STARKVILLE — For 11 years, Chris Lemonis and Scott Foxhall were crosstown rivals.

Lemonis was the assistant coach at The Citadel, the military college less than a mile away from College of Charleston, where Foxhall was an assistant coach. Their recruiting territories overlapped and so did their paths, striking up a friendly relationship in unfriendly confines.

They formed a mutual respect, one that lasted over 10 years after their days in the same town. After all that time, they are aligned.

One of Lemonis’ most important acts as Mississippi State’s baseball coach was hiring a pitching coach, and he turned to Foxhall for that duty. Foxhall, like Lemonis, is not one to leave jobs in a hurry, having coached at just three schools since 1996; this situation merited his fourth move.

“The reason I came here is because of (Lemonis), first and foremost, and our relationship from the past. I trust in him and believe in him,” Foxhall said. “The commitment to baseball here, the commitment from the administration, that’s the reason I came over here and I’m excited to get going.

“A lot of talent, a lot of guys that have been there before and done it and are ready to take the next step.”

Lemonis went through the process of finding his pitching coach knowing the hire could be the operative factor in MSU’s ability to repeat its trip to the College World Series.

The new coaching staff is adopting a lineup that returns all three starting outfielders — Rowdey Jordan, Jake Mangum and Elijah MacNamee — plus the freshmen in the infield corners (Tanner Allen and Justin Foscue). If Foxhall can navigate MSU through losing two starting pitchers and two graduate transfers from the bullpen, it has a roster good enough to make another deep postseason run a reality.

Luckily for MSU, Foxhall has developed deep bullpens at each stop.

“It’s a mentality, and I think the back end of the bullpen is probably the most important thing in college baseball, if not the big leagues,” Foxhall said. “Especially in this league with the crowds and how the momentum can change in the late innings, you have to have guys that are tough mentally. That’s what I start with.

“We have the talent, (MSU assistant coach and recruiting coordinator) Jake (Gautreau)’s done a good job, the pieces are here already, but I start with the mentality.”

Foxhall will also have to find a couple of starting pitchers to follow ace Ethan Small, and he knows what he’s looking for.

“Most of the time, they’re guys that have to be able to pitch off of their fastball,” Foxhall said. “You have to have an out pitch, but I think you have to be able to eat those innings with a fastball and fastball command. I’ll start there with the starting pitchers and see who can do that best.”

Foxhall’s options are plentiful, as Cole Marsh started twice last year and returns. MSU could also turn to Keegan James, Cole Gordon if he returns to the team, Denver McQuary or Peyton Plumlee, who will return to the team after a 365-day NCAA suspension.

There is plenty of time to evaluate them all and what they can bring to any given role, but that is not Foxhall’s focus at the moment.

“I try to be a relationship guy,” Foxhall said. “I don’t think anybody is going to get better and work for you if they don’t think you care about them. I want these guys to know I care about them first and foremost, then we’ll dive into the baseball part.”

For all of those reasons, Lemonis knew Foxhall was the man to fit his high demands for the position.

“Hiring a pitching coach in this day and age is a little tougher because you’re looking for an experienced coach, you’re looking for a guy who takes care of arms and fits in with your staff,” Lemonis said.

Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson