With two losses to teams with Ratings Percentage Indexes (RPIs) higher than 50 and two more to teams with RPIs higher than 100, the Mississippi State baseball team gave its fans reason to doubt.
Home losses to Morehead State, Louisiana Tech, Florida International, and Marist allowed the curiosity that accompanies a team at the start of a season to turn into skepticism.
After the loss to Louisiana Tech, MSU was near the bottom in the Southeastern Conference in several pitching statistics and had a strikeout problem that prompted coach Andy Cannizaro to talk about possible lineup changes.
One month later, the same team is tied for the lead in the SEC.
With more than one-third of the SEC schedule complete, the Bulldogs have faced plenty of questions through 34 games. In climbing to No. 13 in this week’s Baseball America national rankings, MSU has answered all of the questions or proven it can win without answering others.
The first question focused on the bullpen after collapses in losses to Morehead State and Marist in the first week of the season. Since then, the bullpen has regrouped. It played a pivotal role in the Bulldogs’ six-game conference winning streak. In the series opener against Tennessee on March 24, Riley Self pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Spencer Price followed with a perfect ninth to earn the save. Cannizaro called it the prototype.
With MSU missing (at least) nine pitchers due to injury through the Kentucky series, MSU still has questions to answer about its starting pitchers after Konnor Pilkington, the team’s Friday night starter. Cannizaro admits he pitches whoever feels good enough to go. On Sunday, Trey Jolly threw 5 1/3 innings in his best outing of the season. Earlier in the week, Denver McQuary turned in three scoreless innings. Jacob Barton pitched in with three scoreless innings in two appearances to help MSU sweep Tennessee.
MSU also has faced plenty of questions in the field. Cody Brown has filled in at second base, third base, and left field. Tanner Poole has started in right and center field. Brent Rooker moved from designated hitter to first base and has remained one of the nation’s best hitters. Elijah MacNamee and Hunter Vansau have taken important at-bats and proven they can contribute in starting roles.
Despite the questions and the shuffling lineups, MSU has responded. Center fielder Jake Mangum, who has appeared in six games on the mound (15 1/3 innings), is a perfect example of how the players have accepted new roles and continued to flourish.
“Someone steps up in every game,” he said. “It’s someone different in every game.”
Mangum caught himself. He knew that wasn’t true.
“Well, Rooker every game,” he said, referencing the SEC’s leader in batting average, slugging, RBI, doubles, home runs, and stolen bases. Mangum said Rooker has received help from someone different every day in MSU’s resurgence.
Welcome to MSU’s new normal.
It might have taken the Bulldogs 34 games to find it, but there is no doubt Cannizaro has a plan for the roster. Josh Lovelady is the every-day catcher in front of an infield of Luke Alexander, Ryan Gridley, Hunter Stovall, and Rooker and an outfield of Brown, Mangum, and Poole.
Designated hitter is one of few things that hasn’t been finalized. Cannizaro has turned that into an advantage.
“We’re settling in on a group of guys we feel good about,” Cannizaro said. “We want to continue to get after the SEC with the group you saw on the field (Sunday in a 10-6 victory against Kentucky).”
The group has helped MSU answer plenty of questions and win eight of its last nine SEC games. As a result, a team that some started to wonder about in February has climbed to the top of the SEC and is sharing the lead with Kentucky, Arkansas, and Auburn.
Brett Hudson is a sports writer for The Dispatch. You can email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Brett_Hudson.
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 28 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 28 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
