Dogs in the Polls: Where MSU Now Sits After Sweeping Alabama

State's big weekend in Tuscaloosa has the Bulldogs holding strong in the rankings.

Mississippi State closed out the regular season in style this past weekend. The Bulldogs went on the road to Alabama and swept away the Crimson Tide to enter the postseason with loads of momentum.

MSU now sits at 40-13 overall this season and the team is 20-10 in SEC play following a successful three days across the state line. So where did the recent action land the Bulldogs in this week's national polls? Well, let's have a look.

Before getting there, here are a few weekly reminders. It's useful to note there are six national polls recognized in Mississippi State baseball's game notes issued to the media for each contest. It's those six polls we'll keep an eye on in this space each week – the D1Baseball poll, the Baseball America poll, the Perfect Game poll, the USA Today poll, the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) poll.

Also, a frequent question is, 'Well which poll really matters?' The short answer here is, 'None of them'. The only thing that truly matters is what the baseball committee members that put together the NCAA Tournament field think. And those individuals don't release a poll.

Another item that might be notable is different media outlets or TV broadcasts sometimes use different polls. Here at Cowbell Corner, it's the D1Baseball poll that is relied on in all articles, previews, etc. due to the level of trust in that organization's opinion.

OK, now that all of that is out of the way, here is where Mississippi State sits in the aforementioned six polls in the latest rankings released Monday, May 24:

• D1 Baseball - No. 8 (previously No. 10)
• Baseball America - No. 6 (no change from last week)
• USA Today - No. 6 (no change from last week)
• Perfect Game - No. 4 (no change from last week)
• Collegiate Baseball Newspaper - No. 3 (no change from last week)
• NCBWA - No. 6 (no change from last week)

(Photo courtesy of Mississippi State athletics)

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