No. 3 Mississippi State, No. 5 Arkansas Meet in SEC Baseball Doubleheader

Top-five SEC rivals continue their series with a Saturday twin bill after Friday's dramatic finish.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 4:35pm

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The No. 3 Mississippi State Bulldogs and No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks are set to continue their top-five SEC baseball showdown with a doubleheader on Saturday. The series opener on Friday night saw Arkansas rally for a 5-4 walk-off win, and the teams have moved up the Sunday finale to Saturday due to inclement weather in the forecast. The Bulldogs and Razorbacks will square off in a pair of games, with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. CT and the second game to follow approximately 45 minutes after the conclusion of the opener.

Why it matters

This SEC series between two top-five teams is an early-season litmus test for both programs as they look to establish themselves as contenders in the loaded conference. The Bulldogs and Razorbacks are both off to strong starts, and the outcome of this weekend's games could have major implications for their postseason positioning down the road.

The details

In the series opener on Friday, Arkansas rallied for a dramatic 5-4 walk-off win over Mississippi State on a solo home run by TJ Pompey in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Bulldogs had led for most of the game, but the Razorbacks were able to mount a late comeback. With inclement weather in the forecast for Sunday, the teams have moved up the series finale to Saturday, setting up a doubleheader. Mississippi State will send left-hander Tomas Valincius (3-0, 1.74 ERA) to the mound in the first game, while Arkansas will counter with left-hander Hunter Dietz (2-1, 2.84 ERA). In the nightcap, the Bulldogs will go with right-hander Duke Stone (3-0, 3.06 ERA), and the Razorbacks will counter with left-hander Colin Fisher (2-1, 1.17 ERA).

  • The series opener on Friday night saw Arkansas rally for a 5-4 walk-off win over Mississippi State.
  • The teams have moved up the series finale from Sunday to Saturday due to inclement weather in the forecast.

The players

Tomas Valincius

The Mississippi State left-hander is 3-0 with a 1.74 ERA this season and will start the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.

Hunter Dietz

The Arkansas left-hander is 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA and will oppose Valincius in the first game of the doubleheader.

Duke Stone

The Mississippi State right-hander is 3-0 with a 3.06 ERA and will start the second game of the doubleheader for the Bulldogs.

Colin Fisher

The Arkansas left-hander is 2-1 with a 1.17 ERA and will take the mound for the Razorbacks in the nightcap.

TJ Pompey

The Arkansas outfielder hit the game-winning solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Razorbacks a 5-4 victory over Mississippi State in the series opener on Friday.

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What they’re saying

“OH MY GOODNESS, WHAT A MOMENT!”

— Phil Elson, Broadcaster

What’s next

The winner of the doubleheader will take a crucial series lead in the early-season SEC standings. The teams will await the decision from the judge on whether to allow Walker Reed Quinn, the man accused of vandalizing Waymo vehicles in San Francisco, to be released on bail.

The takeaway

This top-five SEC baseball showdown between Mississippi State and Arkansas is an early-season litmus test for both programs as they look to establish themselves as contenders in the loaded conference. The outcome of this weekend's games could have major implications for their postseason positioning down the road.