Bryce Chance stood at the edge of the dirt on the third-base line late into the Sunday night.
He sat his helmet down in front of him, and unraveled his batting gloves while soaking in the moment. Taking a look at the packed stands of Dudy Noble Field on their feet, Chance, whose emotions were starting to take over, signed, “I love you” to all the Mississippi State faithful.
Chance turned around and acknowledged his teammates, all gathered around third base, watching him have his moment like one proud family. He wiped the tears from his eyes with his sleeve, put on his hat and took one last look at the crowd. He waved goodbye, a bittersweet smile wavering as he fought to keep composure, and ran into the outfield.
The Ridgeland, Mississippi, kid and lifelong MSU fan had taken his final at bat at Dudy Noble Field.
“Seeing his emotion just made me realize why I play this game,” sophomore Ryder Woodson said in a press conference after Sunday’s game. “He loves baseball, this is everything to him, and it just put a smile on my face just seeing how happy he was.”
Chance’s final moment under the Dudy Noble lights was a moment he’d dreamed of, but wasn’t sure he was going to get.
He walked on and redshirtted ahead of the 2022 season, a year after State’s first-ever national championship. The Bulldogs had made five straight super regionals, and hosted postseason baseball in three of those last five.
In 2022, the wheels fell off and MSU finished the season 26-30, missing postseason baseball entirely. Chance started 27 games in 2023 and played well, holding a .330 batting average with 22 RBI. Still, MSU couldn’t right the ship, finishing 27-26 and spending another May on the couch.
Chance’s role grew in 2024 and 2025, starting 113 games over the two seasons, but MSU continued to struggle to return to the national spotlight. The Bulldogs fell in the regionals both seasons and fired Chris Lemonis after the 2025 season.
He had cheered on the Bulldogs at the Dude during the 2019 supers and at the 2021 regionals and said the atmosphere was something “super special.” With a new regime leading the charge, Chance had one final opportunity to play postseason baseball in Starkville.
He was draft eligible and could have tried his hand in professional baseball, but announced a return for his fifth year on June 8, 2025.
“Bulldog family, the last four years have been a blast. Here’s to one more,” Chance said in his Instagram post announcing his return. “See you at the Dude in 2026.”
Head coach Brian O’Connor said one of the reasons Chance came back was to play tournament baseball at Dudy Noble. Fueled by his desire for a regional in Starkville, Chance’s final year has been his best in a Bulldog uniform. He holds a .340 batting average and .895 OPS across his 59 starts, a mark second only to junior Ace Reese.
An anxious wait
MSU finished the year 43-17, but a 16-14 conference record had State on the bubble to host. On the Sunday before the regional, the day each host was set to be announced, all Chance could do was wait.
He, along with his wife Abby, sat in their living room, anxiously scrolling social media to see if he was staying home that weekend.
“Oh my God, we got it,” Chance said, shooting up from his couch to celebrate. The Bulldogs were announced as the No. 14 national seed and a regional host. Chance’s time at Dudy Noble Field wasn’t over yet.
“It means everything,” Chance said ahead of the regional. “After the Auburn series, leaving and not knowing if I was ever going to get an at-bat on this field again, it was a little scary. I’m excited to do it one more time with the whole group.”
Chance didn’t have his best stretch in the regional, tallying three hits, all in Game 2 against Cincinnati, but the Bulldogs looked the best they had all year. MSU outscored its opponents 39-11, avoiding any chaos and taking the regional in three games.
Through all the runs scored, however, the loudest Dudy Noble Field got was for Chance.
Before his moment at the third base line, a chorus of cowbells rang through the stadium as fans stood up to greet Chance for what was his final at bat in Starkville.
“Bryce is such an awesome guy, an awesome leader for both of us as young guys,” freshman Jacob Parker said, referencing Woodson who sat to his right as another player Chance’s leadership touched. “He goes about his business the right way and it’s really special for us to see because this place means so much to him.”
Chance’s career at Dudy Noble Field is over, but his Bulldog career isn’t. MSU will take on conference-rival Georgia in the super regional round this weekend, looking to clinch its first appearance in Omaha since it won it all in 2021.
Chance posted 13 photos in an Instagram post on Monday, capturing his last moments on the field of Dudy Noble. His caption, an emoji of two hands coming together, making a heart. More than 7,000 likes and 140 comments on the post showed the love from his teammates and fanbase who’d watched him grow over the last five years.
“Let’s go to Athens,” Chance wrote at the end of the post.
Jake is the Mississippi State athletics reporter for The Dispatch.
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