How ’bout them Bulldogs?
After winning back to back series against the Auburn Tigers and Ole Miss Rebels, Mississippi State University baseball is yet again trending upward at the right time. The pitching seems to be coming around, as Preston Johnson is trending towards a 100 strikeout season, and the bats are finding more consistency. 
Before the Auburn series, I was quite critical of this team and their ability to make it to the post-season. To paraphrase myself, I said if they wanted to make it to the postseason, they would have to show some signs of it sooner rather than later. 
Well, MSU baseball, consider the signs shown. However, let’s all reign in some expectations because MSU still has their work cut out for them. They’re still under .500 in conference play, and the schedule going forward is by no means a cakewalk.
MSU will travel to Columbia, Missouri, this weekend to face off against another set of Tigers. Mizzou hasn’t really impressed or depressed anybody this season, as they currently sit at 22-15 before a midweek tilt with Missouri State on Tuesday. MSU will also be in action on Tuesday, as they’ll face off against Ole Miss yet again for the rights to the Governor’s Cup. 
It’s after the Mizzou series, though, that the going toughens up again. MSU will play host to the Florida Gators, who will have then been two weeks removed from their recent shellacking against Tennessee (let’s be honest here, Tennessee is shellacking everyone at this point). 
Then, they’ll travel to College Station to face a scorching Texas A&M team. The Aggies are arguably the hottest team in college baseball right now, and if they can ride that wave for a few weeks, the Bulldogs might be in trouble far away from home. 
I say all this to reach this point. Yes, the Diamond Dawgs are on a roll. However, they’ve got a series win against a good Auburn team, but other than that, they managed to take a road series against their rival who happened to be right there with them at the bottom of the SEC West standings. They’re still under .500 in conference play and have plenty of work to do. 
This team is looking better, that’s a fact. Before people set the expectations through the roof again, though, Bulldog fans need to take a look at the road ahead. The boys have given themselves a chance, now it’s up to them to decide what they do with it.