BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Interstat) — A pair of Bulldogs will clash Tuesday when Mississippi State visits Samford in nonconference baseball action at Joe Lee Griffin Stadium.

First pitch is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, 2026, under partly cloudy skies with a game-time temperature near 79 degrees.

Mississippi State (26-10) enters after dropping a weekend home series to Tennessee, including a 7-2 loss Sunday. The visiting Bulldogs have lost four of their last six games after a strong start to Southeastern Conference play. Samford (17-17) comes in at .500 after taking a weekend series from Virginia Military Institute, capped by a 5-3 win Sunday.

A key player to watch for Mississippi State is pitcher Charlie Foster. The right-hander started Sunday’s loss to Tennessee, allowing four earned runs on four hits over 5 1/3 innings. His recent outings have been inconsistent, mixing scoreless relief appearances with tougher starts.

Samford will counter with a pitcher to watch in Noah Berry. The right-hander earned the win Sunday against VMI, throwing five innings of one-run ball. He has been effective in recent midweek and relief roles, posting a 1.29 ERA over his last three appearances spanning 11 2/3 innings.

Offensively, Mississippi State will look to rebound after scoring just nine total runs in the Tennessee series. Second baseman Gehrig Frei, who went 2-for-3 in Sunday’s loss, is a candidate to spark the lineup. Samford’s Jake Souders, who had three hits including a home run Sunday, provides power in the middle of the order.

Projections for the game are split. Interstat’s game simulator predicts a 7-4 victory for Samford. However, the same service’s ELO rating system gives Mississippi State a 72.2% probability to win.

The game is the first of a challenging 10-game stretch for Samford, which includes a weekend series at UNC Greensboro and a road game at Auburn. Mississippi State continues a road swing that leads into a pivotal SEC series at South Carolina this weekend.

Tuesday’s meeting is the only scheduled game between the programs this season.