High stakes at Blue Bell: Texas A&M, MSU face off in SEC showdown

Blue Bell Park is the site of another SEC showdown this weekend as Texas A&M faces Mississippi State with massive postseason implications on the line. In his first season as head coach of the Bulldogs, Brian O'Connor has his club contending for an opportunity to host a regional at Dudy Noble Field. D1 Baseball's latest Field of 64 has Mississippi State (No.

12) hosting the Starkville Regional against Oklahoma State, NC State and Southeastern Louisiana, matched up in the bracket against the Raleigh Regional. Meanwhile, the Aggies should be a lock to host a regional, but they still have an opportunity to secure a national seed with an impressive performance against the Bulldogs. Projections have Texas A&M hosting Cincinnati, UTSA and Binghamton in the Bryan-College Station Regional.

The Bulldogs enter the weekend with a 35-17 overall record and a 15-12 mark in SEC play, with eight ranked wins on their résumé. The second-best hitting team in the SEC will challenge a limited Aggie bullpen, with multiple injuries creating holes in the pitching staff. Here are the top storylines to follow for Texas A&M's regular-season finale against Mississippi State at Olsen Field: Battle on the mound Texas A&M : The Aggies are battling injuries as they continue to search for a definitive starting rotation entering the final SEC series of the regular season.

Michael Earley announced Aiden Sims will be absent on the mound due to tightness , leaving questions for Friday's and Saturday's starting pitchers. Left-hander Ethan Darden will start Game 1 after allowing two hits, two walks and two earned runs in two innings in the series opener against Ole Miss last weekend. The Clemson transfer replaced Shane Sdao, who had been Texas A&M's go-to Friday starter.