Showdown at Blair: No. 25 Dirtbags vs. No. 6 Mississippi State

Friday, February 28
Long Beach State vs. No. 6 Mississippi State
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Bohl Diamond at Blair Field
Watch: Beach Vision | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats

Saturday, February 29
Long Beach State vs. No. 6 Mississippi State
Time: 3 p.m.
Location: Bohl Diamond at Blair Field
Watch: Beach Vision | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats

Sunday, March 1
Long Beach State vs. No. 6 Mississippi State
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Bohl Diamond at Blair Field
Watch: Beach Vision | Listen: 22 West Radio | Live Stats

LAST TIME OUT
•   The Dirtbags made a statement last weekend with a sweep of No. 17 Wake Forest, earning the program's first ever sweep of an ACC opponent. LBSU limited the high-powered Demon Deacons offense to just five runs on 12 hits in the series, holding them scoreless over the final 16 innings of the weekend.
•   During the team's four-game winning streak, LBSU is outscoring opponents 29-8, with an impressive 42-14 advantage in hits. The production has also been well balanced, with 13 different players scoring runs and 10 different players recording an RBI in that span.
•   Sophomore Leonard Jones has found his groove at the plate, going 6-for-15 (.400) at the plate in the last four games with six RBIs. Against San Diego on Tuesday he had three RBIs, including an impressive two-run, opposite field home run to put LBSU up 3-0 in the second inning.
•   LBSU entered the national rankings in multiple polls this week, checking in at No. 25 in the Collegiate Baseball and D1Baseball rankings. It's the first national ranking for the Dirtbags since ending the 2017 season ranked No. 8 by Baseball America.

ROTATION MARKS
•   The Dirtbags pitching staff has been terrific so far this season, posting a team ERA of just 1.66 this season. That number is best in the Big West and ranks No. 13 in the nation. Long Beach State also ranks eighth in the nation in WHIP (0.89) and ninth in shutouts (2) so far this season.
•   The entire weekend rotation has had standout performances already in 2020. Adam Seminaris tossed six shutout innings with 11 strikeouts on Opening Night, and that set the tone for the rest of the season. Alfredo Ruiz followed that up with seven scoreless frames and 10 strikeouts while allowing just two hits against Cal to earn NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week honors in week one.
•   Not to be outdone, freshman Luis Ramirez was impressive against No. 17 Wake Forest last weekend, retiring the final 17 batters he faced, while striking out 12 batters in 7.0 innings. He became the first Dirtbags freshman to strike out 12 in a game since Jered Weaver in 2002.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
•   Mississippi State is a consensus Top 10 team in the nation, coming off consecutive College World Series appearances. After winning their first five games of the season, the Bulldogs dropped the series finale to Oregon State (7-2) and suffered a stunning midweek loss to previously winless Texas Southern, 8-4, on Tuesday. This weekend's series will be MSU's first action outside of Starkville so far this season.
•   The offense is led by Preseason First Team All-SEC selection Justin Foscue at 2B. He leads the team with a .423 average and 13 RBIs on the year. Second Team Preseason All-SEC selections include 1B Josh Hatcher (.214), SS Jordan Westburg (.393), OF Rowdey Jordan (.273), and DH Tanner Allen (.286).
•   The Bulldogs' powerful pitching staff has racked up 104 K's in 72.0 IP this year, led by 18 strikeouts in just 10 innings from Saturday starter Christian MacLeod.
•   Long Beach State won its only previous meeting with Mississippi State, a 2-1 victory in the 1993 East Regional in Tallahassee, Fla. The Dirtbags went on to the College World Series that season.

LB IN MLB
•   Long Beach State had more former players in the big leagues than any other college or university from 2010-17, with 12 MLB representatives in 2019, again placing the Dirtbags among the nation's leaders.
•   Jeff McNeil was named a 2019 NL All-Star, representing the New York Mets in the Midsummer Classic. His All-Star Game debut was the 20th All-Star appearance by a former Dirtbag, and the fourth in the last five seasons by four different players. There has been at least one former Dirtbag in 11 of the last 12 All-Star Games, with a combined 14 ASG selections since 2008.

Calendar

Showdown at Blair: No. 25 Dirtbags vs. No. 6 Mississippi State

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Players Mentioned

Leonard Jones

Luis Ramirez

Alfredo Ruiz

Adam Seminaris

Long Beach State University Athletics