HATTIESBURG — We finally get what we came here for: Mississippi State vs. Southern Miss.
The first time for this matchup took until the fourth day of the Hattiesburg Regional, but it's high-stakes: today is the regional championship. First pitch is at 1 p.m., with Southern Miss needing one win to move on to Baton Rouge and face LSU in the Super Regional. If Mississippi State wins the teams will play again at 6 p.m.
The pitching matchup: Southern Miss will go with junior righthander Colt Smith. He's 6-1 with a 3.08 ERA, giving up 64 hits and 15 walks in 64 1/3 innings this season.