Mississippi State Bulldogs
Overall rank: #21
Conference Rank: #5 SEC
Mississippi State Team Page
It wasn’t the best of seasons for Mississippi State when it came to baseball… or was it? The Bulldogs finished a game below .500 in Southeastern Conference play but went 24-9 in non-league action to come two wins shy of 40 for the season. All this happened despite an 8-2 start that had many wondering if the Bulldogs were for real in 2011. Still, Mississippi State made up for the slump by going all the way to the Gainesville super regional, where it lost in three games to a tough Florida squad. Hopefully 2012 will be just as kind, but Mississippi State lost a lot of talent.
2011: 38-25, 14-16
2011 Postseason: Won Atlanta regional (beat Southern Mississippi, Austin Peay and Georgia Tech), lost in Gainesville super regional (lost to Florida two games to one)
Coach: John Cohen
Field Players:
The loss of infielder Nick Vickerson, whose nine home runs and .319 average made him a 20th-round target of the Texas Rangers in last year’s MLB draft, means plenty of power will be missing. Third baseman Jarrod Parks also found his way onto a minor-league roster when he was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 24th round. So who is left? Outfielder C.T. Bradford (see Who to Watch) will pick up some of the slack caused by the departures of Parks and Vickerson. Jaron Shepherd and Cody Freeman also took their respective .289 and .282 batting averages away from the team. It’s safe to say graduations have made the field a work in progress for Mississippi State.
Pitchers:
This is where you realize Mississippi State has plenty of talent left. Top pitcher Caleb Reed (1-2, 1.55 earned run average) saved 12 games last year and walked 23 with 66 strikeouts. That’s a good ratio and good control, but will he have to start to make up for some of the shortcomings? Taylor Stark (3-0, 2.95 in 15 relief appearances) and Daryl Norris (2-0, 3.20) walked 12 and fanned 19 in just over 25 innings of work. Kendall Graveman (5-0, 3.65) displayed solid control with nine walks and 38 K’s in part starting, part relieving duty, and top starter Nick Routt (3-3, 3.86) walked 21 and fanned 49.
Who to Watch:
Bradford is the lone top hitter returning from a decimated lineup that may be hard pressed to see the action it had in 2011. The outfielder batted .303 last year with 74 hits, 34 runs batted in and 11 stolen bases. He had 12 doubles and two triples, but his home-run pop was nonexistent. Yes, zero homers. It makes for a rather puny .369 slugging percentage, but the fact is this guy is the go-to hitter. Bradford should have a solid season and he will get some help, but it’s interesting to see what his early numbers will look like.
Final Projection:
It’s a good thing the Bulldogs have all that pitching coming back. That should help lighten the load as Cohen tries to find bats that could mesh with Bradford’s to form a solid lineup. Of the players on the fall roster, 17 are true or redshirt freshmen and nine are true/redshirt sophomores. That’s a young lineup, but Cohen may have to rely on it for the time being. If the Bulldogs can find some bats to go with all that pitching, it will be another solid season in Starkville. If not… anyone for football?
Projected Postseason: NCAA
Returning Leaders:
At bats: C.T. Bradford, OF, 244
Hits: C.T. Bradford, OF, 74
Home Runs: Taylor Stark, IF/P, 1
RBIs: C.T. Bradford, OF, 34
Runs: C.T. Bradford, OF, 37
Stolen Bases: C.T. Bradford, OF, 11
Wins: Luis Pollorena, P, 7
Innings Pitched: Chris Stratton, P, 76.0
Strikeouts: Chris Stratton, P, 76
Saves: Caleb Reed, P, 12
Madness 2012 Baseball Recruit Rankings:
#74 Brandon Woodruff
