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Jay Johnson and the LSU Tigers will take the field at Dudy Noble on Friday afternoon for Game 1 against the Mississippi State Bulldogs with the program eyeing a bounce back win in SEC play.

After suffering back-to-back sweeps against Southeastern Conference opponents, Johnson and Co. will not hit the road to Starkville against one of the top programs in America.

“Mississippi State is loaded with talent, and their stadium is one of my favorite environments to play in. It will be a good battle; we’re all in the thick of this race, and everybody is competing for something in SEC play. We’re going to have to go in there and fight. It’s an opportunity, and we’re looking forward to this weekend.”

LSU and Mississippi State will have an adjusted start time on Friday due to inclement weather expected in the area.

The New Start Time: Friday, April 24 at 3 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)
Stadium: Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Miss. (15,000)
Radio: LSU Sports Radio Network affiliates. Live audio at www.LSUsports.net/live; Live stats at www.LSUstats.com
Rankings: MSU – No. 11 (USA Today); No. 13 (Baseball America); No. 15 (D1 Baseball)

The Scouting Report: Mississippi State Edition

• Mississippi State is 31-10 overall, and the Bulldogs are in a five-way tie for fourth place in the SEC standings with a 10-8 conference mark … Mississippi State enters Friday’s game riding a five-game win streak, which includes a 6-2 win over Memphis on Tuesday night and an SEC sweep at South Carolina last weekend.

• The Bulldogs are No. 2 in the SEC with a .316 team batting average, and they have produced 96 doubles, four triples, 68 home runs and 48 steals in 63 attempts … outfielder Bryce Chance is hitting .364 with 14 doubles and 20 RBI, INF/OF Gehrig Frei is hitting .331 with nine doubles, two triples and seven homers, and infielder Ace Reese is batting .312 with team highs of 17 doubles, 12 homers and 47 RBI.

• The Mississippi State pitching staff is No. 3 in the SEC with a 3.42 ERA, and the Bulldogs have recorded 467 strikeouts in 353 innings while allowing 35 home runs.

This article first appeared on LSU Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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