The Commercial Dispatch

June 5, 2007

MSU hosts Super Regional for first time
By Henry Matuszak

STARKVILLE -- In its rich baseball history, Mississippi State has hosted 11 NCAA regional tournaments and won eight regional championships.

But Mississippi State will do something this weekend it's never done before when it hosts an NCAA Super Regional at Dudy Noble Field.

Mississippi State was awarded a Super Regional on Monday night and will host Clemson on Friday and Saturday with a third game Sunday if necessary.

“Up until the last several years we hosted 11 or 12 regionals and so it's not like we're innocent here,” Mississippi State coach Ron Polk said this morning of hosting the Super Regional. “We've got people who know what they're doing (hosting a regional). It's a little easier than having three teams come in here (like in a regional).”

Game times for the Super Regional have not been announced.

It will be the third time for Mississippi State to play in a Super Regional. The Bulldogs lost in two games at Clemson in 2000 and at Cal State Fullerton in 2001.

Mississippi State and Clemson advanced to the Super Regional by winning regionals. The Bulldogs beat Florida State 9-4 in the Tallahassee Regional on Sunday, while the Tigers defeated Coastal Carolina 15-3 in the Myrtle Beach Regional on Monday.

Mississippi State and Clemson were both No. 2 seeds that beat top-seeded teams to win the regionals.

Because both teams were No. 2 seeds, the NCAA had to determine which team would host the Super Regional and awarded Mississippi State.

“We were prepared to go to Clemson,” Polk said. “Our kids would have gotten on the bus and we would have gone over there and played.”

Mississippi State has played just three of its last 13 games at home with the lone home games being a three-game series against Alabama. The Bulldogs played at Austin Peay and Georgia before hosting Alabama and have seen been on the road for the Southeastern Conference Tournament in Hoover, Ala., and the Tallahassee Regional.

Mississippi State is 36-20 after sweeping the Tallahassee Regional in three games, while Clemson is 41-21.

“Clemson's got a good ballclub,” Polk said. “They're well coached. (Clemson coach) Jack Leggett is a good friend of mine.

“We're going to have to play well against a fine Clemson ballclub. We've got to play well, pitch well and get timely hits and make the plays in the field.”

Mississippi State is 0-4 against Clemson in the postseason, losing 10-9 in the 1991 Northeasst Regional at Orono, Maine, 11-4 and 9-4 in the 2000 Clemson Super Regional and 8-6 in the 2006 Clemson Regional.

Mississippi State is 3-8 against Clemson overall.

The Bulldogs had lost eight of 10 games before beating Stetson 6-3 and Florida State 3-0 and 9-4 in the Tallahassee Regional.

“We played well against a very good Florida State team,” Polk said. “What I hope we take from there is that it lets us know that we can play with anybody.”

The winner of the Super Regional will advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

Mississippi State is bidding to advance to the College World Series for the eighth time. The Bulldogs made it to Omaha in 1971, 1979, 1981, 1985, 1990, 1997 and 1998. Polk coached all but the 1971 and 1998 teams to the CWS.