Experience will be the key for the 2005 Mississippi State Bulldogs as the team returns six of its eight position starters and all but one from last year’s pitching staff.
Expectations are high as last year’s squad finished the season with a 35-24 record and earned its eighth NCAA regional tournament berth in the last nine seasons.
Bulldog coach Ron Polk said the experience should help at the plate.
“Anytime you have experienced people, they know what bat discipline is all about, they know about situational hitting, they know what their role is and they know what they can and can’t do,” Polk said.
Junior Bulldog right fielder Brad Corley is also excited about his team’s chances.
“We’ve worked extra hard in the off-season,” Corley said. “We are really deep and we’re a lot older; I think it’s going to be awesome this year.”
Corley has been selected as a preseason All-American after ranking fourth in the SEC with a .380 batting average last season. Corley also belted a team-leading 19 home runs, tying him for second in the SEC.
Also returning in the outfield are juniors Joseph Hunter and Jeff Butts. Hunter has proved himself a steady center fielder with a .987 fielding percentage last year to go along with his .311 batting average. Hunter also received all-tournament team honors at the NCAA Atlanta Regional to finish his sophomore campaign.
Butts took over at left field last season after Jon Mungle suffered a season-ending knee injury. Butts is a career .296 hitter and swatted 10 doubles last season for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldog infield will be anchored by junior first baseman Brad Jones. Jones finished the 2004 season with a .299 average and nine homeruns, second most among MSU’s retuning players.
Another returning starter for the Diamond Dawgs is second baseman Jeffrey Rea. As a true freshman, Rea batted .324, scoring 50 runs with 13 doubles and 11 stolen bases.
One impressive part of Rea’s game is his great discipline at the plate. Rea recorded 34 walks while only striking out 32 times.
One newcomer to the MSU infield is shortstop Bunky Kateon. The red-shirt freshman was projected as the starter last season before being sidelined with a shoulder injury. Corley has been impressed with Kateon’s play in practice.
“The whole fall he has made every play,” Corley said. “He’s so smooth over there, I don’t think we are going to miss a beat at shortstop.”
The Bulldog pitching staff boasts four of the squad’s six seniors. Saunders Ramsey, Alan Johnson, Todd Doolittle and Eric Ebers all look to be contributors towards Bulldog victories.
Also joining the Bulldog staff is new pitching coach Russ McNickle. Co-captain and Starkville native Saunders Ramsey is excited about the addition of McNickle.
“Coach McNickle has brought a fire to the staff. I think if we (the pitching staff) do well, the team does well,” said Ramsey.
Corley has also been impressed with Coach McNickle.
“Coach McNickle will challenge you from the get-go,” said Corley. “Here’s a fastball; hit it if you can.”
The staff will also look for contributions from junior Jamie Gant and sophomore Josh Johnson. Gant showed some power last season striking out 46 batters in 57 innings of work.
Johnson was honored as a freshman All-American last season. The Caledonia native went 5-1 for the Bulldogs with a 4.05 ERA. Johnson struck out 43 batters while only walking 15 in 51 innings pitched last year for the Bulldogs.
Johnson also finished tied for second among the team with an opponent’s batting average of .232.
Versatile junior Thomas Berkery looks to be the leading candidate to replace Craig Tatum behind the plate for the Bulldogs.
Berkery has been a battery member before as well as seeing time at third and second. He has shown a knack for getting on base with a .407 on-base percentage last season.
The Bulldogs will once again face tough competition in the talent-filled SEC. Seven SEC teams besides MSU are ranked in the preseason Collegiate Baseball Fabulous 40 Poll, three of which are in the SEC Western Division.
“The league is going to be a bear, but I think we can hang with anybody in the league this year,” Polk said.
The Bulldogs open the season with nine home games, including two with the University of Kansas.
Kansas and Austin Peay will be part of the annual NBC Classic hosted here at Mississippi State.
The first road trip for the Bulldogs will be to Tucson, Ariz., where they will face another highly ranked opponent in the Arizona Wildcats, which competed in the College World Series last season.
“This will be a great early test for our ball-club going into SEC play,” Polk said.
The Bulldogs have plenty to look forward to as they strive to reach another College World Series. Ramsey exemplified the attitude of the Diamond Dogs.
“I don’t think it’s ever been done, to win everyone,” Ramsey said. “But we want to win as many as we can.”