Just a Bulldog Minute: Justin Parker has Done a Great Job
The Mississippi State Bulldogs are currently on a six-game winning streak, and the driving force behind that is the MSU pitching staff. Even the most optimistic people would not have predicted that the pitching staff would lead the way over the MSU lineup, but it has.
Last year, the Bulldogs struggled mightily on the mound, with a seven-ERA overall and a nine-ERA in conference games. This was bad enough for former MSU pitching coach Scott Foxhall to be fired before the end of the season.
MSU head coach Chris Lemonis was tasked with hiring a pitching coach, and with his seat getting hot, the former Indiana manager felt immense pressure. Ultimately, Lemonis hired South Carolina pitching coach Justin Parker.
Parker inherited a staff that had been beaten up for two years and lacked talent compared to its SEC peers. However, Parker has completely turned around this staff, most noticeably the starting rotation.
Nate Dohm has been the Friday night starter for MSU and has shown better control with his electric fastball and newly developed breaking ball. Jurrangelo Cijntje has been the Sunday starter for MSU, and last year, he filled that same role naturally, the freshman struggled at times, but the talent was evident.
Now, the Sophomore has blossomed and has been dominant in his starts. He is undoubtedly the most talented arm in the rotation, and under Parker, he set a career-high in strikeouts against Mount St. Mary with ten strikeouts.
The bullpen is also much improved, with arms like Brooks Auger and Tyler Davis impressing the most. Bulldog relievers pitched eight straight scoreless innings in MSUs biggest win of the year to this point over Southern Miss in Pearl.
With SEC play just a week ahead, the improved Bulldog pitchers must prove themselves against stiffer competition. However, it is a good sign they can dominate the inferior competition because the staff struggled last year, even in non-conference play.
