Nate Dohm Made His Long-Awaited Return for Mississippi State Baseball

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Nate Dohm was the ace for this Mississippi State staff throughout nonconference play, but an injury sidelined the flamethrower. However, the Indiana native returned and started for the Bulldogs in the series finale against Georgia.

Once again, the junior right-hander felt discomfort on the mound and did not last an inning. Dohm was dominant before the injury, going 3-0 with a 1.48 ERA, 32 strikeouts, and only four walks.

His battery mate tonight, Joe Powell, had high praise for Dohm.

"Everyone saw it out there tonight," Powell said. "It is really good to have him back.... it is gonna be big to have him down the stretch."

It was a blow for this State team to lose their ace, but this team has proven that they are tough all year. This adversity only made this pitching staff better, with arms like Khal Stephen, Jurrangelo Cijntje, Tyler Davis, and Tyson Hardin all stepping up.

It was a kick in the teeth for Bulldog head coach Chris Lemonis to lose his ace, but having others step up in his leave is encouraging.

The emergence of these others has propelled this MSU team into the thick of the hosting discussion. However, the addition of Dohm deepens this staff, which is something they desperately need.

The long-awaited return was worth the wait as Dohm threw two perfect innings. The righty located his 92-94 MPH fastball well and mixed his off speeds well.

"His performance was great," Lemonis said. "He went two innings and 22 pitches, and we were only throwing him two.... just part of his rehab.

Lemonis mentioned postgame that Dohm had pitched in the two prior weeks' scrimmages. Whether he will stick with starting or find a role in the bullpen is still up in the air.

"He is just trying to get in there and help us anyway he can... I can't script too much," Lemonis said.

There is more of a need for Dohm in the bullpen, but the third starter for MSU has been in flux, so he may slide into that role. Wherever he ends up, it can only benefit this team. A healthy Dohm could change the trajectory of this season for the Bulldogs.

"The goal is to have him back for the postseason," Lemonis said.