In one short week, the Mississippi State baseball squad will return to the diamond for its 123rd season.
The 2012 SEC Tournament champions posted a 40-24 record, falling short in the Tallahassee Regional with two losses to Samford.
MSU returns 23 lettermen and welcomes 14 newcomers.
Fifth-year head coach John Cohen said he is excited about the offensive and defensive depth returning to the roster.
“We have some experience and we have some depth. As we’ve mentioned in the past, it all starts on the mound and defensively for us, but I feel like we’re going to have a much more capable offensive club than we’ve had,” Cohen said. “I think our kids are really excited about getting started, although we have a lot of work left to do.”
The Dogs are ranked as high as No. 5 in the Baseball America preseason poll and welcome back a strong defense. First baseman Wes Rea was named co-captain for the 2013 team and has the opportunity to lead the Dogs in multiple offensive categories.
Rea, who battled health issues last season, said this year’s team has the potential to be a complete squad.
“When you talk about baseball, you’ve got to be able to hit it, catch it, throw it and run, and we’ve got guys that excel at all of those things,” he said. “You’re looking at a complete baseball club, and I think Coach Cohen has done a great job setting it up. This year should be really special.”
At second base, Cohen said he is leaving some options open for a returner or a newcomer to claim a starting spot.
“At second base, Brett Pirtle is somebody that his entire game kind of puts him in the forefront right now,” he said. “Kyle Hann can play second base as well, and Matthew Britton might be our best defensive player on the entire team. The question with Matthew is the offensive side of it. Can he get on base enough?”
Preseason All-American Adam Frazier will return to shortstop, but third base is still a question for the Maroon and White. Junior Daryl Norris is most likely the leading candidate, but Cohen also said Hann and Alex Detz give the Dogs options at the hot corner.
MSU has a wealth of talent in the outfield with strong bats to balance the offense. C.T. Bradford returns from an injury and looks to anchor the outfield at centerfield.
Demarcus Henderson is arguably one of the best athletes on the team, and his speed will be an asset.
Another starter in the outfield is utility man Hunter Renfroe. To say Renfroe had a phenomenal summer in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League is an understatement. Renfroe shattered home run, RBI and runs scored records in the summer league that stood for years, and by the end of the season, Renfroe had his number retired, the first time a player had his number retired in the CRCBL – ever.
Behind the plate, Nick Ammirati and Mitch Slauter bring experience and a good offense, and Cohen said he will utilize the two throughout the year.
On the mound, the Dogs have 11 returning pitchers led by co-captain Kendall Graveman and Evan Mitchell. Graveman and Mitchell will anchor the pitching rotation, but the third weekend job is still a question for Cohen.
“I think when you talk about the SEC or college baseball, for our club Saturday is going to be the issue in terms of a starter because on Fridays and Sundays we can afford to cut our starters and bullpen a little short,” Cohen said. “But the Saturday guy is going to have to go out and give us six to seven innings. There’s so much prowess attached to the Friday night guy, but every one of those games is just as important as Friday night.”
Potential starters include sophomore Brandon Woodruff and junior Ben Bracewelll, both of who are coming back from injuries.
The Dogs play 30 games against teams who made a regional appearance last year. MSU will begin the season with a four-game series against Portland next weekend.