A new coach and the New Dude have proven to be quite the combo for the Mississippi State baseball team. The 2019 campaign, with the conference tournament and NCAA tournament still ahead, has been a historic one for the Bulldogs.

With an 11-2 win Friday over South Carolina, MSU improved to 45-10 overall (20-9 in SEC play) in the first season under head coach Chris Lemonis. It’s the most wins for a first-year head coach in SEC baseball history.

Lemonis’ first season won’t include a regular-season conference title (clinched by Vanderbilt), but the Bulldogs are well-positioned for the postseason. There’s always the chance of an SEC tournament title next week in Hoover, Alabama and Mississippi State could be looking to cap the first year at the New Dude by punching its ticket to Omaha. With an RPI of No. 3, the Bulldogs will most certainly be hosting an NCAA Regional and – if they advance – a Super Regional. MSU has posted a 32-4 record at home so far this season.

The Bulldogs have a chance to add one more regular-season win to Lemonis’ first-season on Saturday in the season finale against South Carolina. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET with the game streaming on SEC Network+.