Mississippi State lands Virginia reliever Chase Hungate out of the portal
Mississippi State continued its hot streak in the baseball transfer portal on Sunday with the addition of Virginia RHP Chase Hungate.
A member of the 2024 College World Series team that ended the Diamond Dawgs’ season, Hungate is making his second move in the transfer portal. He began his career with VCU in 2022 before transferring to Virginia.
After a strong freshman season playing with former State players Conor Hujsak and Tyler Davis at VCU, Hungate pitched in 46 games the last two seasons with the Cavs. As a sophomore, he was 3-0 with a 5.76 ERA in 16 appearances as he gave up 16 earned runs but just four walks in 25.0 innings while striking out 21.
This year, Hungate was one of the Cavs’ most valuable bullpen arms. He was 7-2 with a 3.74 ERA as he pitched in 30 ball games and recorded two saves. Hungate threw 53.0 frames, gave up 49 hits, 22 runs, just 13 walks and struck out 37 batters.
Seven of Hungate’s runs this year came in one appearance against North Carolina as he surrendered just one run in 8.1 innings in postseason play. Hungate was the pitcher who finished off State’s season when he threw a scoreless ninth frame in the Charlottesville Regional.
A native of Abingdon, Va., Hungate will be playing for a team outside of the state of Virginia for the first time. His brother, Cade, was the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state in 2019 before heading to Florida State.
Chase was an All-State player for Abingdon and earnd the Times News Southwest Virgnia Male Athlete of the Year award in high school as he helped lead his team to state runner up finishes in 2018 and ’21.
Hungate signed with VCU and was 6-4 as a true freshman with a 3.57 ERA. He threw 63.0 innings that season with 46 strikeouts. Over the course of his first three years of college ball, Hungate has thrown in 68 games and 141.0 innings while surrendering just 31 walks and striking out 104 batters.
Hungate is added to a State portal class that is becoming one of the best in the country this offseason. The Bulldogs have especially had a big last week in the portal with Chris Lemonis and his staff landing Houston All-Conference Freshman OF Ace Reese, Indiana State RHP Jacob Pruitt and RHP Travis Smith from Kentucky.
The Bulldogs have also already added North Alabama 3B Gehrig Frei, The Citadel SS Sawyer Reeves, USC Upstate 1B Noah Sullivan and Campbell 1B Reed Stallman.
