Ron Polk said 10 days ago with an uncertain amount of hope that maybe someone would step out of the shadows to add home run power to his ball club. For the opening weekend, at least, Mississippi State’s head baseball coach saw his hope become reality.
In each of three MSU Challenge games that saw the Bulldogs (3-0) build early leads, Brian LaNinfa provided an early long ball.
Playing designated hitter, the redshirt freshman from Venice, Fla., used his Maroon and White debut to load his resume with three homers, nine RBIs and a .556 batting average.
“It’s something I’ve never dreamed of, but it’s just happening for me right now,” LaNinfa said. “I guess I’m just seeing the ball real good right now and just staying relaxed.”
GAME 1
In Friday’s season-opener, the left-handed LaNinfa instigated a five-run third inning against Western Kentucky by cranking an 0-2 fastball well over the right field wall with two runners on base. MSU went on to a 12-0 shutout win.
“It was unbelievable,” LaNinfa said. “I didn’t even know I hit (a home run) until halfway down first base.”
Strangely enough, LaNinfa also didn’t know he’d be playing until his roommate (leftfielder John Mungle) told him that morning.
“I had just woken up (when he told me), and I wanted to get some more rest, but I couldn’t go back to sleep because I was so excited about it.”
Pitcher Jamie Gant picked up the win for State-his first as a starter. The sophomore worked five innings and struck out six batters.
“Today, nobody really knew about me because I had never started,” said Gant, who went 6-1 in relief last year.
Gant avoided an early scare when lead-off hitter Matt Johnston ripped a ball hard to deep right.
“It looked like he might have got it all,” he said. “But it stayed in the park, and once (right fielder Brad Corley) caught that one and got the first out, I took a sigh of relief and calmed down.”
Gant allowed no runs from five hits and walked a single batter the rest of the way.
GAME 2
LaNinfa’s second homerun eventually became the difference in the Bulldogs’ 9-6 win over Illinois Saturday. Standing in the batter’s box again with zero balls and two strikes, LaNinfa saw a slider left up and took it the opposite way for another three-run blast.
“We knew Brian was a good hitter,” Polk said. “The wind was blowing out today, which helped.”
If the wind helped LaNinfa, it likely helped Corley, who drove a double to the fence in the fourth and made a round trip around the bases in the sixth. The Louisville (Ky.) slugger said he’s put on 10 pounds through weightlifting, but he’s still not necessarily a home run hitter.
“I’m just trying to hit the ball hard,” Corley said. “I’m not trying to hit homeruns.”
The sophomore finished the day with his second straight three-hit performance while driving in three runs.
Starter Alan Johnson and reliever Eric Ebers split pitching duty, but Ebers, an Illinois native, notched the win after taking the mound in the fifth.
GAME 3
Those who may have questioned LaNinfa’s home run-hitting ability after the first two bombs will have a hard time doubting after Sunday’s 9-3 MSU victory over Illinois.
LaNinfa struck again-this time in the bottom of the second-to give the Bulldogs a handy 8-2 lead. Taking a fastball once more to the opposite field, LaNinfa’s third home run landed only feet from the previous one.
“I just tried to make contact again,” he said. “I got lucky.”
Going yard three times in a weekend probably defies pure chance, but LaNinfa did stumble across good fortune. All three starting pitchers provided by Western Kentucky and Illinois threw right-handed. Had that been reversed, Polk most likely would have countered with a righty DH to match up better.
“He’s a guy who can put it all over the ballpark,” Polk said. “Against right-handers, he has. Not that Brian can’t hit left-handers, but I’ve got a pretty good bench. We’ve got some choices when a left-hander throws.”
LaNinfa opted not to speculate on whether or not he would start against a lefty. As for having the type of long-ball potential he displayed over the weekend, he seemed skeptical.
“I’m not going to say that I’m confident about hitting home runs,” LaNinfa said. “Hopefully, I’ll get a couple more out, but I’m not even thinking about it.”
Starter Jeff Lacher made his own statement with nine strikeouts in his five innings. The senior co-captain froze batters with fastballs. Eight Illinois batters went down on strikes looking.
“The umpire was giving me a few inches on the outside (corner), and I was using it to my advantage,” Lacher said. “I threw a lot of fastballs in breaking ball counts-0-2, 1-2-and they might have been looking off-speed.”
Lacher, who finished 2003 with a 6-0 record, is off to the same type of start in 2004 at 1-0.