SCHEDULED GAME TIME Friday, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Miss.
RECORDS Arkansas 16-3, 2-1 SEC; Mississippi State 17-4, 2-1 SEC
LAST 10 Arkansas 7-3; Mississippi State 9-1
STREAK Arkansas won 4; Mississippi State won 1
RANKINGS Arkansas 2; Mississippi State 4
COACHES Arkansas: Dave Van Horn - 716-392 in 19th season at Arkansas and 1,036-551 in 27th season overall in Division I; Mississippi State: Chris Lemonis - 81-23 in third season at Mississippi State and 222-114-2 in seventh season overall.
SERIES Mississippi State leads 56-46
LAST MEETING Arkansas defeated Mississippi State 10-2 on April 20, 2019, in Fayetteville to complete a three-game sweep.
RADIO Razorback Sports Network can be accessed through local FM and AM affiliates, via the Arkansas Razorbacks Gameday app, via the TuneIn app or on ArkansasRazorbacks.com. Blackouts may apply.
TELEVISION The game will be streamed by SEC Network-Plus and can be accessed via WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app (carrier login required).
ANNOUNCERS Bart Gregory (play-by-play) and Charlie Winfield (analyst)
PITCHING MATCHUP Arkansas LHP Patrick Wicklander (0-0, 2.51 ERA in 14 1/3 innings) vs. Mississippi State LHP Christian MacLeod (2-1, 1.74 ERA in 20 2/3 innings)
FORECAST According to the National Weather Service, Friday will be sunny with a high of 74 degrees and a low of 58 degrees in Starkville, Miss. There is a 40% chance of showers, mainly after midnight.
TEAM COMPARISON
ERA: Arkansas 3.80; Mississippi State 2.30
Earned Runs Per Game: Arkansas 7.44; Mississippi State 6.83
Batting Average: Arkansas .279; Mississippi State .274
Opponent Batting Average: Arkansas .203; Mississippi State .176
Slugging Percentage: Arkansas .486; Mississippi State .409
On-Base Percentage: Arkansas .397; Mississippi State .387
Fielding Percentage: Arkansas .984; Mississippi State .972
Strength of Schedule: Arkansas 1; Mississippi State 41
NOTABLE The home team has swept the road team each time these teams have played since 2016, including 2018 when the then-No. 3 Razorbacks lost in Starkville, and 2019 when the then-No. 2 Bulldogs lost in Fayetteville....Arkansas has not won a series at Dudy Noble Field since 2012....The state of Mississippi has lifted all covid-19 health directives, but a capacity cap and mask mandate is still in place for games in Starkville. A crowd of around 8,000 is expected for the Arkansas games. The listed capacity at Dudy Noble Field is 13,000....The Razorbacks won the final two games of their series against Alabama last week to win the series....Mississippi State won its first two games over LSU last week before losing in the series finale....The Bulldogs defeated North Alabama 18-1 on Wednesday in Starkville....Arkansas RHP Peyton Pallette will throw out of the bullpen this weekend. Pallette has made five starts in the previous five weekends....Arkansas left fielder Braydon Webb has reached base in 10 of his last 12 plate appearances. Webb is batting .114 but has an on-base percentage of .404 in 15 games.
CORRECTION: Christian MacLeod was scheduled to start for Mississippi State on Friday. The starting pitcher was incorrectly listed in an earlier version.