Mississippi State University baseball started its much-anticipated 2023 season on the right track, with a series victory and eye-catching showings by an abundance of talent.
The Diamond Dawgs reigned supreme on Friday afternoon, picking up an 11-2 victory over the Keydets to start the season off in the win column. They fell just short of a comeback in a 14-13 loss on Saturday before recovering well and securing a much-needed Sunday win by a score of 9-3.
It didn’t take MSU fans long to sing the praises of some of the team’s newcomers. New Orleans transfer Amani Larry quickly proved why he deserved to be first in the batting order, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs scored and one RBI in his first-ever game in the Maroon and White. He finished the weekend 8-for-14 with nine RBI, four stolen bases and his first rocket out of the walls of Dudy Noble Field.
Larry wasn’t phased by the bustling atmosphere and the new role that he was taking on as a leadoff hitter. Speaking to the media after Friday’s victory, he shared how he began preparing himself for some big moments.
“When I trained, I knew there was going to be a lot of people,” Larry said. “So when I train, I train with music — loud — and make sure I’m not just thrown into the fire.”
Redshirt freshman Bryce Chance was another Diamond Dawg who made a big jump in the offseason to earn a spot as a starter. Despite not seeing playing time last season and facing adversity along the way, he proved that hard work does pay off.
Chance filled the designated hitter role in each of Mississippi State’s three matchups and finished the weekend with a team-best .583 batting average and recording seven hits, seven RBI and four runs scored. He even blasted the first home run of the season for his team. Chance explained that he was too excited to remember the feeling.
“I remember hitting it, and thinking, ‘No way it gets out, right?’” Chance said. “Stone [Simmons] put his hand up at first, and then I don’t remember much after that.”
Newcomers were not the only ones putting up the big hits for the Bulldogs. Graduate captain Luke Hancock went 6-for-11 at the plate with three doubles and five runs scored. Kellum Clark had two home runs in Sunday’s win, both of which were no-doubters coming off the bat and sailed far over the student section in right field. The right-fielder said that his simple approach at the plate led to his big hits.
“I was just trying to put good swings on some pitches, I wasn’t trying to do too much,” Clark said.
The offensive performance was huge, but quite a few pitchers also stood out in their debuts. Cade Smith returned to action as the Friday starter after a productive 2022 season, and he picked up where he left off: no runs scored, two hits and five strikeouts through four innings.
Memphis transfer Landon Gartman was just as solid in his Sunday showing, tossing eight strikeouts in five innings of work with just three runs scored on six hits. The stocked bullpen allowed no runs to score for the Keydets in the final inning of action and combined to allow just three hits with five strikeouts.
MSU head coach Chris Lemonis was impressed with his team’s performance on the mound on the final day of action.
“I thought Landon Gartman gave us a great start and just pitched,” Lemonis said. “Our bullpen was great today, a lot of young guys got to get out there in big moments, and we had four new guys out there today. They all pitched great.”
Mississippi State has five home games over the next six days. The Bulldogs will face the University of Louisiana-Monroe in a pair of midweek contests on Tuesday and Wednesday before battling a talented Arizona State University squad in a three-game series this weekend.
