaii is exciting for our
players and for our fans that will be making the trip to Honolulu," said
Cohen. "It also presents special challenges as we return to
Starkville to open our SEC schedule."
State plays 27 games against teams that played in the 2008 NCAA
Tournament, including home SEC opponents Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana
State, South Carolina and non-conference foe Southern Miss. MSU takes
to the road to face ’08 NCAA tourney entries Arkansas, Georgia, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. MSU opens its 30-game SEC schedule Mar. 13-15 hosting
South Carolina. The Bulldogs also entertain SEC Western Division rival
Auburn Apr. 3-5 in a three-game Super Bulldog Weekend series.
The Bulldogs are scheduled to make one appearance on the SEC’s game
of the week television series and are the designated home team for a
pair of games at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss. The May 9 State-Ole
Miss game is set for broadcast regionally by FOX Sports Net South from
Swayze Field in Oxford. State takes on Southern Miss Apr. 8 in Pearl and
returns to the home of the Mississippi Braves Apr. 14 to meet Ole Miss
in the third annual Governor’s Cup. "We’re looking forward to
playing at Trustmark Park twice in the coming season," said Cohen.
"It’s an opportunity for us to play in front of our great fan
base in the Jackson area."
Mississippi State hosts LSU May 14-16 in a Thursday-Friday-Saturday
series to close out its 2009 regular season schedule. The 2009 SEC
Baseball Tournament is scheduled May 20-24 in Regions Park in Hoover,
Ala., with the NCAA Tournament’s regional competition beginning May
28.
2009 MISSISSIPPI STATE BASEBALL SCHEDULE
Feb. 20-22 - North Florida/Northern Illinois (BankFirst Baseball
Challenge)
Feb. 24 - South Alabama
Feb. 25 - Mississippi Valley State
Feb. 27-28 - Nicholls State
Mar. 1 - Nicholls State
Mar. 5-8 - @ Hawaii
Mar. 11 - Valparaiso State (DH)
Mar. 13-15 - South Carolina
Mar. 17 - Southern Miss
Mar. 18 - UAB
Mar. 20-22 - @ Georgia
Mar. 24 - @ South Alabama
Mar. 25 - Memphis
Mar. 27-29 - @ Arkansas
Mar. 31 - Mississippi Valley State
Apr. 1 - @ Louisiana-Monroe
Apr. 3-5 - Auburn (Super Bulldog Weekend)
Apr. 7 - @ UAB
Apr. 8 - vs. Southern Miss (Pearl, Miss.)
Apr. 10-12 - @ Tennessee
Apr. 14 - vs. Mississippi (Governor's Cup @ Trustmark Park, Pearl, Miss.)
Apr. 17-19 - Kentucky
Apr. 21-22 - Middle Tennessee State
Apr. 24-26 - @ Vanderbilt
May 1-3 - Alabama
May 8-10 - @ Ole Miss (RSN-TV 5/9/09)
May 12 - @ Memphis (AutoZone Park)
May 14-16 - Louisiana State