STARKVILLE – There’s nothing about the area’s current weather that suggests baseball season is coming.
But even the brutally cold temperatures of the past week can’t stop the countdown. When Tuesday rolls into Wednesday this week, the Mississippi State baseball team, ranked in the top 20 according to Collegiate Baseball, will be less than a month away from its season opener against Cincinnati. The Bulldogs and Bearcats will tangle on Feb 13 at Dudy Noble Field.
This year will be MSU’s second chance to live up to its runner-up finish in the College World Series in 2013.
MSU fell short of that standard in 2014, finishing fourth in the SEC before getting eliminated in NCAA Regional play.
Asked about his team improving on 2014, MSU coach John Cohen was optimistic.
“I think part of it was that we had some new players in key places,” said Cohen. “We went into the year without having a catcher that had caught one inning of Division-I baseball. That is another area of our program that is going to be really improved. We went in trying to figure out who our shortstop was; we found that guy. We went in without a power guy in the middle of the [batting] order. We need that to happen this year. We had to redshirt some guys a year ago because of sheer numbers that really have a chance to be power bats. Those guys will have their opportunities this year.”
The Bulldogs return 17 lettermen from a squad that advanced to the NCAA Lafayette Regional finals last May. State finished the 2014 season with an overall record of 39-24, marking the first time since 2005-06 MSU won 35 regular-season games in consecutive seasons. In Southeastern Conference play, MSU won its most games (18) since 1997 (19), while earning six total SEC individual honors.
On the mound, the Maroon and White return their entire weekend rotation from this past spring, highlighted by 2014 All-SEC left-hander Ross Mitchell. The senior southpaw went 8-5 with a 2.53 ERA in his junior campaign, earning SEC Pitcher of the Week honors three times. Mitchell enters his last spring with MSU as one of three pitchers in school history to have won 21-plus games in a two-year stretch.
According to Mitchell, MSU’s team chemistry could be a key factor this season.
“I think it is better than it was last year – not that last year’s was bad,” said Mitchell. “I just feel like everyone has really fit in. We have a lot of junior college guys that can step right in and play, but there are some really solid freshmen as well.”
The offense could be led by sophomore catcher Gavin Collins, who returns after earning All-SEC Freshman honors in his debut season thanks to a .360 average in 30 games against SEC opponents.
In the field, the Bulldogs are anchored by senior Seth Heck, who earned a spot on the 2014 All-SEC Defensive Team. Heck led all shortstops in league games only with a conference-high .986 fielding percentage. The Washington native, who hit .319 in 35 games against SEC foes last spring, enters his final campaign in Starkville having reached base safely in a career-best 30-straight games.
To Cohen, Heck’s defensive prowess will be crucial to a Bulldogs’ defense that has emerged as a team strength. It’s a defense that will also be part of MSU’s team identity.
“Our identity is always going to be about trying to be the best defensive club in America, the best situational pitching club in America and trying to dominate at home,” said Cohen, who has led MSU to four straight regional appearances. “We really put an emphasis on trying to get the extra-base hit, trying to lead the nation in doubles, trying to take advantage of the gaps and be more reckless with our runners on the bases. A smart recklessness though. Those are the main things we are trying to get done with this club. That is what I want the identity of this club to be.”
In addition to a roster stacked with returning veterans, Cohen also added a recruiting class that ranked as high as No. 6 in the country according to Baseball America.
“There are a lot of new guys,” said senior pitcher Trevor Fitts. “I feel like we are a lot closer as a group. We have a very close senior class. I feel really good about this team and how hard we have been working.”
Part of MSU’s early-season plans will be a schedule that keeps MSU in Starkville until mid-March. The Bulldogs play their first 24 games at home, and will not leave Starkville until a Southeastern Conference series at Kentucky in late March.
Follow Dispatch Sports Writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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