Source: MSU Media Relations

04/21/04
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University has signed pitching standout Paul Faulkenberry of Bastrop, La., to a national letter of intent in baseball, MSU baseball coach Ron Polk announced Tuesday.

Faulkenberry is a 6-5, 210-pound left-handed pitcher at Prairie View Academy in Bastrop, La., where he is in his fifth season of varsity competition for coaches Don King and Michael Hinton. Faulkenberry compiled an 8-1 record with a team-leading 1.21 earned run average as a junior in helping lead the PVA Spartans to the 2003 MPSA class 2A state championship. A four-year all-district performer, he registered 125 strikeouts in 86 innings. He also led his team with six home runs and 36 RBI and was ranked by Baseball America as the top junior prospect in Louisiana.

With his senior campaign under way, the MSU signee has established school records for career wins and strikeouts in five varsity seasons.

"We are all certainly pleased to have Paul Faulkenberry joining our baseball program this coming fall after such a great career as a pitcher for his Prairie View Academy baseball team," said Polk. "He is an outstanding student-athlete and will make a great addition to our baseball program."

Faulkenberry fashioned a 9-1 record with 102 strikeouts and a 1.31 earned run average en route to earning district and team MVP honors his sophomore season.

"I am honored to be a Mississippi State Bulldog, and I am looking forward to playing baseball for Coach Polk and the MSU staff," said Faulkenberry. "The opportunity to play for a great team and a great school is a dream come true for me. I could not be more proud."

Faulkenberry also lettered four seasons in basketball, earning all-district honors in 2001 and 2004 and starting on three district championship teams. He is also a four-time member of the National Honor Society.

The MSU signee is the son of Dennis and Cheryl Faulkenberry of Bastrop, La.

Source: MSU Media Relations

04/14/04
JACKSON, Miss. -- Seventh-ranked Mississippi (27-6) scored seven times in the final three innings Tuesday night to post a 10-4 win over Mississippi State (21-12) in the 25th annual Entergy/Mayor's Trophy Game.

Brian Pettway and Barry Gunther turned in two-hit, two-RBI performances for the Rebels, who notched their third straight win in the neutral site series and their third win in four meetings with the Bulldogs this season.

Junior right-hander Todd Doolittle, making his first career start for State, was tagged for four runs in the third inning when Mississippi took the lead. Eight Rebels came to plate in the inning, with Gunther and Stephen Head belting doubles in the frame.

State battled back, scoring a run on three hits off UM starter Brae Wright in both the fourth and fifth innings and taking the lead with a pair of runs in the sixth. Joseph Hunter, who led all hitters with a 3-for-4 plate performance, delivered a clutch two-out single to right and when Seth Smith's throw to the plate caromed into the MSU dugout, Tyler Scarbrough raced home with State's fourth run.

The Bulldog bullpen was unable to protect the lead.

Eight Rebels went to the plate and collected five hits, scoring a run off Josh Johnson and two more off relief ace Saunders Ramsey (4-1). Charlie Babineaux's sacrifice fly to center field scored Stephen head with the go-ahead run.

The late-game surge continued in the eighth, when Jamie Gant, during a season-first one-inning relief stint, gave up a triple to Cooper Osteen and an RBI single up the middle by Matt Tolbert.

UM used a pair of walks, two singles, and a fielding error to add three more insurance runs in the ninth off junior pitcher Eric Ebers.

Jeremy Zick (3-1), after replacing starter Wright and then giving up Hunter's RBI single to right, retired the next seven batters he faced, the last four via strikeouts, to earn the win. He finished with five of UM's nine strikeouts.

Ramsey was charged with two runs on four hits, recording just two outs during the crucial seventh inning and being tagged with his first loss of the campaign.

Brad Corley and Brad Jones had two hits each for State, who was out-hit 15-11. A fourth inning double by Tatum was the lone extra-base hit for the Bulldogs at Smith-Wills Stadium.

A sellout crowd of 5,287 braved chilly weather to watch the action.

Mississippi State resumes Southeastern Conference play at home this weekend, entertaining the 19th-ranked Florida Gators in a three-game series at Dudy Noble Field. Junior right-hander Alan Johnson (1-1, 6.32) is the scheduled starting MSU pitcher in Friday's 6:30 p.m. series-opener. Saturday's game starts at 3:06 p.m. and will be televised by FOX Sports Net South as the SEC-TV Game of the Week.

Source: MSU Media Relations

04/13/04
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State puts the finishing touches on a six-game road run Tuesday night when the Bulldogs (21-11) take on the No. 7 Mississippi Rebels (26-6) in the 25th annual Entergy/Mayor's Trophy game. First pitch at Smith-Wills Stadium is 6:30 p.m.

The Bulldogs own a 13-11 lead in the neutral site series, played at the home of the Jackson Senators of the Central Independent League.

Junior right-hander Todd Doolittle (2-0, 2.42) is slated to make his first career start in Tuesday night's game while UM will counter with sophomore lefty Brae Wright (5-1, 2.19). Doolittle, from Meridian, Miss., has earned wins in relief against UAB and Southern Miss.

Bulldog sophomore outfielder Brad Corley (.341) was was accorded player of the week honors by the Southeastern Conference and Collegiate Baseball magazine after turning in a career performance for the Bulldogs in this past weekend's Kentucky series. The Louisville, Ky., native cracked five home runs and drove in six runs to power the Bulldogs. Corley has hit eight of his team-leading and career-high 10 home runs in the past seven games.

Mississippi State resumes SEC competition at home this weekend, hosting Florida in a three-game Super Bulldog Weekend series. Friday's series opener begins at 6:30 p.m.

Source: MSU Media Relations

04/12/04 - MSU received a new commitment. Paul Faulkenberry, a 6-5, 210-pound lefthander who pitches for Prairie View Academy in Bastrop, Louisiana, has committed to MSU.

04/01/04 - MSU tried out the new videoboard/scoreboard last night after the ball game. What did it look like? The video quality is just as good as the jumbotron at Scott Field. You are really going to like what you see this weekend.