College baseball rosters always operate in a perpetual state of churn, but Mississippi State had to completely retool its starting rotation after Khal Stephen, Jurrangelo Cijntje and Nate Dohm were all selected in last summer’s MLB Draft.
All three starters can be considered developmental success stories, and Bulldogs pitching coach Justin Parker deserves a great deal of credit. Cijntje lowered his ERA from 8.10 in 2023 to 3.67 in 2024, becoming a first-round draft pick. Stephen struggled at Purdue, in a weaker conference, before becoming MSU’s ace and one of the best pitchers in the Southeastern Conference last year. Dohm was injured for much of 2024 but highly effective when healthy.
Parker has not quite worked the same magic with the starters this season, which is still young. Left-hander Pico Kohn looks like true ace material after joining the rotation toward the end of last season, and his combination of control and a crossfire delivery could make him one of the top arms in the SEC. Karson Ligon and Stone Simmons have not been as strong, raising questions about whether they will remain in the rotation when conference play begins.
Ligon feels like the most likely to lose his spot. After an up-and-down 2024 season in which he walked as many batters as he struck out, he had an uneven outing Saturday against Arizona at the Astros Foundation College Classic in Houston, allowing four earned runs in two innings. Ligon walked just one batter but missed over the plate too often, and the Bulldogs could not overcome the early hole he dug them.
Simmons is a great story, pitching for the first time in three years after multiple elbow injuries. But he was never a starter at MSU even before his injuries, and he too struggled over the weekend against the best team he has faced so far. Oklahoma State scored six runs against him in less than three innings, although just three of them were earned. Simmons also issued three walks in his brief outing.
The Bulldogs (7-4) have reinforcements, and their bullpen has been excellent so far. Jacob Pruitt, a transfer from Indiana State, seems like the most ideal candidate to start on weekends. He struck out nine over four innings of one-hit ball against a good Troy team and will start again Wednesday when MSU hosts No. 20 Southern Miss.
Freshman Charlie Foster started the first matchup with the Golden Eagles, and another freshman, Ryan McPherson, has been good in extended relief.
The Bulldogs have plenty of options, but what they do not have is plenty of time. After a home series this weekend against Queens, MSU plays two midweek games next week in Biloxi, then opens SEC play against Texas on Mar. 14. A consistent rotation needs to be in place by then.
— Benjamin Rosenberg
Bulldogs look for first SEC tourney win since 2020
Mississippi State women’s basketball heads to Greenville, South Carolina, for the Southeastern Conference tournament today, facing Missouri in the first round at 5 p.m.
MSU wrapped up the regular season with a 73-66 win at Auburn. The result meant the Bulldogs reached 20 wins for the third straight year under head coach Sam Purcell. JerKaila Jordan led the team with 20 points and was named to the All-SEC second team on Tuesday.
It was another up-and-down end to the regular season, with the Bulldogs going 4-3 across their final seven games to get into the SEC tournament as the 10 seed.
The Bulldogs’ run of form has seen them defeat their bogey team in each of the last two seasons. Two weeks ago, Purcell’s group overcame Texas A&M 81-55, the team that upset them in the opening round of the SEC tournament in 2023 and 2024.
This year, the Bulldogs face a rematch with Mizzou in the first round, giving the team a chance to overcome not only its poor recent record at the tournament but also put to rest a game that symbolizes the team’s inconsistency.
At the end of January, Jordan scored 40 points in a loss to Mizzou. The Bulldogs lost 78-77 after a turnover by Jordan in the final seconds led to a baseline buzzer-beater for the Tigers.
Despite the apparent inconsistency, Purcell has brought stability to the program. It’s the first time since the Vic Schaefer years that the Bulldogs have won 20 or more games in three consecutive seasons. The last time that happened, the Bulldogs went on to win more than 30 games in the next three seasons.
That seems like a difficult ask for Purcell going forward, and for now it’s about leaving the past behind and getting over the first postseason hurdle in Greenville to get their first SEC tournament win since 2020.
— Colin Damms
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 31 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 31 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
