In Friday’s paper, The Dispatch examined how Mississippi State sports fared over the course of the 2021-22 academic year.
Now it’s time to look ahead.
From a football team hoping for a breakout season to a baseball team looking to put a dismal year in the rearview mirror, here are five questions that will be on MSU fans’ minds for the 2022-23 season.
Football: Can Leach take the next step?
Despite several impressive wins, the fact remains that Mississippi State football finished the 2021 season at just 7-6. An Egg Bowl full of missed chances and an uninspired Liberty Bowl performance put a damper on what at times looked like a standout year.
With quarterback Will Rogers, nearly all of his playmakers and most key defensive players returning in 2022, the Bulldogs seem primed for more success.
Leach’s teams typically have seen jumps around this time. Leach is in his third season in Starkville; his third year at Texas Tech resulted in a nine-win season. It took until his fourth year at Washington State, but the Cougars won nine games in 2015 and won eight or more for the next three seasons.
If MSU is going to take the next step, it will come amid a schedule that ranks among the toughest in the nation. The Bulldogs swapped Vanderbilt for defending champion Georgia in their Southeastern Conference slate and will play the usual suspects: Alabama, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Kentucky and more.
A relatively easy nonconference schedule could help. MSU hosts Memphis, Bowling Green and East Tennessee State and will travel to face an Arizona team that went 1-11 in 2021.
Men’s basketball: How will Chris Jans’ first year go?
Chris Jans won 25 or more games in each of his four full seasons at New Mexico State.
But it’s time to see if Jans’ success will translate to the SEC.
Jans was hired March 20 to replace Ben Howland, who was let go after seven seasons in Starkville. The Bulldogs’ new coach inherited a roster that fell to pieces after Howland’s firing.
Iverson Molinar declared for the NBA draft, Garrison Brooks exhausted his eligibility, and eight scholarship players entered the transfer portal. Two of them — D.J. Jeffries and Shakeel Moore — eventually decided to return.
MSU’s new coach has bolstered his roster through the portal, bringing in Southeast Missouri guard Eric Reed Jr., Oregon State guard Dashawn Davis, Albany guard Jamel Horton and NMSU big man Will McNair Jr. The Bulldogs still have two scholarships to fill.
Jans will be tasked with bringing MSU back to contention, but it won’t be easy.
Women’s basketball: What will Jessika Carter bring to the team?
Mississippi State forward/center Jessika Carter redshirted during the 2021-22 season. Carter announced on Instagram in December she attempted suicide on July 24, 2021, and again Nov. 26.
Carter is practicing with the Bulldogs and is expected to play a big role in her redshirt senior season. If she plays up to her considerable potential, the Georgia native could be a big part of a potential turnaround in Starkville.
Carter started every game in 2020-21, averaging 14.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Having her production back in the lineup will be big for former Louisville assistant Sam Purcell, who was tapped to lead the Bulldogs in March.
Purcell has added five transfer players and two freshmen to the roster since being hired. But Carter could be the most impactful addition of all.
Baseball: How quick will the rebound be?
Mississippi State baseball had a year to forget in 2022, sinking to last place in the SEC.
Bulldogs fans will be anxious to see how fast MSU can shake it off.
Several season-ending injuries and a lack of pitching depth combined to doom the Bulldogs, but some of their key hitters will depart for the MLB draft. Logan Tanner and Brad Cumbest are not expected to return, while Luke Hancock and Kamren James could leave as well. Second baseman RJ Yeager exhausted his eligibility and will turn pro.
The draft will cut into a strong signing class for the Bulldogs, as infielder Jett Williams is a projected first-round pick and might not pass up a big payday. Pitchers Bradley Loftin (DeSoto Central) and Austin Tommasini (Madison Central) could help bolster MSU’s staff should they make it to Starkville.
With first baseman Hunter Hines and right fielder Kellum Clark among those returning, the Bulldogs have a foundation to return to success in 2023.
Softball: Can Ricketts and Co. back it up?
Coach Samantha Ricketts was at the helm as Mississippi State softball posted its best season in 2022, upsetting No. 2 overall seed Florida State to make Super Regionals.
Now, the question is whether the Bulldogs can build on that — with the best player in school history no longer on the roster.
Catcher Mia Davidson played her final season in 2022, and pitcher Annie Willis also headed to the professional ranks. A strong recruiting class can help, but there will be no replacing Davidson’s production behind the plate.
MSU still has a solid incoming senior class featuring pitchers Aspen Wesley and Kenley Hawk, shortstop Madisyn Kennedy, center fielder Brylie St. Clair and more. Fifth-year outfielder Chloe Malau’ulu will be the Bulldogs’ elder stateswoman.
It took just two days of stellar softball in Tallahassee to make program history for the Bulldogs, but it’ll take a lot more to build a lasting foundation in Starkville.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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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.
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