STARKVILLE — The hard part might be over for Michael Smith.
Smith, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound speedster who transferred from Walters State (Tenn.) Community College, admits his first few months as a member of the Mississippi State baseball team was a struggle.
But Smith has figured it out.
“It has definitely been different,” said Smith, who had a .331 batting average and 29 stolen bases as a sophomore. “I kind of got off to a slow start in the fall. I was still getting used to the environment, the expectations. But then I realized it’s just baseball, something I’ve been doing my whole life. That’s when it became easier for me, and I’ve been much better this spring.”
MSU coach John Cohen and his coaching staff will be able to gauge Smith’s progression at 4 p.m. Friday, when MSU opens its 125th season against Cincinnati at Dudy Noble Field.
MSU enters the year hoping to build off a 39-24 season in 2014 that ended with a loss to Louisiana-Lafayette in an NCAA Regional in Louisiana. This season, Cohen, who is set for his seventh season at his alma mater, will have to rely on a number of talented newcomers to plug holes left by the graduation and departure of some of MSU’s top players.
Smith, a natural center fielder, could be one of those players. Last season, he also scored 40 runs, drove in 36, had 23 walks, and hit nine doubles, four home runs, and three triples in 145 at-bats.
Asked to describe his game for MSU fans who haven’t seen him play, Smith was hesitant before relenting.
“I’m pretty fast. I hustle a lot,” Smith said. “I love to turn singles into doubles, use my speed wherever I can.”
Cohen, who convinced Smith to pick MSU and bypass an offer from reigning national champion Vanderbilt, gave Smith similar praise.
“He can really run and he has power,” Cohen said. “I think the fans are really going to fall in love with the dynamic athleticism he brings to the table.”
Smith is projected to battle returning sophomore Jacob Robson for playing time in center field, but the junior college transfer said, “I’ve also been playing in right a little.”
Smith is one of several newcomers who hopes to make an impact. One such player is infielder John Holland, who could be an option at second base. Holland played in 41 games as a freshman at Florida State in 2012. He started 16 games and posted a .243 batting average with eight doubles and 17 runs. He missed the next season due to injury. Last season, he had a .406 batting average (82 hits, 70 runs, 38 RBIs) and helped lead Chattahoochee Valley C.C. to the NJCAA World Series.
If Holland wins the starting job at second base — Cohen hasn’t announced MSU’s starting lineup — he will replace Brett Pirtle, MSU’s leading hitter in 2014. According to his teammates, Holland is up to the task.
“Losing (Pirtle) hurts,” said MSU shortstop Seth Heck, a senior who burst onto the scene as a newcomer a year ago. “He had an unbelievable year last year, but if you have to replace someone like that, you are not going to find a better guy than Holland. I think he has been really impressive. I am excited to see what he can do.”
Asked to assess Holland’s potential, Cohen used Pirtle as an example.
“Brett’s such a dynamic athlete,” Cohen said. “I had this conversation with him a few years ago when he was coming out of junior college out of Panola. I think, if the numbers are right, he hit .222 his sophomore year and made 30 errors in the infield. Two years later, he wins an SEC batting title and is essentially the best defensive player in the SEC at his position. That not only talks about his athleticism, it speaks to how badly he wanted to become a great player. I think John fits that mold as well.”
Luke Reynolds, a 6-2, 190-pounder from Hinds C.C., should figure prominently into the mix at third base. Asked which newcomers could play this season, Cohen spoke of Reynolds first.
“Hinds had a phenomenal year last year,” Cohen said. “That is not by accident. You win with guys who are winners — guys who are really good players, and he’s one of those guys. Luke’s done really, really well. It is certainly a transition from junior college to the Southeastern Conference, but he has all the characteristics you are looking for. There’s no doubt Luke Reynolds has a really bright future.”
Reynolds earned first-team All-State honors from the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges as a sophomore after hitting .376 with a team-high 63 runs. He also had 35 RBIs, 14 doubles, and 14 stolen bases. The chance to play is a dream come true for Reynolds, who hit .615 with eight home runs as a senior at Forest High in 2013.
“I keep using the world surreal, but that is really what I think it will be like,” Reynolds said of getting the opportunity to dig into the batter’s box at Dudy Noble Field for the first time. “When I look around and see all of those fans, it is just going to be surreal.”
While Smith, Holland, and Reynolds were expected to compete for starting roles from the moment they set foot on campus, that wasn’t the case for every newcomer. Josh Lovelady, a junior catcher from Shelton State (Ala.) C.C. was expected to serve as the backup starting catcher Gavin Collins, the Bulldogs’ leading returning hitter. But with Collins expected to miss three to five weeks after wrist surgery, the 6-foot-, 205-pound Lovelady will compete for playing time at catcher with senior Cody Walker. Lovelady hit .360 as a freshman. As a sophomore, he had 15 RBIs and played part of the season with his mouth wired shut after getting hit with a fastball.
MSU also has plenty of newcomers on the mound who could factor into the rotation. Even though Cohen hasn’t announced a starting rotation, he said Jesse McCord, a freshman from Spanish Fort, Alabama, should receive an opportunity to grab one of MSU’s starting spots. McCord, who was rated the No. 66 freshman in America, according to scouting service Perfect Game, has been clocked at 93 mph. As a senior at Spanish Fort High, McCord went 12-1 with 122 strikeouts (24 walks) in 86 innings.
“Jesse has been lights out,” Heck said. “He has really impressed me. He can throw multiple pitches for strikes. He can strike guys out. I think he’s going to be a great player.”
Ultimately, though, all of MSU’s newcomers will fight for playing time on a team that is evenly distributed with 10 freshmen, 10 sophomores, 10 juniors, and eight seniors. According to Smith, the competition for playing time “has been tough because everyone is so good. We know whoever the coaches send out there will be able to get the job done.”
That’s the goal for Smith and the Bulldogs, who are looking to recapture the magic of 2013, when the team advanced to the College World Series Championship Series.
Smith believes MSU has that kind of team again.
“I think we can be very good,” Smith said. “I expect to be in a regional. I expect to be in Omaha.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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