Mississippi State is back in the NCAA Tournament, and the Bulldogs are heading west again. They open the Eugene Regional on Friday night against Saint Mary’s, a matchup that hasn’t happened since 1997 and has never happened in the postseason. It’s a fresh draw, a long trip, and the kind of regional where State’s strengths actually line up pretty well. The Bulldogs enter at 38-18 after navigating the SEC grind, and they’ll see a Saint Mary’s team that won 40 games and dominated the WCC. The Gaels can pitch and defend, but Mississippi State has seen plenty of that in league play. The bigger question is how the Bulldogs settle in on the road. They’ve been to Eugene before, but not since 2012, and they didn’t face Oregon that year. Idaho State is also in the field, though the only meeting between the programs came back in 1982. If you’re looking for reasons to feel good about Mississippi State’s chances , start with the awards haul.…