Mississippi State baseball preview 2021

Here's a look at the Mississippi State Bulldogs heading into the 2021 baseball season.

2020 record/RPI: 12-4 (50)

2019 record/RPI: 52-15 (3)

Coach: Chris Lemonis (3rd season at MSU, 64-19)

Rank in preseason polls: 7 (D1Baseball), 8 (Baseball America)

Preseason SEC rank: 2nd in SEC West

Last NCAA Tournament appearance: 2019 (T-5th, College World Series)

Home field: Dudy Noble Field (13,000)

Left: 330 feet Left center: 376 feet Center: 390 feet Right center: 374 feet Right: 305 feet

The shortened 2020 season was a rollercoaster campaign for Mississippi State. Coming off a 2019 season that is considered one of the best in program history, expectations were high. The elite showings the 2019 squad put together didn’t translate early on, notably a result of a struggling offense.

The Bulldogs averaged five runs per game in 2020 with a midweek loss to winless Texas Southern and a series loss to Long Beach State. The Bulldogs did flash moments of greatness, however, notching a series win over Oregon State and two midweek wins over #2 Texas Tech before COVID-19 ended the season.

The Bulldogs were led by veterans Justin Foscue and Jordan Westburg, who made up one of the best middle infields in America. The two most consistent bats in the lineup, Foscue hit .321 with four doubles, two home runs, and 16 RBI; Westburg was right behind him with a .317 average, six doubles, two home runs, and 11 RBI.

Both of those team leaders, however, have since departed for the MLB after they were drafted in the 1st round.

State also lost starting pitcher J.T. Ginn to the MLB, whose season was shortened with an injury that required surgery. Those three were the only primary contributors who departed for pro ball.

The starting lineup for the Bulldogs in 2021 is a mix of experience and first-timers.

A handful of veterans return for MSU, led by outfielders Rowdey Jordan and Tanner Allen. Both have been mainstays for the Bulldogs since 2018, making back-to-back College World Series appearances in 2018 and 2019. Both were likely to depart for the MLB in 2020, but the shortened draft allowed them to return to Starkville in 2021.

Jordan, just about a lock for centerfield, is one of the most consistent bats in the lineup, having a .304 average with 92 RBI in his three years as a Bulldog. Right fielder Allen has the power along with consistency with 12 home runs and 116 RBI, along with a .315 career average. Allen’s 2020 season was shortened with an early-season injury.

The player who replaced Allen at 1st base was Josh Hatcher, who also provides a plethora of experience to the lineup. Hatcher started all 16 games in 2020, added to his 72 starts between 2018 and 2019.

Hatcher’s career in the maroon and white has been impressive with a .287 average with eight home runs and 46 RBI. Hatcher’s presence at 1st base allows Tanner Allen to move to right field.

With Jordan and Allen locked in to two outfield spots, that leaves a gap at left field. The most likely candidate to fill that spot is Brandon Pimentel, who started 13 games in 2020.

At 6’3, 210, Pimentel boasts raw power, but he has lacked consistency at the plate. He hit just . 184 with strikeouts last year, but that power was shown at times, particularly with a massive bomb that gave MSU a series-opening win over Oregon State.

The other options in left are Brad Cumbest, another power threat who’s had two home runs and 12 RBI in his career as a Bulldog, along with JUCO transfer Brayland Skinner.

Shortstop Kamren James joins Hatcher in the infield. A true freshman in 2020, James showed true potential with a .308 average and 12 RBI. He played 3rd base last year but will fill Jordan Westburg’s role at short this season.

The other middle infielder is expected to be Scotty Dubrule, a grad transfer from Jacksonville University.

While he is a new face in Starkville, Dubrule brings a vast array of experience, as he is second in the NCAA among active players in hits and at-bats. With a .426 average at Jacksonville a year ago, Dubrule has the potential to be a very consistent bat in the lineup.

The only hole in the infield is at 3rd base, which is a two-way battle between Kellum Clark and Landon Jordan.

Clark, a true freshman, had the potential to go pro out of high school but will be making his presence known in Starkville. Jordan, a junior, could bring experience to 3rd base, making 49 appearances in his two seasons at MSU. He struggled at the plate last season, however, with a . 182 average.

Behind the plate, expect to see a two-man rotation with Logan Tanner and Luke Hancock, who both bring experience to the lineup.

Tanner, who made 11 starts as a true freshman in 2020, hit .268 with a couple home runs and five RBI. Hancock has two years of experience for the Bulldogs, making 35 appearances between 2019 and 2020 with a .290 career average and 17 RBI.

The starting rotation for Mississippi State has the potential to be one of the best in all of college baseball, albeit, there is a lack of experience. The three arms have a combined zero SEC starts, but the talent and potential in the rotation are causes for excitement.

Christian MacLeod returns from a stellar freshman campaign, being named National Freshman of the Year by Collegiate Baseball. His 2020 stat line is nothing short of absurd, giving up just nine hits in 21 innings while having 35 strikeouts to just six walks.

Eric Cerantola has a treasure trove of potential, but he needs to piece everything together. His fastball has topped at 97 while sitting in the mid-90s. He has shown flashes of greatness over his Bulldog career, as well as frustrating lows. He could be one of the best pitchers in America, as long as he can remain consistent.

Will Bednar started only one game last season, but his four appearances made him one of State’s most consistent pitchers. With a solid 1.76 ERA and 23 strikeouts to just six walks, he could round out a rotation that has the opportunity to wreak havoc on starting lineups throughout America.

The bullpen for MSU is full of experience, led by seniors Spencer Price and Riley Self.

Price was a lockdown reliever for State in 2017, but a 2018 surgery hindered his performance in 2019. However, he went back to his days of old last year, being State’s most dominant reliever with just one hit and no runs in over seven innings of work.

Riley Self has been a mainstay for MSU since 2017, and like Price, he had a solid 2020. Giving up only one earned run in just under eight innings last year, Self is another reliever that State will depend upon for experience and performance.

Like Cerantola, Landon Sims is another pitcher with electric stuff, if he can put everything together. He struck out 23 last season, but he have up five earned runs in 13 innings of work. Sims will be one of MSU’s key relievers this season, so his ability to be consistent will be of the utmost importance.

A wild card in the bullpen will be Brandon Smith, who missed all of last year because of Tommy John surgery. He was very impressive in 2019, striking out 31 to just six walks in over

36 innings. It will be very interesting to see how pitching coach Scott Foxhall uses Smith throughout the year and how he will respond to his time away from the diamond.