A Pair of Slumping Diamond Dawgs Could Become Legends

STARKVILLE, Miss.— Mississippi State is heading to Charlottesville, VA, for a regional, and it will be the first time since his arrival in Starkville that head coach Chris Lemonis will not play a regional at Dudy Noble Field. This team is entirely different from the Bulldog's previous postseason team in 2021, as Stone Simmons is the only remaining player still in Starkville.

The 2021 Diamond Dawgs had plenty of veteran experience with Tanner Allen, Rowdey Jordan, and Josh Hatcher. Only a handful of players on this roster have any postseason experience at all, so they handled the tough news of not being a host site well.

"Our first impression was excitement," Lemonis said. "A lot of these kids have never been to a regional."

While Lemonis says his team was not pleased to host a regional, they were happy to be in the NCAA tournament. Hunter Hines has been a star for MSU since his freshman season in 2022.

The Madison, Miss. native has a career batting average of .279 and 53 home runs, which are among the top five in MSU history. However, Hines and his talented teammate, Dakota Jordan, will make their first appearance in the NCAA tournament on Friday.

Jordan is only in his sophomore season at Mississippi State, but his freshman campaign caught many eyes. The Canton, Miss. native did not become a full-time starter until conference play, but he finished the season batting .307 with ten home runs and 40 RBIs.

The outfielder's talent was evident, as he had tremendous power, including hitting a home run off the left-field lofts at "The Dude" last season against South Carolina. MSU has had many iconic duos on offense, such as Will Clark and Rafael Palmerio, Tommy Raffo and Burke Masters, and Allen and Jordan.

Whether fairly or unfairly, those lofty standards were placed on the shoulders of the talented duo, and it has been a rocky season at times. Jordan (.339, 17 home runs, and 63 RBIs) has had a slightly better season than Hines (.245, 15 home runs, and 51 RBIs), but neither guy has reached their full potential.

The SEC tournament might have been the lowest point for both guys, as the pair only combined for a single hit during the Bulldog's four games in Hoover. Both guys were in a significant slump, which showed as the Bulldog offense was sluggish besides the heroics from Connor Hujsak.

However, a week off from baseball may be just what the sluggers needed.

"Sometimes it good to get away from the game (baseball)," Lemonis said. "This game can be cruel."

It is a new season for the Bulldogs, and in the postseason, players can become infamous. Both of these Magnolia State natives can etch their names into the history books of this proud program.

The Diamond Dawgs have battled through a road regional and made it to Omaha before, and if Hines and Jordan can deliver, the sky is the limit.

"We have joked all year about those two have not been hot together. Maybe this is the time they both get hot together and boy, we could really go on a run," Lemonis said.

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