In 2022, ASU sat back, played at home for the vast majority of its non-conference slate, and stumbled to a 7-11 record in those games. Willie Bloomquist wasn’t about to let his group become complacent and sedimentary prior to Pac-12 play again. The first test away from home gets underway on Friday at 3 p.m. MST. The Sun Devils are in Starkville, Miss., to take on the 2021 national champion Mississippi State Bulldogs. MSU still carries that pedigree, but the team’s 2022 performance and current roster don’t much reflect what the program was less than two years ago. At 2-2, their modest start makes the ASU (4-0) series much bigger. Sun Devil fans can expect high intensity February baseball from the deep south this weekend.
To take a closer look at just how Mississippi State stacks up, we spoke to MSU Rivals BulldogBlitz writer Jack Byers.
Jack Loder: Mississippi State is just 20 months removed from a national championship, but last year’s result and the current roster don’t reflect that. How close (or far away) is this program from being at that level? And what are some factors that have played into the regression?
Jack Byers: Offensively, I think this team is on par with some of Mississippi State’s past Omaha teams, but everything is going to come down to how well they perform on the mound.
The Bulldogs lost some key pitchers, including Giants first-rounder Will Bednar and Diamondbacks first-rounder Landon Sims from that National Championship team. They’ve had some big misses on the recruiting trail. Only three pitchers from the 2020 and 2021 recruiting classes remain with the program, with only one, Cade Smith, being a significant contributor.
Mississippi State went very pitcher-heavy in their 2022 class and in the transfer portal. The hope is that it can make up for some of their past poor evaluations. Freshmen lefty Bradley Loftin and switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje have already flashed and look to be the future of the program. They’re the two most talented pitchers on the team, but the good news for Arizona State is they probably won’t throw this weekend after they each pitched four innings in the midweek series against Louisiana-Monroe.
Overall I think they’re pretty far away from where they were in 2021. The team simply doesn’t have the ace and shutdown closer they had in Bednar and Sims, but things could change if they figure out where to fit the pieces to the puzzle. They have some talent in the bullpen in transfers Aaron Nixon from Texas and Nate Dohm from Ball State, but both were pretty shaky for their teams in 2022. If their guys live up to their potential, then maybe we’re talking about a team that can contend, but realistically I think 2024 is the year where they could start to take off.
JL: What are the general expectations for Mississippi State this season?
JB: Mississippi State expects to be back in the NCAA Tournament this year, and if that doesn’t happen, I think some changes could be coming.
Simply put, this offense is too talented not to be in the mix. They’ve got some serious power in Dakota Jordan, Hunter Hines, Slate Alford, and Kellum Clark. Transfers Amani Larry (New Orleans) and Colton Ledbetter (Samford) are off to tremendous starts to the year, and captain Luke Hancock has proven to be one of the top OBP guys in the SEC the past few years.
I think their early season losses are a product of them trying to figure out who they can trust and who they can’t on the mound. While the pitching isn’t elite, it should be a lot better than last season. Once they’re able to sort things out, they should be able to find their way into the postseason.
JL: Who are the hitters to watch out for in Mississippi State’s lineup?
JB: Mississippi State has an offense capable of putting up double-digit runs on any given night. 2nd baseman Amani Larry and outfielder Colton Ledbetter are the top two guys in the lineup, and both are consistently finding the gap for a double.
The middle of the lineup is where some young power starts to come in. Freshman Dakota Jordan has been compared to Bo Jackson by the coaches for his ability to run and hit for power. His first career homer went 474 feet on Wednesday, and sophomore 3rd baseman Slate Alford crushed one 460 feet in the same game. Hunter Hines was named a Freshman All-American after batting .300 with 16 homers last spring, and he can hit one out of the park at any given moment. Kellum Clark is another with some scary power, but he might not play this weekend after taking a foul ball off the foot on Tuesday.
5th-year senior 1B/C Luke Hancock seems to never strike out and has a .407 on-base percentage throughout his career. He doesn’t have elite power, but he’s been the Bulldogs’ most consistent hitter. Bryce Chance might be Mississippi State’s hottest hitter right now, and he was named SEC Co-Freshman of the week after the opening series.
JL: What are the Bulldogs’ biggest strengths and weaknesses?
JB: Mississippi State’s biggest strength is its ability to hit the ball out of the yard. They’ve got seven or eight guys who could potentially push for double-digit home runs this season.
So far, the glaring weakness has been the defense. Shortstop Lane Forsythe only made four errors all of last season but has already matched that total in six games this season. Hunter Hines has struggled over at 1st after DHing all of last year, but the biggest surprise might be behind the plate.
Luke Hancock mostly played 1st base the past two seasons because the Bulldogs had an All-American and 2nd round pick in Logan Tanner. He’s now been playing behind the plate, and VMI was able to steal 11 bases in one game on Saturday.
The quick solution for their issues was to put freshman Ross Highfill behind the dish, let Hancock move back to 1st have Hines DH, and that seemed to go a lot smoother for them. I expect to see both configurations for Mississippi State this weekend, so that could be something to keep an eye out for.
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