Fresh start awaits Diamond Dawgs on Opening Weekend at Dudy Noble

Opening Weekend of college baseball is here.

Take the forecasted chilly weather out of the equation and bright possibilities are back in the forecast for Mississippi State baseball. The program has grown accustomed to having those hopeful feelings in the preseason and, more often than not, the Diamond Dawgs follow through each year.

The last two seasons, the wins have been hard to come by for State. The Diamond Dawgs have had consecutive nine-win SEC seasons with a losing year overall in 2022 and the team has failed to make postseason play each of the last two years.

The greatness of Opening Day is the slate is clean and expectations remain high for Chris Lemonis.

“Opening week, looks like everyone is fired up,” Lemonis said. “Looks like it’ll be a nice weekend with beautiful weather all week. We actually had pretty good training after we got through the ice days. We’ve learned a lot. That first week ends up being eight games in 10 days so after the next 10 days we’ll learn a lot about our ball club.”

Talented starting rotation can show mound improvements

Air Force is first on the docket for the Diamond Dawgs this weekend. First pitch will be thrown on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. with a Saturday game also at 4 p.m. after MSU’s basketball matchup with Arkansas at 1 p.m. Sunday will finish out with a 1 p.m. start.

Lemonis released the first starting rotation of the year with a surprise or two maybe for some fans. A do-it-all pitcher a season ago, junior right hander Nate Dohm will get the start on opening day while Purdue transfer RHP Khal Stephen will pitch Saturday and last year’s weekend starter Jurrangelo Cijintje gets the nod on Sunday afternoon.  

The Friday night spot has been one that many have been tracking throughout the preseason and it could be a spot that is fluid for the first few weeks. Dohm has done everything in his power already to make sure that isn’t the case. Last year, Dohm was one of State’s best pitchers from start to finish, but he spent most of his time in relief.

Lemonis said his consistency and the offseason work is what set him apart this year.

“It’s the development of all of his pitches. This time last year, it was a big fastball and it was an average slider and nothing else. It caught up with him halfway through SEC play,” Lemonis said of Dohm. “He’s added a really good changeup, a curveball and the slider is really good. He and coach Parker have spent a lot of time and effort, and Nate is a worker.”

There are a whole lot of pitching roles that will be figured out in the coming weeks, but the lineup and defensive alignment seems to be straightforward at most positions.

Hunter Hines is back at first base with Amani Larry expected to remain at second and Memphis transfer Logan Kohler at third base. The outfield will likely be (left to right) Bryce Chance, Connor Hujsak and Dakota Jordan.

Injury update

Two injuries will delay work in the field for two established starters as Lemonis said that Ross Highfill will not be playing behind the plate this weekend but will be available to hit. Transfer newcomers Johnny Long of Pittsburgh and Joe Powell of Cincinnati will split time back there.

Middle infielder David Mershon is also expected to be out this weekend with a hamstring injury that occurred in a scrimmage last week and freshman Dylan Cupp is likely to get the start at shortstop as a true freshman. Lemonis was positive about Mershon’s availability and doesn’t expect a long recovery time like the beginning of last season.  

“Last year in one of our last scrimmages, he did a really big one. It’s not as bad as last year’s,” Lemonis said of Mershon’s injury. “He’s actually on the field doing some things right now, I just have to be really careful and don’t want to do it again. With our depth in the middle, we can make sure he’s 100% ready when he comes back. This one is, knock on wood, not so bad.”

Not everyone is ready to go physically, but this is a group that Lemonis has been impressed with from a mindset standpoint.

After two years of struggles, the Diamond Dawgs are tired of losing. They’ll get a chance to make it right beginning Friday evening.

“I think our guys have walked around a little bit with a chip on their shoulder. There’s not a lot of love – which we don’t deserve any love. I think that’s been the fun part with this group is they’re a little pissed off and they just feel like they have something to prove,” Lemonis said.

“I think we have a lot of talent on that ball club, but we haven’t played well and we don’t deserve anything right now. Whatever we do we have to earn.”