Through all of its struggles during Southeastern Conference play, the Mississippi State baseball team enters the final week of the regular season still with a lot to play for. With three conference games remaining, the Bulldogs sit just two games behind Missouri and Georgia for the final spot in Hoover for the SEC tournament. 

Before that is decided this weekend, MSU will turn its attention to Tuesday’s midweek game against North Alabama, where a win doesn’t do much to move the needle on its postseason aspirations, but a loss would be detrimental to the Bulldogs’ potential at-large resume. 

Here is what to know ahead of MSU’s final non-conference game of the season:

What: North Alabama at Mississippi State

When: Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Where: Dudy Noble Field, Starkville

TV: SEC+

Records/Rankings: MSU’s record sits at (26-24, 8-19 SEC). The Bulldogs are unranked in this week’s D1Baseball.com Top 25 poll. North Alabama’s record sits at (12-36, 6-21 ASUN). The Lions are unranked in this week’s D1Baseball.com Top 25 poll. MSU’s RPI is 44, while North Alabama’s RPI is 274. 

Series History: MSU won last year’s meeting in Starkville, 14-4. The Bulldogs have won the past four meetings against the Lions. 

MSU Update: In one of the more surprising SEC series results of the year, MSU won two of three games this past weekend at No. 2 LSU, to end its eight-game conference losing streak and keep itself alive for the SEC tournament in Hoover. It took two late-game comebacks for that to happen, with the Bulldogs scoring eight runs in the final three innings of Saturday’s 9-4 victory, and overcoming a 13-4 deficit in Sunday’s rubber match to win 14-13 in 10 innings. MSU shortstop David Mershon was named Co-SEC Freshman of the Week after tallying six hits in the series, including four in Sunday’s victory. 

North Alabama Update: The Lions had lost 11 straight games prior to this weekend’s three-game sweep at Kennesaw State. North Alabama outscored the Owls 31-17 over the three games, averaging 13 hits per game. Statistically, the Lions have one of the worst offenses in the Atlantic Sun this season, sitting last in team average (.255), hits (404 and  home runs (36). The Lions’ pitching staff has also allowed the third most earned runs in the conference (385), struck out the second-lowest number of batters (302) and have the second-highest team ERA (8.85).

Projected North Alabama Lineup: 2B Jackson Ferrigno (.261/ 43 H/ 3 HR/ 26 RBI), RF Jonathan Lane (.272/ 47 H/ 1 HR/ 20 RBI), 1B Kyle Machado (.316/ 50 H/ 8 HR/ 37 RBI), DH Andrew Knight (.281/ 48 H/ 5 HR/ 31 RBI), 3B Gehrig Frei (.286/ 54 H/ 7 HR/ 31 RBI), CF Dominick McIntyre (.240/ 35 H/ 4 HR/ 24 RBI), SS Drew Hudson (.253/ 42 H/ 2 HR/ 23 RBI), C Levi Jensen (.146/ 15 H/ 2 HR/ 14 RBI), LF Ethan Walker (.279/ 39 H/ 0 HR/ 14 RBI)

North Alabama players to watch: Kyle Machado and Dominick McIntyre had big weekends for the Lions at Kennesaw State. Machado tallied five hits, two walks and five RBIs across North Alabama’s three wins. McIntyre also added five hits, five RBIs, one walk and a home run in his team’s weekend sweep.

Justin Frommer is the Mississippi State sports reporter for The Dispatch.