Mississippi State earns NCAA Regional bid, facing first-time opponent in Tallahassee

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State is back in the NCAA Tournament, earning a three-seed in the Tallahassee Regional hosted by Florida State.

But they will be playing an opponent the Bulldogs have never faced before in No. 2-seed Northeastern from Boston.

State and the Huskies will be joined by No. 9 overall seed FSU and four-seed Bethune Cookman.

This is the 41st NCAA Tournament appearance for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs have played in Tallahassee five times, notching Regional Championship wins in 2007 and 2018—both years that ended with trips to Omaha for the College World Series.

Mississippi State holds a 7-4 all-time postseason record against Florida State.

The 2025 season has been a rollercoaster for the Bulldogs.

After starting SEC play with a dismal 1-9 record — the worst start in school history — Mississippi State rallied to win 14 of their final 20 conference games, finishing at .500 in league play.

The Bulldogs closed the regular season by taking five of their last six series, including sweeps over Kentucky and Missouri and a series win over regional host Ole Miss.

The late-season surge came after a major coaching change. Athletics director Zac Selmon relieved Chris Lemonis of his duties following a series loss at Auburn.

Interim coach Justin Parker, along with assistants Jake Gautreau and Kyle Cheesebrough, guided the team to a 9-2 finish over the last 11 games, entering the postseason with momentum.

“This group never quit," Parker said. "They responded to every challenge, and I couldn’t be prouder of how they’ve battled back.”

Mississippi State enters the regional with a 34-21 record. They lost to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament.

History suggests that SEC Tournament performance is not always indicative of NCAA success. The Bulldogs have previously advanced deep into the postseason after early exits in Hoover, including three College World Series appearances under similar circumstances.

The Tallahassee Regional will be held from May 30 to June 2, with the winner advancing to the Super Regionals and a potential path to Omaha.

Florida State, the host, is making its 37th appearance as a regional site, the most in NCAA history.

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