Mississippi State is Prepared for a Postseason Run

STARKVILLE, Miss.— The Bulldogs were not selected as a host site after putting together an impressive resume. MSU has dominated at Dudy Noble Field in the postseason as they have not lost a regional or super regional they have hosted since 2016.

State head coach Chris Lemonis has never been away from the friendly confines of "The Dude" for a regional or super regional since he arrived in Starkville in the summer of 2018. However, this group of Diamond Dawgs is battle-tested, as they have played in some of the rowdiest environments in the country.

"We are not going to go to an atmosphere that is too big for us because we have done that already," Lemonis said. "We are not going to go somewhere where there is a team that is better than what we have played; no offense to Virginia or anybody, but we have just played the best in the country."

State will take on St. Johns to open the regional, and deciding who should start the opening game as a one- or two-seed is always tricky. Khal Stephen has been the ace of this staff all year, and he will get the ball against a gritty Red Storm team.

"They are tough, hard-nosed New York kids," Lemonis said. "You're going to have to beat them because they are going to give you a great effort."

The transfer portal was kind to State this past year as it picked up Stephen, third baseman Logan Kohler, and catchers Joe Powell and Johnny Long. In the summer of 2022, MSU picked up a pair of teammates from the transfer portal, but they did not make an immediate impact.

Tyler Davis and Connor Hujsak played at VCU and had already played at Dudy Noble before inking with State. The Rams were the two seed in the Starkville regional in 2021, and it was an electric environment when they took on MSU.

Fast-forward almost three years, and both guys have played a significant role in getting the Bulldogs back to the postseason. Hujsak returned to the lineup in the SEC tournament after missing the final two weeks of the regular season with a back injury.

"It was nice to have Connor (Hujsak) back," Lemonis said. "I still do not think he was 100%."

Despite not being full-strength, the senior center fielder had clutch hits in all four games in Hoover. The Goffstown, N.H., native has been the catalyst of this offense all season. While others have slumped, he has always been consistent.

"Last year was such a hard year for him. He should have played more," Lemonis said. "Unfortunately, he kind of got behind some guys, but as time has gone on, he has proven his worth."

Davis had a dreadful season in 2023 with an ERA over nine, but something clicked when Lemonis hired South Carolina pitching coach Justin Parker. The Newport News, Va., native has done a complete 180 this season under Parker's tutelage, as he has become the most reliable arm out of the Bulldog bullpen (5-1, 1.35 ERA).

"It's a little mechanical, I think, for him and coach (Justin) Parker and a little bit of it is his confidence," Lemonis said.

The senior left-hander has also pitched well in challenging environments, which will bode well for him in the postseason. Landon Sims was the MSU closer in 2021, and his dominance propelled State to its first national title.

Every team is dangerous in the postseason, but Lemonis has experience coaching against St. Johns and Virginia. State took on the Cavaliers in the College World Series and erased a 4-0 deficit to advance to the semi-finals.

Lemonis was a Louisville assistant and a conference foe with St. Johns.

"I have coached against them (St. Johns) a bunch in the Big East," Lemonis said. "We got work out in front of us."

This team has experienced adversity all season, but it always pushes forward. MSU had a solid case to host a regional, but they were passed over. Perhaps the chip on their shoulder will be good.

"I doubt many people want us showing up to their regional," Lemonis said. "What we have gone through and our journey have prepared us to go anywhere and play our best."

Add us as a preferred source on Google