STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State baseball team had high-level talent in its outfield this past season, including a potential MLB Draft first-round pick and a 2021 national title contributor.

Now, head coach Chris Lemonis will have to find ways to plug holes, whether from within his current roster or from the transfer portal

Here is a prediction of which MSU outfielders could be staying or leaving the program this offseason.

Colton Ledbetter

In his lone season in Starkville, Ledbetter was MSU’s most consistent bat, finishing with a team-high .320 batting average amongst everyday starters in 53 games, tallying 63 hits, 12 homers, 52 RBIs and stealing 17 bases.

Commanding MSU’s centerfield, Ledbetter completed 113 putouts with one assist, four errors and a .966 fielding percentage.

Prediction: Projected by several draft experts as a first-round pick in this summer’s MLB Draft, and invited to the MLB Draft combine, Ledbetter will begin his professional career, turning down his final year of eligibility.

Kellum Clark 

Clark had his best season in Starkville this spring, batting a career-high .299 in 52 games, tallying a career-high 56 hits, 11 homers, 29 RBIs and six stolen bases. He also completed 99 putouts with five assists and no errors as MSU’s everyday right fielder.

Prediction: Clark has proved he can hit SEC pitching at a high level. Though he can come back for one more year of eligibility, sources close to the program expect Clark to move forward with his professional career.

Bryce Chance 

After redshirting in 2022, Chance made the most of his opportunities this past season, batting .330 in 36 games (27 starts). He tallied 33 hits, two homers, 22 RBIs and five stolen bases. He also recorded 26 putouts in the field without recording an error.

Prediction: Chance should slide into the starting lineup at one of the outfield positions, whether that is in left field, pushing Dakota Jordan over to center, or taking over for Clark in right field.

Dakota Jordan 

En route to becoming an All-SEC freshman, Jordan batted .307 in his first college season, accumulating 47 hits over 44 games, including 10 homers, 40 RBIs and four stolen bases. Making starts in left field and center for the Bulldogs, Jordan tallied 69 putouts this past season, including three outfield assists and only four errors for a fielding percentage over .947.

Prediction: Jordan could once again be MSU’s starting left fielder next season, or could move over to center.

Justin Frommer is the Mississippi State sports reporter for The Dispatch.