Opinion: What is the Path for Mississippi State Baseball to Host? 

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State baseball finally broke through this past weekend with a crucial series win at No. 11 Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs had struggled all year on the road and blundered a series win at Florida and Ole Miss due to their inability to close out games. 

It left a bitter taste for fans because while the team was on pace to make postseason play, they would have been in the driver's seat to host if they had just handled their business. Hosting a regional and super-regional, whether fairly or unfairly, is the expectation every year in Starkville. 

After Mississippi State swept Auburn, there were faint whispers about this team's ability to play its way into hosting contention, but it hinged on the trip to Nashville. While the matchup has lost some of its luster since 2021, as both programs have taken a recent step back, especially the Bulldogs, there's still a rivalry with the talented Commodores. 

From 2016 to 2021, one could argue that these were the top two programs in the SEC, and every time they clashed, it seemed like an instant classic. This past weekend was no exception as it was a wild weekend at Hawkins Field, and the Bulldogs prevailed victorious, and now something that three months ago seemed impossible; there is a path for postseason play to be back at “The Dude.” 

Granted, inexcusable losses to Austin Peay, Air Force, and Central Arkansas have made the path much more challenging; however, a lot of other programs have similar losses. The No 16 Bulldogs (29-15 overall, 12-9) have a reasonable road, especially if they can avoid any more setbacks. 

Typically, 17 SEC wins are good enough to host a regional; Last year, Alabama hosted after posting a 16-14 conference record.

What is the best path? 

The Bulldogs have three SEC series remaining. They host No. 23 Alabama and Missouri and travel to No. 2 Arkansas.

The three games against the Crimson Tide this weekend could be crucial. Alabama (9-12) is coming off a series win against Ole Miss after back-to-back weekends against teams ranked No. 1 and held its own at .500. over the six games. 

However, the Bulldogs have had Alabama's number as they have taken the last four series.

Missouri is one of the worst teams in the SEC, ahead of only Auburn, with a 6-15 conference record. Normally, a sweep seems within reason, but in this case, that low status could actually be a problem on the final weekend of the regular season. Only 12 teams qualify for the SEC Tournament, and chances are that the Tigers will be playing for their lives. 

Of course, MSU has not lost a series at home all year, and State swept Auburn. 

Five wins between those two opponents would get Mississippi State to five. In between will be the road trip to Fayetteville. The Razorbacks have had MSU’s number recently, as they have taken the last four series. 

Khal Stephen and Jurrangelo Cijntje give the Bulldogs a shot in every game they pitch, so taking a game from the Razorbacks could happen. The path to a host is to handle the two home series, which could be enough for a hosting spot, and any win at Arkansas is just a bonus.

Credit to the Mississippi State staff and players for continuing to fight after they looked buried a few times this year. They are playing their best baseball at the perfect time; can they ride this momentum into a top-16 national seed? That and SEC tournament seeding will be on the line during these final three weekends.