Mississippi State - May 15-17
Rounding out the season, the Tigers return home for their final series against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. After finishing 40-23 (17-13) last year, they advanced to the third round of the SEC Tournament before falling. Despite the loss, they earned a spot in a Regional, where they went 2-2 and fell short of reaching the Super Regionals. In his seventh year as head coach, Chris Lemonis hopes to lead his team back to the success of 2021, when they won a National Championship.
This year, the Bulldogs’ lineup will look different after losing their top three hitters to the draft. The top returning bats for 2024 are senior duo Bryce Chance and Hunter Hines, who started all 63 games last season. Chance batted .286 with 18 extra-base hits and eight stolen bases, while Hines blasted 16 home runs and drove in 56 RBIs, both second on the team.
Other veteran returners, like Aaron Downs and Joe Powell, are expected to step up and take on larger roles this season. The Bulldogs will also receive contributions from newcomers, including transfers Gehrig Frei (North Alabama), Reed Stallman (Campbell), and Ace Reese (Houston), as well as freshmen Lukas Buckner and Landis Davila, adding depth to the lineup.
The pitching staff took a major hit for the Bulldogs this season. In addition to losing their ace and number two starter on the first day, they went on to lose another six arms over the next two days, leaving a significant hole in their staff.
While there wasn't a clear number three starter in 2024, the player who was third in starts, Pico Kohn, is back for 2025. In his nine appearances (eight starts), he posted a 1-1 record with a 3.38 ERA and a 35/11 K/BB ratio in just over 29 innings. However, most of the staff members who had at least 10 appearances and an ERA under 4.00 are gone. This means many players, both new and returning, will need to step up for the Bulldogs. Much of this responsibility will fall on the new faces from the portal, including Chase Hungate (Virginia), Kevin Mannell (Cloud County CC), and Jacob Pruitt (Indiana State), who were brought in to add depth. The Bulldogs were also fortunate to land some of the best arms in the 2024 class, such as Cade O'Leary, Ryan McPherson, and Charlie Foster, as they work to rebuild their pitching staff to its 2024 form.
Guys to look for:
- Gage Haley
- Stone Simmons
- Luke Dotson
- Karson Ligon