HATTIESBURG — Ethan Small expected to be more nervous.
Mississippi State’s sophomore pitcher had every reason to be: after missing the entirety of 2017 recovering from Tommy John surgery after a freshman season with just 10 innings pitched, Small was given the start Saturday in the second game of MSU’s season. It started rough but ultimately smoothed out, giving MSU reason for optimism about Small going forward despite the 7-4 loss.
“I felt kind of calm all day. I wasn’t as jittery as I thought I might be after 18 months of not throwing in a real game,” Small said.
Small allowed six hits, five runs and two home runs all in the first two innings, but settled down to allow just one hit, no runs and strike out three in his final two innings. He ended with four innings on 79 pitches on a day where, all things, considered, he felt good about his arsenal.
Small credited his turnaround in the last two innings to the experience gained in the first two innings.
“I felt like I had all three pitches going for me today,” Small said. “It comes from going through the lineup once, seeing guys once and telling yourself you’re not going to make the same mistake twice.”
While rehabbing from the injury, Small worked on the transition from the bullpen to the starting role, the fruits of which showed themselves Saturday.
“My tempo has slowed down some,” Small said. “People may remember my freshman year I had a high tempo, which is good for a reliever, but as a starter you have to slow it down to go longer and sustain your body longer.”
Small is still working on the velocity he had that stood out as a freshman: then he could be clocked as high as 95 mph, but he said throughout the spring he has been in the 88-93 range.
Cannizaro is not worried about that or Small’s future.
“I think his velocity is going to continue to get better,” Cannizaro said. “He’s got 10 career innings and he hasn’t pitched in almost two years now; he gave up five runs in the first two innings but his last two innings were much better.”
Hatcher’s debut weekend continues
Freshman first baseman Josh Hatcher has made the most of his first two days as a college baseball player. In his two starts he has tallied six hits in eight at-bats, driving in two runs and scoring one run, the latter two coming on Saturday’s two-run home run.
First base was a question mark for MSU entering the season: it experimented with outfielder Elijah MacNamee there in the fall. Hatcher is off to a good start in terms of making that position his for the future.
“He’s been an outstanding hitter for us ever since he showed up on campus,” Cannizaro said. “He’s gotten better defensively. He’s a guy that plays with a lot of confidence, he’s not scared, he wants to fight every single day and we love having him on our team.”
Ashcraft done
Cannizaro said after the game that sophomore pitcher Graham Ashcraft has surgery on his right hip that will keep him out for the entire 2018 season.
Ashcraft started last season a starter before moving to the bullpen and getting injured; he ended with 10 appearances, five of them starts, and 24 innings with a 5.62 earned run average, striking out 25. He projected to have a bullpen role or a possibility at some midweek starts.
It is the second season-ending injury to a MSU pitcher so far, with projected closer Spencer Price going down in the preseason to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.
Berry returns
USM coach Scott Berry will return to the dugout for today’s game, his first game with the team after serving his two-game suspension to start the series.
Berry was ejected in USM’s final game last season, the final game of the Hattiesburg Regional that MSU won, and his actions earned him a two-game suspension that carried over to the current meeting with MSU.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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