College World Series: NCAA announces game time for Mississippi State, other weekend games

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State is back in the College World Series for the second-straight season and the 11th time in program history. Once they get to Omaha, the Bulldogs will have to wait a while to get their run toward what could be their first national title ever. 

Game times for Mississippi State

►No. 6 Mississippi State (51-13) plays Auburn (38-26) at TD Ameritrade Park on Sunday, June 16, at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

►State's game is preceded by No. 2 Vanderbilt (54-11) versus No. 7 Louisville (49-16) at 1 p.m. CT. 

►If Mississippi State beats Auburn, it will play the winner of Vanderbilt and Louisville's game on Tuesday, June 18, at 6 p.m.

►If State loses its first game against Auburn, it will play the loser of Vanderbilt and Louisville's game in an elimination game on Tuesday at 1 p.m. 

Mississippi State vs. Auburn this season

Mississippi State beat Auburn in a best-of-three series at Dudy Noble Field back in March. The Bulldogs lost the first game of that series, 6-5, before exploding for 35 runs in the final two games. The series was highlighted by a dramatic 20-15 Bulldog victory in the rubber match. 

Other CWS matchups

Mississippi State will not match up with any of the four teams on the other side of the College World Series bracket — No. 5 Arkansas (46-18), No. 8 Texas Tech (44-18), Florida State (41-21) and Michigan (40-20) — unless it makes it to the College World Series Finals, which start on Monday, June 24, at 6 p.m. 

Texas Tech and Michigan start the tournament at 1 p.m. this Saturday, June 15. Arkansas and Florida State play at 6 p.m. Saturday. 

Mississippi State and recent CWS trips

Mississippi State has not made it to the championship round of the CWS since 2013, when now athletic director John Cohen was still the head coach. The Bulldogs went 3-2 in Omaha that year but got swept by UCLA in the championship series. 

Last year, Mississippi State went 2-2 at TD Ameritrade. The Dogs beat Washington and North Carolina before losing to eventual national champion Oregon State twice in a row in the semifinals. 

Mississippi State senior right-fielder Elijah MacNamee told reporters in the locker room that not only would Mississippi State be back in Omaha in 2019 but that the Bulldogs would win the national title, too. One of the objectives has already been accomplished. The other is still within reach. 

Contact Tyler Horka at thorka@gannett.com. Follow @tbhorka on Twitter. To read more of Tyler's work, subscribe to the Clarion Ledger today!