Diamond Dog Notes: Cerantola to miss start and more
On Opening Day Eve, let's take a quick look around at some noteworthy items in the world of Mississippi State baseball including a weekend starter that'll miss his first scheduled start of 2021, a new day for MSU's home opener and more:
Cerantola out
Mississippi State pitcher Eric Cerantola did not make the trip to Arlington, Texas, with the Bulldogs for this weekend's season-opening State Farm College Showdown. Cerantola was slated to make his season debut with a start in Monday's 11 a.m. game against Texas Tech, but that of course now won't be happening.
A source told Cowbell Corner that Cerantola not making the trek to the Lone Star State was a late call made not long before the Bulldogs left Starkville to fly out of Birmingham, Alabama, on Friday afternoon. Cerantola's undisclosed issue is not expected to be a longterm concern for MSU and it's believed he'll soon resume his role as a weekend starter for the Bulldogs.
MSU pitcher Eric Cerantola didn't make the trip to Texas with the Bulldogs this weekend. (Photo courtesy of Mississippi State athletics)
Meanwhile, State must find a new starting pitcher for Monday. There are multiple candidates for the role. Among them are Houston Harding, Carlisle Koestler and Landon Sims.
Harding made two starts for the Bulldogs last year before the season was shut down. MSU won both of those games. One of Harding's starts came against the same Texas Tech team he would face if he gets the nod on Monday. Last year against the Red Raiders, Harding allowed two unearned runs on two hits in 5 2/3 innings of work to earn a victory. The left-hander struck out four and didn’t walk a batter.
Koestler also started against Texas Tech last year. He gave up one run on four hits in five innings of work in a game MSU eventually won. He walked two and struck out three in what was a no decision. Koestler started three games total in 2020.
Sims hasn't yet started a game in his brief Mississippi State career, but was electric out of the bullpen last year and is a starting option for MSU this season. State pitching coach Scott Foxhall said earlier this month the only reason Sims isn't already a weekend starter for the Bulldogs is because of the top-level talent already on the State roster.
"There’s 89 reasons why Landon Sims could be our Friday night starter," Foxhall said. "He can do it and he will do it at some point. It could be this year. It could be next year that he’s the anchor of the staff. He is a guy that we trust and a guy that all of his teammates trust."
Sims struck out 23 batters over just 13 innings of work last season. Opponents hit a minuscule .111 against him. His starting candidacy for Monday will be impacted by whether or not he is used out of the bullpen on Saturday against Texas or Sunday against TCU.
Home opener changed
MSU will no longer host Jackson State at Dudy Noble Field on Tuesday as originally scheduled. The Bulldogs and Tigers were slated to begin a two-game series that day, but now, MSU will face Jackson State on Wednesday only. It will be a 4 p.m. game.
Had the original schedule been kept, that would have put the Bulldogs playing on five straight days and MSU would've been set for eight games over the season's first nine days. State lost an off day this coming Monday when the State Farm College Showdown got adjusted because of the winter weather in the South. The Bulldogs will of course now be playing Texas Tech on that day.
As for the Tuesday game, it is now considered as postponed. Fans that have already downloaded mobile tickets for the two Jackson State games are asked to not delete tickets for the cancelled Tuesday, Feb. 23 contest.
Price on watch list
Mississippi State relief pitcher Spencer Price was picked to the initial watch list for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year award on Friday. The prize is given annually to the top reliever in college baseball.
Among 45 student-athletes to make the list, Price is one of 10 Southeastern Conference relievers to be picked. The midseason watch list will be announced on Wednesday, April 28.
Price pitched 7 1/3 shutout innings over eight appearances during the abbreviated 2020 season. He closed the campaign out with SEC Pitcher of the Week honors after earning a save in both games of MSU’s midweek sweep of No. 2 Texas Tech on March 10 and 11.
The Olive Branch, Mississippi, native ranks tied for No. 7 on the MSU career saves chart (16) with Bryan Hardwick (1979-80, 82) and former teammate Cole Gordon (2016-19).
What to know ahead of Opening Day
Need to know how you can watch Mississippi State's games this weekend? Curious about the starting pitching matchups or who might play where for the Bulldogs in the field? CLICK HERE FOR WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AHEAD OF OPENING DAY.
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