Attacking, Not Defending
February 17, 2022 | Baseball, Joel Coleman
This year’s Diamond Dawgs press on, leaving the past in the past.
STARKVILLE – In this life, time is undefeated. Sooner or later, the present always becomes the past. An is becomes a was. What's now quickly turns into back then.
It's no different with Mississippi State and its 2021 national championship. For as treasured as that glorious dogpile in Omaha was last June, it was then. This is now. And right here, right now, at the dawn of a new season, now is absolutely the only thing that matters for this group of Bulldogs.
"We celebrated the national championship in the fall," head coach Chris Lemonis said. "I felt like the kids deserved that and our community deserved that because [last summer after winning, we were] gone so fast… The message now is that it's a new season, and this is about us. It's not fair for this group to have the expectations of a last year's team. We've talked a good bit about not defending the national championship but attacking the next season – the next championship. We're going to put that trophy in a nice spot and everybody's going to remember that team forever, and then this program is going to move on and try to win another one."
The climb up the next mountain starts with Friday's 2 p.m. opener against Long Beach State at Dudy Noble Field. The Dirtbags will be the first in a long list of challengers that have put a target on Mississippi State's back.
You see, most opponents will get a glimpse of that MSU maroon and white and see the defending champs. What those foes don't realize is that the Bulldogs themselves have adopted a different mentality altogether.
"I don't think it's like that," Brad Cumbest said. "We're going to be gunning for THEM. The target's on their backs. We're just going to attack."
That's attacking with no glimpsing in the rearview mirror.
Sure, there's a decal on the centerfield wall celebrating last summer. And yes, the hardware earned in Nebraska will be on display in the concourse. There'll certainly be reminders of a year ago.
But again, that was all earned back then. It was earned when Landon Sims was a closing pitcher, not a Friday night starter. It was earned when names like RJ Yeager and Jess Davis played at schools not named Mississippi State. It was earned when true freshmen Hunter Hines, Slate Alford and others weren't in college at all.
Sure, the Bulldogs are reigning national champs. But THESE Bulldogs haven't won a thing. Not yet. So, they're not hanging their M-over-S hats on any already-recorded highlight reel, no matter how glorious it was.
"What we did last year was awesome; It was a first in school history, but we're not satisfied," Luke Hancock said. "We want to do the same thing this year. We just try to push [last year] to the side because that was last year and last year doesn't mean anything."
Adds Logan Tanner: "We still have a lot to prove. This is a new team with a lot of new faces. We have to get better every day and prove we belong, and we weren't just a one-trick pony."
There's really only one caveat to leaving last season behind. Remembering it does give Mississippi State a new opportunity – a new chance to capture a school first. And what's that goal exactly?
"I think it's the same goal, try to do something we've never done here before…It's about winning the second one," Lemonis said.
Yep. It checks out. Mississippi State indeed has never won two team national titles. So, it's time to get to work.
No looking back. No defending. No settling.
It's time to attack.
Play ball.
