STARKVILLE — For the past three weeks, the Mississippi State baseball team has been at home watching the postseason after failing to qualify for the Southeastern Conference Tournament and beyond for the second consecutive season.
Consequently, head coach Chris Lemonis is entering a critical offseason. The program can’t afford a third straight subpar spring and neither can its fifth-year head coach, even with the 2021 national title in hand.
As the NCAA Tournament field has dwindled, time is ticking on the Bulldogs to fix the holes on its roster and coaching staff for next season.
Here is what is still on MSU’s to-do list after one week in June.
- Hire a new pitching coach
It has been 37 days since Lemonis fired pitching coach Scott Foxhall on May 1, fresh off of a weekend sweep at Tennessee.
Replacing Foxhall, who was part of MSU’s 2021 national championship staff, has been Lemonis’ biggest offseason task, as getting this hire right is crucial for his and the program’s future. MSU’s pitching staff has been the worst in the SEC over the past two seasons. This year, the Bulldogs finished with a conference-high 7.01 team earned run average, and led the conference in runs allowed (410) and walks issued (321).
Those struggles have led to a combined 18-42 record in league play over the past two years.
News around the hire has been fairly quiet since the end of MSU’s season, as Lemonis noted he wanted to take his time to find the right fight. But, as the NCAA Tournament field gets whittled down, competition for quality candidates increases, and the Bulldogs must move quickly to fill the vacancy.
- Find 1-2 new outfielders
It’s almost assured that MSU will lose one starting outfielder this offseason in center fielder Colton Ledbetter. Ledbetter is a projected first-round pick in July’s MLB Draft. Depending on how the draft unfolds, the Bulldogs could also lose starting right fielder Kellum Clark.
Clark has been with the program since 2021, playing in 140 games over three years, accumulating 126 hits, 30 homers and 88 RBIs. He’s proved he can hit SEC pitching and may be ready to begin his pro career.
One way MSU can adjust to this is grabbing two outfielders out of the transfer portal with Dakota Jordan, an All-SEC freshman, commanding left field.
The Bulldogs may also have some answers on the roster in reserve outfielders Bryce Chance, who batted .330 over 36 games as a redshirt freshman and Connor Hujsak, a VCU transfer, who collected 10 hits and nine RBIs in 25 games in his first year with MSU.
- Find a new third baseman
This one moved up the list when starting third baseman Slate Alford entered the transfer portal June 5, taking his 200 career at-bats, 48 hits, 10 homers, and 39 RBIs with him.
Though Alford was an above-average bat in MSU’s lineup, he was the Bulldogs’ biggest defensive liability. Alford committed 13 errors last season, which was second-most in the SEC behind former teammate Lane Forsythe (15 errors), who also entered the portal for MSU.
Lemonis will likely fill this spot with a transfer portal bat. However, bench players like Hujsak and Aaron Downs (.261, six hits, one RBI) could compete for a starting position.
- Find depth at catcher
MSU brought in three freshman catchers last season in Ross Highfill, Bryce Hubbard and Ryan Williams, but only one remains on the roster after Highfill emerged as the program’s future everyday catcher. Highfill hit .231 this season with 28 hits, nine homers and 28 RBIs.
Realizing playing time would be scarce, even with Luke Hancock, who split time between first base and catcher, out of eligibility, Hubbard and Williams decided to enter the transfer portal.
Behind Highfill will be Jackson Owen, a junior college transfer from Northeast Mississippi Community College, but MSU may want to add depth at the position.
- Bring in more arms
Lemonis already took the first step in revamping MSU’s pitching staff, adding left-handed Division II’s Young Harris College’s Nate Lamb out of the transfer portal.
Young, a grad transfer, pitched 89 1/3 innings last year, allowing 35 earned runs and finishing with a 3.53 ERA.
As more teams lose in the NCAA Tournament, look for the Bulldogs to add more premium arms to the pitching staff.
Justin Frommer is the Mississippi State sports reporter for The Dispatch.
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