Preview: No. 4 Mississippi State Opening Weekend Series vs. Hofstra

Originally posted on Mississippi State Bulldogs on SI
By Taylor Hodges | Last updated Feb 13, 2026 2:00 PM ET

Opening day for one of the most anticipated Mississippi State baseball seasons has arrived.

No. 4 Mississippi State will begin the 2026 season Friday against Hofstra with the highest of expectations.

Mississippi State hired Brian O’Connor after two decades at Virginia with one simple goal: Omaha or bust.

The Bulldogs, on paper, are certainly capable of achieving that goal. O’Connor brought in the No. 2-rated transfer portal class and one of the best high school classes, including the highest rated high schooler to make it to a college campus in Jack Bauer.

Mississippi State won’t rely entirely on newcomers, though. The Bulldogs have their top five bats back from a team that set a single-season record for home runs (103) last year. Mississippi State hit .304 as a team in 2025 and five batting .317 or better.

First team All-Americans Ace Reese and Noah Sullivan return in the heart of the order. Reese, the 2025 SEC Newcomer of the Year, led the team batting .352 with 80 hits, 18 doubles, 21 homers, 66 RBIs, 163 total bases and a .718 slugging percentage. The now junior third baseman finished in the top seven in the SEC in each of those categories.

Sullivan is the lone Bulldog to start all 59 games last season. He was third in the SEC with a .475 on-base percentage while also hitting .345 with 70 knocks, 16 doubles, 15 homers and 46 RBIs.

All of that is why the Bulldogs begin the season ranked in the top five of every preseason top 25 poll and were one of the teams SEC coaches voted as conference champions.

But that’s on paper. Now, we get to see if that translates to a successful season on the field.

Here’s everything to know about the opening weekend series against Hofstra.

Weather Report

Mississippi State fans planning to see the debut of the No. 4 Bulldogs should have an enjoyable time at Dudy Noble Field. The forecast for Friday afternoon in Starkville has temperatures in the upper 60s and only a slight wind blowing out towards right field.

Here’s the official weather forecast from the National Weather Service:

Day: Sunny, with a high near 67. East southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon.
Night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 45. Calm wind.