Jordan’s Talent Shines Through For State
March 29, 2023 | Baseball
Freshman came up big for MSU on Tuesday.
STARKVILLE – Young baseball players who can compete immediately at the highest level are hard to come by, but as he's already done a few times already this year, Dakota Jordan showed again on Tuesday how he certainly has the skills to be a force for Mississippi State.
The freshman had his first-ever multi-hit game in the Maroon and White en route to a 9-4 victory over Samford. Jordan finished with three hits in four at-bats, driving in two runs and scoring one of his own. Head coach Chris Lemonis was impressed, but not surprised, by his rookie's performance.
"I thought he was great," Lemonis said. "We all know how special of a player he is."
The big moments didn't faze Jordan, and he rose to the occasion in each at-bat Tuesday. His first plate appearance in the second inning resulted in a single that sent teammate Connor Hujsak to third base. Hujsak was able to steal home and score the first run of the game for the Bulldogs only moments later.
The big — and bigger — hits kept on coming for Jordan. He pushed Mississippi State ahead for good in the fifth inning, rocketing a double down the left-field line with the bases loaded and two outs. Two runs were able to score on the momentum-changing play. In a moment that sometimes even seasoned veterans struggle to compete in, Jordan said that he felt like his old self.
"It felt good just being out there, just swinging how I was swinging in the fall and spring, calming the game down, letting the game come to me and just helping my team out the best way I can," Jordan said.
That mentality shows that Jordan has a maturity well above that of an average college freshman. He's worked hard since arriving on campus to show that he can be everything that his teammates and coaches expect of him, and it's beginning to pay off as he continues to adjust to collegiate-level baseball.
Lemonis understands that the SEC is a tough conference, especially for a newcomer. Still, the head coach has big plans for Jordan and believes that he could be what the team needs to put together some impressive outings in conference play.
"He's working to get back in the mix," Lemonis said. "It's not easy for freshmen to just jump into the SEC and play, and he could be a huge spark for us there."
Jordan believes that not only can he do big things for Mississippi State, but his fellow freshmen can as well. The class is locked in and ready to compete, seemingly unintimidated by anything. As Jordan said, they are each prepared to come in and make big things happen for their team.
"[My class] came together just telling ourselves, 'Just go out there, compete, be ourselves, do whatever we've got to do to help our team win,'" Jordan said. "That's exactly what I think we're doing."
There's still plenty of baseball left to be played, and Jordan is heating up at just the right time. The rookie and his fellow Diamond Dawgs have a big opportunity ahead of them, as South Carolina will visit an intimidating environment at Dudy Noble Field this weekend.
