Bulldog Bats Bounce Back
February 23, 2023 | Baseball
STARKVILLE - It's safe to say that Mississippi State woke its bats up in an impressive offensive showing against Louisiana-Monroe on Wednesday night.
The Diamond Dawgs ripped a dozen hits including three soaring home runs in a 14-3 victory over the Warhawks to head into a challenging upcoming weekend series against Arizona State with plenty of positive momentum.
Center fielder Colton Ledbetter got the home run derby started early for the Bulldogs with a two-run shot down the right-field line in the bottom of the fourth inning. The line drive blast registered an exit velocity of 117 mph off the bat.
It was the Ledbetter's second homer in the last four games, and he took a careful approach at the plate to get the job done.
"I figured a fastball was coming again," Ledbetter said. "I just tried to square it up, and it happened to go out."
Ledbetter had his moment of glory, but it wasn't long before his third baseman decided to catch up. Sophomore Slate Alford highlighted his day with a two-run rocket toward left-center field that traveled 460 feet — his first homer of the season. The ball became the first of the season to reach the Left Field Lofts, and luckily, no windows were harmed in the process.
Power hitter Dakota Jordan ultimately stole the show late in the seventh inning with one of the farthest home runs that Dudy Noble Field has seen in a long time. His first of likely many moonshots of the season sailed out of the stadium and landed 474 feet from where Jordan was standing at home plate, causing the crowd to erupt.
The freshman might have shocked Bulldog fans with his incredible swing, but head coach Chris Lemonis was not surprised to see it finally happen.
"He's hit them like that in our practices," Lemonis said. "It's just been crazy."
Three home runs were a key part of Mississippi State's victory, but a solid performance by catcher Ross Highfill added plenty to the team's success.
Highfill made a splash in his second start of the season, going 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and two doubles in critical moments. The freshman continued to show that he has not been even slightly intimidated by his transition to the next level, but he did note that playing against collegiate pitchers means that he has to be more careful with his approach at the plate.
"There's probably two pitches in a game that they'll miss and you've just got to be ready to attack them," Highfill said.
Mississippi State's numbers through just five games have been noteworthy. The Diamond Dawgs have combined for a team batting average of .337 with 26 extra-base hits and 11 homers already. Their offensive firepower will be huge as the season continues and they head into conference play. Lemonis believes that the team can only get stronger from here.
 "I feel like our best baseball is ahead of us," Lemonis said.
