Making The Most Of His 'Chance'
February 20, 2023 | Baseball
STARKVILLE – Several newcomers contributed to Mississippi State's success during the Diamond Dawgs' opening series victory over the weekend.
And although Bryce Chance may not be new to MSU, the VMI series was his first opportunity to see the field after redshirting last spring. Chance served as the designated hitter in all three games and ended up earning SEC Co-Freshman of the Week honors for his standout performance.
"It meant everything," Chance said. "I've had opening day marked down on my calendar for a long time."
Chance didn't learn he would be in the opening day lineup until the Bulldogs began taking batting practice prior to Friday's game.
"I'd been working for that spot for a while and knew I'd put myself in a pretty good position for it," Chance said. "I didn't necessarily expect it, but I was really hopeful that I'd be in the lineup."
The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder affectionately known as "Beans" by his teammates made the most of his No. 8 spot in the order on opening night, going 3 for 5 with three RBIs and finished a triple shy of the cycle.
Chance doubled in his second career at bat for his first hit and followed up with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning that proved to be State's first round-tripper of the year.
"It felt pretty good, it was everything I could've imagined," Chance said. "I don't think anybody would've guessed that (I'd be the first player to homer). That was pretty cool to have that to just put a stamp on things."
But Chance's tear at the plate didn't end there. He followed up with a 3 for 4 showing on Saturday with three singles and four runs batted in. The Ridgeland native finished the weekend with a team-high .583 batting average going 7 for 12 with a double, homer, seven RBIs and one stolen base.
"He's been playing like that every day in our scrimmages so this was no different," said head coach Chris Lemonis. "He's a special kid. He's not real big and probably not my fastest thrower or runner, but he really hits and loves the game of baseball. It's a really fun story with him because he puts his heart and soul into it."
Chance originally signed with Hinds Community College out of Madison-Ridgeland Academy where he hit .481 with 14 doubles, one triple, nine homers and 47 RBIs as a senior. But a phone conversation with MSU hitting coach Jake Gautreau and a subsequent offer in his final year at MRA was all the convincing the lifelong Bulldog fan needed to change his college destination.
However, it just wasn't in the cards for Chance to play right away in Starkville. And even while redshirting in 2022, Chance was clamoring for a way to still help the team. He volunteered to be the Bulldogs' first base coach but was unable to because he didn't dress for SEC games or travel with the team.
"Last year was probably the toughest year that I've had baseball-wise," Chance said. "But I wouldn't trade it for anything because it gave me a chance to get my body right and get good at what I'm doing."
As soon as the spring semester ended last year, Chance departed for Danville, Illinois to spend his summer playing in the Prospect League. In 37 games for the Dans, Chance hit .313 with eight doubles, one triple and drove in 31 runs. He also swiped 18 bases and finished with a .448 on-base percentage.
Chance's strong summer spearheaded his return to Starkville this past fall where he has continued to surge at the plate. And his contributions on opening weekend only help to further prove that all his hard work and sacrifices over the past year were absolutely worth it.
"It's a dream and I wouldn't want to be doing this anywhere else," Chance said.
