ATLANTA — Jarrod Parks” admitted hitting slump down the stretch of the season could have had a stronger impact on Mississippi State”s offense had it not been for fellow senior Nick Vickerson”s current hot streak.
Vickerson began the season as MSU”s leadoff man, and while he managed to score 20 runs through the first 14 games his batting average was just .250.
Starting with the Florida series, freshman CT Bradford moved to the leadoff spot and Vickerson found himself batting anywhere from the five-hole to the eighth spot in the lineup.
Vickerson, though, would turn the uncertainty of the Bulldogs” ever-changing batting order — he even saw time in the outfield — to make the most of his last go as a college player.
At the start of the Florida series, Vickerson was batting .259 with nine extra-base hits and eight RBIs.
Heading into today”s NCAA regional championship game against the winner of Georgia Tech-Austin Peay at 6 p.m. CDT (CSS), Vickerson has played primarily in the cleanup role and is currently second behind Parks with a .312 batting average and a .430 batting average. He”s first in slugging percentage at .540 and tied for third with 30 RBIs.
Vickerson leads the Bulldogs with 25 steals and 53 runs. Plus, he hasn”t had an error since March 18.
“The biggest thing is I”ve just been relaxed,” Vickerson said Friday following MSU”s 8-3 win over Austin Peay.
Over the past five games, MSU”s offense had been held to three runs or less three times. Vickerson”s production, though, hasn”t been dipped as he”s hit safely in five straight and driven in eight runs. He”s had six extra-base hits in that span.
“I”ve been focused on being aggressive early in the count, especially if it”s there, whether it”s off-speed or fast-speed. There”s times when you get too picky, and they”ve thrown a couple of pitches you weren”t looking for and you”re down 0-1, 1-2 whatever it maybe. I”ve just been swinging at strikes and spitting in the stuff in the dirt.”
The Bulldogs exploded for eight runs before the fifth inning against Austin Peay, and while that kind of a cushion helps starting pitchers play more relaxed, it has the same affect on hitters their next time up to bat.
“It loosens us up and everybody”s not so tight at the plate, where if it”s a 1-0 game, people might be tight and swing at bad pitches,” Vickerson said. “When you”re loose, you really see the ball better. You”re breathing more, everything like that.”
—MSU”s options on the mound
The benefit of getting back-to-back strong outings from starting pitchers Luis Pollorena and Evan Mitchell is the lack of damage done to the bullpen.
The only question mark for tonight”s championship game may be reliever Caleb Reed, who threw 46 pitches in three shutout innings against Southern Mississippi on Friday.
While MSU coach John Cohen will wait to see how Georgia Tech and Austin Peay plays out before the 6 p.m. championship game, he said Saturday night that Devin Jones (2-5, 4.45 ERA), Nick Routt (2-3, 4.15) or Chris Stratton (5-7, 5.21) would get the start tonight.
Each of three have had their respective struggles this season, with Jones being removed from the Friday role and Stratton having pitched in all three weekend spots.
Stratton”s last two starts resulted in a combined 2 2/3 innings, 81 pitches and eight runs. He pitched a hitless, scoreless inning of relief against Arkansas in the SEC tournament.
“I”ll never give up on that kid,” catcher Wes Thigpen said earlier in the week. “He”s got a great fastball and the best curveball on the team. It”s gonna happen. He”s been working his tail off all season. He”s really been working hard on his two-seamer, and I think that”s gonna help him a lot. I really trust him and hope he gets a start.”
Jones hasn”t started since giving up four earned runs on eight hits against Florida on April 8. However, his five 1/3 innings of relief in MSU”s 6-5 win against LSU in which he didn”t surrender a run, gave up five hits and struck out five gives coaches confidence he can deliver another solid start following the work put in by Pollorena and Mitchell.
Routt, should he get the start, is looking to keep his pitch-count down early in the game and deliver knockout pitches when he gets ahead in the count.
Early against Arkansas, he got a string of 0-2 and 1-2 counts only to see the Razorbacks work back in the count and run up his pitch-count.
He”s given up 13 hits in his last six innings (two starts) and surrendered 10 runs (only four earned).
Routt told me this week that he”s eager to try his new changeup, which has less pronation than the screwball-action changeup that was his go-to pitch but was the reason he had elbow surgery last season.
Either way, Cohen came to Atlanta confident his pitching staff, rested and coming off a solid week of practice, was ready to produce like it has in the first two games of the regional.
“This time of the year, the guys who”ve logged the most innings really have that mental toughness,” Cohen said. “I think there are a whole bunch of guys on our staff who are ready for a breakthrough.”
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