Mississippi State heads to Lexington this week with a familiar feeling. The Bulldogs have spent most of the season fighting uphill in the SEC, and now they open the conference tournament against the host team that’s had an even rougher ride. No. 18 Mississippi State (37-17, 9-15 SEC) draws Kentucky on Tuesday afternoon in the first round. First pitch is listed for 3 p.m., but like always at the SEC Tournament, it’ll start 35 minutes after the opener wraps. — Southeastern Conference (@SEC) May 3, 2026 The Bulldogs earned the No. 10 seed after closing the regular season against Ole Miss , and the record comes with some context. The Bulldogs were the only team in the conference to play all eight of their SEC series against top‑25 RPI opponents. They still managed eight ranked wins, including three over top‑10 teams, and they were the ones who handed then‑No. 1 Tennessee its first loss of the year. That’s not nothing. The reason they’ve stayed afloat is the bullpen.…