Ready When Called

OMAHA, Neb. – Josh Hatcher can disclose his strategy now.

It was the eighth inning on Tuesday night as Mississippi State was rallying against Virginia. Kellum Clark had just crushed a two-run homer for the Bulldogs to get them going. MSU was still down 4-2 though, so when Hatcher came to the plate for his pinch-hit appearance, he knew there was still work to be done. What was the plan?

"I was trying to do the same thing [Clark] did," Hatcher says now, behind a little smile.

As it turned out, Hatcher had to settle for an infield single. It restarted the Diamond Dawg rally and helped lead State to an epic comeback victory. Tanner Allen made the highlight reels for his go-ahead three-run homer. It was Hatcher though who put Allen's later heroics in motion.

"A lot of people are going to remember Rowdey [Jordan's} double and my home run, but I'm going to tell you one thing that won't go unnoticed is Josh Hatcher's two-strike fight at the plate, to put the ball in play and get something started," Allen said postgame. "That was big time."

Now remember, Hatcher came off the bench to provide his key hit. The former starting first baseman has played the stretch run of this season and postseason in a reserve role. But with head held high and a job still to do, Hatcher has handled the situation the only way he knows how – like a classy pro.

"I can only control what I can control," Hatcher said. "I don't write the lineup. I just do what I do every single day. And when my name is called, I have to be ready – whether that's defense or hitting."

The Foundation

It's said that with age comes wisdom. Well Hatcher has done it all and seen it all over his four years with Mississippi State, so there's little chance of him doing anything other than having a team-first attitude for the Bulldogs.

You might recall Hatcher's freshman season in 2018. He was quickly thrust into a tough spot, having to play first base and fill the shoes left behind by Brent Rooker – the man who'd in 2017 just become only the second triple crown winner in Southeastern Conference history.

"It's in your mind a little bit," Hatcher says now of the pressures of playing Rooker's old spot. "But I was just going out there and trying to play how I can play. I think it was after we went on the road trip to [an early-season tournament] in Texas, I had a good weekend out there. I saw [Rooker] quoted a tweet about one of the games I'd had. That was pretty cool."

Not only was Hatcher trying to replace a Bulldog legend, he was also being used on the mound some. Hatcher saw three pitching appearances in his debut season. Now Hatcher prefers to hit and play every day, but if the Bulldogs needed him on the bump, well, Hatcher wasn't going to say, 'No'.

"It was something I was good at," Hatcher said of pitching. "I just did it because they needed me to or wanted me to."

Over the years, Hatcher kept doing whatever was asked of him. As a freshman, in addition to playing first and pitching, he also was the designated hitter some and played a game in left field. In 2019, he had appearances in left field, right field and at DH. Hatcher then started all 16 games at first base in last year's COVID-19 shortened season. He batted .311 and was on a seven-game hitting streak when the world essentially shut down.

After years of kind of bouncing around the field, doing any and everything that was asked of him, Hatcher was finally settling in headed into this season.

The Adversity

Baseball has always been and will forever be an unpredictable game. Unfortunately for Hatcher, the difficulty and, sometimes, just flat-out bad luck in the game he loves dealt him a mid-season changing of roles.

After being State's primary starter at first in February, March and April, Hatcher became a key reserve for the Bulldogs starting in the month of May. Now like any ballplayer, Hatcher would love to play every single inning, every single day. He doesn't shy away from it.

"It's definitely been different not being out there," Hatcher said. "It's tough obviously, but I can't control that."

So Hatcher does what Hatcher does. He plays the hand he's dealt. And ask any of his teammates or his head coach and they'll tell you Hatcher has played that hand about as perfectly as possible.

When State has needed a late-inning defensive replacement at first, Hatcher has been ready and has provided the Bulldogs with numerous clutch scoops and grabs to help secure games. He's also sitting on go if needed to pinch hit, like he was against Virginia last Tuesday. Yes, Hatcher's role has changed, but his mentality towards helping his team hasn't wavered at all.

"He's not pouted or anything," State head coach Chris Lemonis said. "He's one of our energy guys. He's cheering guys on. That's why we have a great team. We have some selfless guys like that that let you keep playing and keep doing. And when his opportunity came [against Virginia], he got a huge hit for us."

Says Allen: "[Hatcher] hasn't got to play much lately, but I never doubted him."

Unselfish and a winner – It's just who Hatcher is. Is it his ideal situation? No. But make no mistake about it, he's still finding ways to help push Mississippi State towards its ultimate goal.

"I think it comes down to what kind of person you are and how you were raised," Hatcher said. "If you're in there and gonna sit there and cry and pout about it, that's not gonna do nothing for anybody. So I just go in there and cheer on everybody that I can."

The Legacy

The way Hatcher has handled his business has ensured that whenever his Mississippi State career ends, he'll always be considered among the key pieces in Bulldog history. He's now done what only two other Bulldogs have done before.

Hatcher, along with his teammates Jordan and Allen, are the only MSU players to ever play in the College World Series on three different occasions. Making it more impressive is how they've done it in three straight completed seasons.

"It means a lot," Hatcher says of the accomplishment. "It's not easy getting [to Omaha]. For us to do it three times in a row for the three full seasons that we've played, that just tells you a lot about who we are."

And how Hatcher has dealt with the last few weeks has said a lot about who he is. Off the field, Hatcher is the same guy he's always been. To watch him interact with his teammates, you'd never guess he's had a season that has been trying at times.

Hatcher's teammates love him. And he loves them. Even with all the College World Series appearances and magical moments, Hatcher's unbreakable bond with his Bulldog brothers might forever be his lasting legacy.

"You have to have your boys," Hatcher said. "That's what it takes to get to [a College World Series] and win it. Nobody has been through what you've been through except for those guys."

Those guys absolutely all know what Hatcher has experienced. They've seen it, and they've appreciated and admired the man that has exemplified what sports is supposed to be all about: team over self.

Mississippi State University Athletics

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