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SEC baseball: Best games to watch this weekend

By Justin Strawn

OMAHA, NE - JUNE 16: Mississippi State's Luke Alexander (7) (wearing gloves) hit a walk-off single against Washington during game 2 of the College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by John Peterson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE - JUNE 16: Mississippi State's Luke Alexander (7) (wearing gloves) hit a walk-off single against Washington during game 2 of the College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by John Peterson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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OMAHA, NE – JUNE 16: Mississippi State’s Jake Mangum (15) and Mississippi State’s Elijah MacNamee (40) fist bump while running back to the dugout in the game against Washington during game 2 of the College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by John Peterson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE – JUNE 16: Mississippi State’s Jake Mangum (15) and Mississippi State’s Elijah MacNamee (40) fist bump while running back to the dugout in the game against Washington during game 2 of the College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by John Peterson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

1. No. 17 LSU Tigers at (2) Mississippi State Bulldogs

Why it’s important

The LSU Tigers will travel to Starkville looking to prove a point. The Tigers have plenty of talent, but they have yet to perform well against the best teams on their schedule. The Tigers have a solid 17-8 record but are 1-5 against the only two ranked teams they have played this season.

One of the biggest problems the Tigers have is the number of hitters they walk. In 219 innings pitched, LSU has walked 114 hitters. That is slightly more than one every other inning. Giving up free passes to the best offensive team in the SEC would be a disaster for LSU this weekend.

Mississippi State wants to exorcise some demons against LSU. The Bulldogs might be playing better baseball right now, but the last decade has not been too kind to Mississippi State when they have played LSU. Since 2010, the Bulldogs have only won one SEC baseball series against the LSU Tigers.

If they are going to reverse that trend, the Bulldogs will need Ethan Small and J.T. Ginn to be the outstanding pitchers they have been all season. Hitters are hitting under .190 against both pitchers, and neither walks very many hitters. The two have walked just 12 batters in 74 innings pitched combined.

Prediction

Mississippi State is playing much better baseball right now, and there is no reason to believe that should change this weekend. The Bulldogs should take at least two games of the series, and I would not rule out the possibility of a sweep if the Bulldogs take the first two.

Next. SEC Baseball Power Rankings. dark