Diamond Dawgs Lands Five on Preseason All-SEC Teams
February 06, 2020 | Baseball
State ties for SEC lead with five selections to the preseason All-SEC squads
STARKVILLE – With just eight days until the 2020 season kicks off, the Southeastern Conference has announced its preseason all-conference teams and projected order of finish for each division. Five Mississippi State baseball student-athletes have earned a preseason distinction, while State was tabbed second in the western division.
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Junior Justin Foscue was the lone Bulldog to earn first-team preseason All-SEC, while juniors Tanner Allen, Josh Hatcher, Rowdey Jordan and Jordan Westburg each earned second team honors. State's five honorees were tied for the most on the preseason All-SEC teams with Vanderbilt.
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Along with the preseason all-conference teams, the conference coaches voted on projected order of finish for each division, along with the voting on the overall championship. The Diamond Dawgs were tabbed to finish second in the SEC Western Division, while earning one vote for the overall SEC championship.
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A consensus preseason All-American, Foscue will look to build off of a breakout sophomore campaign which saw him earn first-team All-America honors and a spot on the first-team All-SEC squad in 2019. His .331 batting average was No. 2 on the team, while he paced the Bulldogs in home runs (14), total bases (155) and slugging percentage (.564).
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Foscue piled up 91 hits during the 2019 run to the College World Series, a total that ranked No. 12 nationally. The Huntsville, Alabama, native spent his summer starting at second base for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
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After earning first-team All-SEC and third-team All-America accolades in 2019, Allen ranked No. 4 nationally in hits (96) and No. 11 in doubles (23) in 2019. He finished second on the squad in batting average (.349) and led the team with 66 RBIs, before spending his summer with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
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Allen put up career numbers as a sophomore in 2019, as he added 56 runs scored and reached base via walk or hit-by-pitch on 40 occasions to just 37 strikeouts. Over two seasons, Allen has started all 135 games in his career and carries a .318 career batting average into his junior season.
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Hatcher earns a nod on the preseason all-conference squad after appearing in 45 games in 2019 and owing a .321 batting average in 28 starts at various positions. A member of the 2019 NCAA Starkville Regional All-Tournament Team, Hatcher posted career highs in both batting average and RBIs (21).
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After earning MVP honors at the 2019 NCAA Starkville Regional, Jordan will move into centerfield for the 2020 campaign. His 2019 season included career highs in runs scored (55), hits (74), RBIs (49) and stolen bases (11). For his career, Jordan has appeared in 124 games with 117 starts and enters the season with a career .304 batting average.
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Playing the premier position on the diamond, Westburg had a breakout year at the plate and has peppered the preseason All-America teams heading into 2020. Westburg was a main cog in one of the nation's toughest offensive lineups, reaching base in 63 of 66 games played, which included four double-digit reached base streaks.
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Westburg more than doubled most of his numbers from 2018 to 2019 and started 66 of 67 games at shortstop. He led the team in runs scored (68), walks (39) and hit-by-pitch (12), ranked second in RBIs (61) and was fourth in hits (78) and doubles (21). He boasted a .294 batting average and .402. on-base percentage, while compiling 121 total bases during the season.
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The Bulldogs open the 2020 season with a three-game series at Dudy Noble Field against Horizon League champion Wright State from Feb. 14-16. The season opener is slated for 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14. The series continues with a 2 p.m. start on Saturday, Feb. 15 and 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday, Feb. 16.
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Junior Justin Foscue was the lone Bulldog to earn first-team preseason All-SEC, while juniors Tanner Allen, Josh Hatcher, Rowdey Jordan and Jordan Westburg each earned second team honors. State's five honorees were tied for the most on the preseason All-SEC teams with Vanderbilt.
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Along with the preseason all-conference teams, the conference coaches voted on projected order of finish for each division, along with the voting on the overall championship. The Diamond Dawgs were tabbed to finish second in the SEC Western Division, while earning one vote for the overall SEC championship.
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A consensus preseason All-American, Foscue will look to build off of a breakout sophomore campaign which saw him earn first-team All-America honors and a spot on the first-team All-SEC squad in 2019. His .331 batting average was No. 2 on the team, while he paced the Bulldogs in home runs (14), total bases (155) and slugging percentage (.564).
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Foscue piled up 91 hits during the 2019 run to the College World Series, a total that ranked No. 12 nationally. The Huntsville, Alabama, native spent his summer starting at second base for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
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After earning first-team All-SEC and third-team All-America accolades in 2019, Allen ranked No. 4 nationally in hits (96) and No. 11 in doubles (23) in 2019. He finished second on the squad in batting average (.349) and led the team with 66 RBIs, before spending his summer with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
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Allen put up career numbers as a sophomore in 2019, as he added 56 runs scored and reached base via walk or hit-by-pitch on 40 occasions to just 37 strikeouts. Over two seasons, Allen has started all 135 games in his career and carries a .318 career batting average into his junior season.
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Hatcher earns a nod on the preseason all-conference squad after appearing in 45 games in 2019 and owing a .321 batting average in 28 starts at various positions. A member of the 2019 NCAA Starkville Regional All-Tournament Team, Hatcher posted career highs in both batting average and RBIs (21).
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After earning MVP honors at the 2019 NCAA Starkville Regional, Jordan will move into centerfield for the 2020 campaign. His 2019 season included career highs in runs scored (55), hits (74), RBIs (49) and stolen bases (11). For his career, Jordan has appeared in 124 games with 117 starts and enters the season with a career .304 batting average.
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Playing the premier position on the diamond, Westburg had a breakout year at the plate and has peppered the preseason All-America teams heading into 2020. Westburg was a main cog in one of the nation's toughest offensive lineups, reaching base in 63 of 66 games played, which included four double-digit reached base streaks.
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Westburg more than doubled most of his numbers from 2018 to 2019 and started 66 of 67 games at shortstop. He led the team in runs scored (68), walks (39) and hit-by-pitch (12), ranked second in RBIs (61) and was fourth in hits (78) and doubles (21). He boasted a .294 batting average and .402. on-base percentage, while compiling 121 total bases during the season.
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The Bulldogs open the 2020 season with a three-game series at Dudy Noble Field against Horizon League champion Wright State from Feb. 14-16. The season opener is slated for 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14. The series continues with a 2 p.m. start on Saturday, Feb. 15 and 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday, Feb. 16.
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