Bulldogs ready for bounce back season
A year ago for Mississippi State's baseball media day, the tone around the Diamond Dawg baseball team was much different.
It had just been a few short months since State brought home the school's first national championship and spoke on plans to do it again. Of course, the season turned out much differently as the Bulldogs suffered through a tumultuous 2630 year with a 9-21 Southeastern Conference record, which meant missing out on the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Regionals all together after making three-straight trips to the College World Series.
On Friday, the team was relatively quiet, reserved and business-like. One of the main things that stuck out right away was when fifth-year senior catcher Luke Hancock walked up to the meeting with the media wearing a giant “C” on his chest.
That signifies that Hancock is a captain, which is something that hasn't been done around MSU over the years. It's something that he doesn't take lightly and was one of the main selling points by head coach Chris Lemonis to get Hancock to return to school for one more year.
“He told me if you come back, I want to put the C on your chest,” Hancock said of being named captain by
Lemonis. “It's a huge honor for me. It's one of the biggest accomplishments of my life and I feel very honored to wear this C around here every day. I don't know how many captains there's been in Mississippi State history, but I'm glad I'm one of them, for sure.”
Hancock enters having played in 158 games in his Bulldog career with 144 starts under his belt as both a catcher and a first baseman. He's going to spend his final year behind the plate. He's hit .272 over four seasons with 141 hits, 112 RBI, 19 doubles and 17 home runs
ing mixing with a talent infusion of freshmen and transfer portal players makes this 2023 Diamond Dawg team an interesting while striking out just 51 case. times in 519 at-bats. According to D1baseball,
His leadership and the MSU added a signing class and emphasis on it was something transfer portal class that each that Lemonis wanted to make ranked inside the top five nationally. a priority in the offseason. After The Bulldogs have talent MSU'S struggles last year, coming in from the freshman leadership was something that class, junior college and was missing that had left the from other programs that can team with the College World help get things back on track Series Championship and quickly if it comes together. further with the loss of Landon “We brought in a lot of talented Sims for the season with guys – freshmen, juco, Tommy John. transfer portal guys,” Lemonis
“We need leadership,” Lemonis said. “We're in such a different said. “That was a big world right now. They have a piece of coming back. We lot of talent. (It's about) getting have a captain's committee, them to play on one page, (Hancock, Kellum Clark, KC play as a team, handle playing Hunt and Parker Stinnett). I at the The Dude, in this environment want them to take ownership and in the SEC. of the program. I think that's There's a real learning curve a big piece – to have the ear of for us. We have a lot of work the ball club. When you have to do. I remember last year a year like we had last year, I one of the best players in the think that's important. Those country was RJ Yeager. He guys have been around a good didn't look like it the first 10 long time. They've had as days, getting used to everything. high as you can experience Getting our guys out and as low as you can experience. here and getting them comfortable Their mindset is huge is huge.” for this ball club.” One of the players that is
The veteran leaders return-* exciting the fans the most believes they can all start for the Bulldogs on opening day.
The key is finding those roles for players and having can get the job done with either arm. A rare ambidextrous pitcher by the name of Jurrangelo Cijntje was one of the top talents to watch in the Major League Baseball Draft. vered her purpose for giving
He was taken in the later ack to the community through rounds by the Milwaukee er outreach and mission with Brewers, but Cijntje decided to arkville Strong, Brandi Herngton come to college. He has shown has been in charge some real stuff from both the f the nonprofit organization right and left hands and is nce 2020. someone that should make a For this week's program for difference for State in year one. e Starkville Rotary Club on
“That's a rabbit hole wemonday, Herrington and her go down every day,” Lemonis sistant director Cate Van said of Cijntje. “You don't alsema both spoke to the think about everything. It's ub about what Starkville not so much on each arm, rong does in the commuty but it's special. It's not a circus in addressing its needs. act. A lot of people think When she stepped up to it's cool he throws with both e podium, Herrington first hands, but he's really good ared with the Rotarians with both. He loves baseball. at she was glad to be in their It's a really invested esence on Monday because kid who loves to play the assion drives us all.” game. He loves to work at “Whether it's in your pery the game. He's gonna be a big part of what we do on the mound.”
As far as where Cijntje fits along with everyone else on the staff, that will be determined in the coming weeks. Lemonis said he didn't have a rotation ready to go at this point and most of his team them all come together right on time for MSU to get things going again.
First pitch of the 2023 p life, if you're not passionate, you can become complacent. So passion within myself, every single team member, volunteer, and everyone who is with us, that is what continues to drive us,” Herrington said.
In March of 2020, Starkville season will be thrown on February 17 when the Bulldogs host VMI for the first series of the year.
g y J Redd, geared towards helpin small businesses going throug the trials and tribulations of th pandemic.
Two months later, the o ganization's Facebook grou grew to around 6,000 mem bers to the point where Red could not successfully mana Starkville Strong. Luckily, h knew someone who was ab to do such.
“If you know Jimm Redd, you know that he h about 10 different jobs and couple extra side hustles o top of that. So he offered to me, and I am glad eve day that I said yes,” said He rington. “Whenever I took over, we changed the missio The mission went from help