State RHP Colby Holcombe set to transfer for final season
After two seasons at Mississippi State, RHP Colby Holcombe will play a final season elsewhere.
A source confirmed that Holcombe has entered the transfer portal on Tuesday. The news was first reported by 247Sports.
The former junior college All-American, Holcombe struggled to find consistency in Starkville. He had a 3-3 record over his last two seasons and a 9.05 ERA in 30 appearances. In 12 appearances as a junior this season, Holcombe had an ERA at 10.38 as he surrendered 25 runs in 21.2 innings and walked 12 batters compared to 28 strikeouts.
HIolcombe had thrown 36.0 the previous season and had an ERA at 8.25 as he struck out 42 batters but he waled 33.
A native of Florence, Ala., the big 6’6 right hander was passed over by Division I schools out of high school and landed at Northeast Mississippi CC. In just one season, Holcombe went from overlooked to one of the top JUCO pitchers in the country.
As a true freshman, Holcome was named First-Team NJCAA All-American and the country’s Pitcher of the Year. He was 7-3 in 12 starts with four complete games and he struck out 115 batters in 65.2 innings as he broke the single-season record for Ks. Holcombe also posted a 2.60 ERA as he became an MLB Draft risk.
Holcombe has a chance to get drafted yet again this year and that’s an option for him in lieu of actually transferring. He’s currently putting together a solid summer in the New England Collegiate Baseball League.
Throwing for the Newport Gulls, Holcombe has a 3.55 ERA in seven games and has struck out 28 batters to just four walks in 12.2 innings and has three saves.
Holcombe joins fellow pitchers in the portal, Logan Forsythe, Cole Cheatham, Max Miller and Jud Files. The Diamond Dawgs have also had freshmen OF Jackson McKenzie and INF Jace Norton enter.
The Bulldogs have had six additions out of the portal as well with 1B Reed Stallman and Noah Sullivan, SS Sawyer Reeves, 3B Gehrig Frei, OF Ace Reese and RHP Jacob Pruitt all picking State.
