The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
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Mississippi State
UAB Travels to Starkville for Showdown with Ninth Ranked Bulldogs
4/6/2026 7:20:00 PM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM – UAB Baseball carries a 9-game win streak to Starkville, MS as the Blazers take on No. 9 Mississippi State in a midweek matchup.
Who: UAB (22-10, 7-2 - American) at No. 9 Mississippi State (25-7, 7-5 - SEC)
Where: Dudy Noble Field – Starkville, Mississippi
Watch: SEC Network+
On The Call: Bart Gregory (PxP), Charlie Winfield (Analyst)
Series: Mississippi State leads, 36-10
In Starkville: Mississippi State leads, 19-3
Last Meeting: April 8, 2025 (Mississippi State won, 8-3)
Last UAB Win: April 13, 2011 (UAB won, 6-4)
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Tuesday (6 p.m.)
Probable Starters
UAB: Justin Hicks (2-1, 5.49 ERA), RHP, Sophomore
Mississippi State: Chris Billingsley Jr. (1-0, 4.09 ERA), RHP, Junior
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Watch: ESPN+
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Despite coming into the matchup on a 3-game losing skid, Brian O'Connor's Mississippi State squad hung on to a top 10 ranking across all five major college baseball polls. All eight of MSU's qualifying hitters sit above a .300 batting average. Of those eight players, seven of them have a slugging percentage north of .500. Ryder Woodson (13) and Bryce Chance (12) rank second and third in the SEC respectively in doubles. Ace Reese is tied for fourth in the league with 40 RBI. On the pitching side, the Dawgs rank third with an ERA of 3.41 and have combined to throw five shutouts. The staff also boasts a strikeout total of 369 which ranks fourth in the SEC.
THINGS TO KNOW
- UAB's 9-game win streak is tied for the fifth longest in school history and the fourth longest active streak in D1 Baseball.
- In each of those nine games, Kevin Hall Jr. has picked up at least one hit. Hall is 14-for-35 (.400) in that stretch with six stolen bases, two home runs, and has driven in at least one run in eight of those nine games.
- The Blazers have scored first in 11 of the last 13 games.
- Aiding the recent success, the UAB pitching staff has allowed 4.77 runs over its last nine games. The staff has allowed four runs or fewer in six of the last nine games.
- UAB remains in the American Conference lead with 50 home runs as a team.
- Wesley Helms (19), Landon Beaver (15), Alex Dupuy (15), and Kevin Hall Jr. (10) all ride on-base streaks of 10 or more going into the matchup.
- Probable starting pitcher RHP Justin Hicks was named American Conference Pitcher of the Week on Monday. Hicks threw five scoreless innings against North Alabama on March 31 and capped off the weekend with two scoreless innings on Saturday at Florida Atlantic. Hicks struck out six across those seven innings and held opponents to a .125 batting average.
- The Green and Gold are searching for their first win in Starkville since April 3, 2001.
- Tuesday will be the fifth game UAB has played against a ranked opponent this season. The Blazers are 1-3 in those games (def. No. 13 Florida on Feb. 13).
FOLLOW THE BLAZERS
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