Mississippi State University (6-3) traveled over 2000 miles on Wednesday to Eugene, Oregon to take on the University of Oregon Ducks (4-3) in MSU’s first three game series of the season.
This will also be the first time MSU has played on the road this season. Their previous two weekend series have been at home and both were four game weekends.
Head baseball coach Andy Cannizaro said on Tuesday that they are excited to travel out west.
“We are excited to get out there and go play, and kind of see what we are made off outside of Dudy Noble Field,” Cannizaro said. “It is going to be a great trip for us, outstanding competition, and we are really looking forward to the challenge in playing those guys.”
The biggest difference between a three game and four game series will be the pitching rotation and how Cannizaro manages his pitchers.
Cannizaro also said Konnor Pilkington would be the starting pitcher on Friday and Peyton Plumlee would be the starter on Saturday. He said they would decide after the first two games on who the Sunday starter would be and that it would come down to who they have used up to that point.
Graham Ashcraft, who has been the usual game three starter so far, could be the starter on Sunday, but Cannizaro said he may bring him out of the bullpen to finish a game on Friday and Saturday.  
Cannizaro indicated that the move had more to do with wanting to help MSU in the back end of games rather than demote Ashcraft. MSU has struggled late in games the last week, giving up 10 runs in the ninth inning to Morehead State and then gave up six runs in the ninth in a win over Indiana State last Friday.
 “Him [Ashcraft] not starting on Saturday and Sunday has zero indication on what he has done,” Cannizaro said. “It is more of promotion for him, to where I have the confidence in Graham to know I can bring him out of the bullpen and attack guys and bring in a 96-98 mile an hour fastball out of the pen with a really sharp slider and just be able to shorten the game on a Friday and Saturday.”
On Tuesday, Ashcraft outlined the differences in his mentality when he is starting compared to when he is relieving.  When starting, he has to pace himself because he has to play multiple innings, compared to when he is relieving, he can play for the short term and doesn’t have to pace himself.
“Starting, it is more of having to get your head right and making sure you are not going out there and you’re to amped up because you have a couple innings to go through,” Ashcraft said. “When it is in a reliever role, you can go out and get ready to go like you’re about to fight somebody and go out there and throw it as hard as you can and throw the best pitches you got.”
Pilkington, a left-handed sophomore form Hurley, Mississippi, was surrounded in hype and considered to be MSU’s ace going into the season. So far he has stepped up to the challenge and fulfilled that hype.
 In his two starts he is 1-1, with the loss coming to No. 10 Texas Tech. He has a 3.18 ERA, has given up eight hits in 11.1 innings pitched, and has struck out 13 batters. He also pitched eight scoreless innings last Friday night against Indiana State.
Plumlee, a right-handed sophomore from Olive Branch, Mississippi, has played well in his first starts this season. In his two starts, he has a .64 ERA, has two wins, and has only given up seven hits and two runs. He has also struck out 12 batters.
Plumlee said he is excited to get the start and enjoying the success but that he is not content.
“I have been enjoying how everything has been going for me,” Plumlee said. “You know I’m not going to be content with it, I am going to keep doing what I have to do and just try to keep my team in the ball game so we can get a win.”
Another pitcher to watch out for this weekend is freshman reliever Riley Self. Self has come out of the bullpen three times this season, pitching a total of 9.1 innings. The Coldwater, Mississippi, native has thrown 13 strikeouts and only given up four hits and one run. His best performance came in a win over No. 10 Texas Tech on opening weekend.
MSU’s pitching staff has been hit with a bit of the injury bug. On Tuesday, Cannizaro said senior right handed reliever Blake Smith will be out for the foreseeable future. He also said Ryan Rigby has tweaked a groin injury that he struggled with all through the fall.
In other injury news, Cannizaro expects Hunter Stovall to play this weekend. Elih Marrero is still all but suspended as he is dealing with off the field issues and will not travel with the team this weekend. Cannizaro said they would reevaluate Marrero’s status after this weekend series.
Friday’s game will be at 8 p.m., Saturday’s game will be at 4 p.m., and Sunday’s game will be at 2 p.m. They will be streamed online at Oregon Live Steams via Pac-12.com. Radio broadcast in Starkville are available for the Friday and Sunday games on WKBB 100.9 and WLZA 96.1.