Landon Gartman fired four scoreless innings against Mississippi State when the Bulldogs made a trip to Memphis on March 29.
Apparently, MSU liked what it saw — and so did Gartman.
The Tigers pitcher exited the transfer portal by committing to Mississippi State on Wednesday, adding depth to an MSU pitching staff that might sorely need it.
The Bogue Chitto product was Memphis’ top starter, tossing 86 innings this season with a 3.56 ERA. In 15 games — 13 of them starts — Gartman struck out 94 batters and walked 29.
He went seven or more innings six times, dealing eight scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts against No. 8 national seed East Carolina on May 6. Gartman only gave up more than four runs twice all season and completed six innings in all but two American Athletic Conference starts.
Gartman began his career at Pearl River Community College after standing out at Enterprise Attendance Center. He pitched sparingly in 2020 but struck out 81 batters in 60 innings as a sophomore, pitching to a 1.95 ERA. Gartman was named the NJCAA Division II pitcher of the year for 2021.
He will be a welcome addition to a pitching staff that posted the worst earned run average in the Southeastern Conference. MSU had two starters pitch to ERAs over 5 and had a team mark of 6.07.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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