Mississippi State RHP KC Hunt Returning to Starkville After Turning Down MLB Selection
Mississippi State baseball right-handed pitcher KC Hunt will be returning to Dudy Noble Field in 2023.
Hunt was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 12th round of the 2022 MLB Draft in July, but he chose not to sign a contract with the organization. This means that the powerful righty will officially be back with the Diamond Dawgs and provide some much-needed veteran support.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound junior out of Wyckoff, New Jersey, was the Saturday starter for the Bulldogs in the team's opening weekend series against Long Beach State. Hunt lasted 3.0 innings on the mound and gave up five runs with four strikeouts and two walks before leaving the contest quickly. The team ultimately went on to lose the game by a score of 13-3.
After his initial outing, Hunt was kept off the mound for over a month with an injury. He wasn't able to return until Mississippi State's midweek contest against the Memphis Tigers in late March. Hunt pitched just one inning of relief as he slowly worked his way back into the rotation, but he eventually took on a bigger role as one of the team's most reliable bullpen arms.
Hunt improved throughout the 2022 season and finished the year with an overall earned run average of 7.46. The hurler gave up 21 runs in 25.1 innings of work and tallied 32 strikeouts with just 13 walked batters. He picked up two wins for the Diamond Dawgs -- one of which came in extra-innings as his team picked up a series victory against Ole Miss.
Mississippi State has successfully recruited talented transfer pitchers over the last few weeks: Landon Gartman out of Memphis, Ball State's Nate Dohm, former Freshman All-American Aaron Nixon from Texas and VCU lefty Tyler Davis. The Bulldogs have also had success in signing some of the nation's top high school pitchers. Hunt's role on the team in the coming season remains unclear, but his return to Starkville will benefit the program and help it rise once again.