No Moment Too Big
April 17, 2023 | Baseball
Young Diamond Dawgs are shining.
STARKVILLE – Being a young player on a college sports team can be intimidating to say the least.
There's a new environment to adjust to, tough opponents to go up against and high expectations to meet, not to even mention the countless other challenges that come with being an everyday college student. Rookies and other underclassmen find themselves in the same boat at the beginning of the season, and the best of the best are able to repeatedly rise to the occasion at the end of the day.
That was certainly the case in Mississippi State's seventh-consecutive series victory against Ole Miss over the weekend.
There has been a slew of young Diamond Dawgs taking the field through the first half of the season. From rookie studs such as Dakota Jordan and Ross Highfill to sophomore returners Hunter Hines and Slate Alford, the youngest student-athletes on the squad have made some of the biggest impacts, and they just keep exceeding expectations.
"They're learning, they're getting better every day," head coach Chris Lemonis said. "We have good, young players, and they're starting to play like older players."
Jordan stepped up in a record-setting crowd and delivered the walk-off base hit to even up the series on Saturday. Hines hammered a two-run shot to put the Diamond Dawgs ahead for good in the Sunday matinee. Even with young bats up and down the lineup, there was no wavering against an experienced pitching staff on one of the biggest athletics weekends of the year. Rather, there were ample opportunities to shine and build momentum at the plate and the youthful Bulldogs delivered.
"It's hard to pitch to our lineup when we're rolling," Hines said.
The bats provided a spark that lit Dudy Noble Field on fire, but Mississippi State's pitchers kept Ole Miss from making an explosion of its own. Ambidextrous pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje set the tone with his best outing of the season: a stellar performance in which he gave up just one run and struck out seven batters. The freshman walked off to a roaring standing ovation from the crowd and received a second round of applause as he made his way to the bullpen following his outing.
Even after his Sunday showing, Cijntje was quick to share that he's not the only member of the young Diamond Dawgs pitching staff who has been making positive strides and that's a sign of good things to come for the program.
"Everybody's got their stuff together," Cijntje said. "We've just got to go right now and keep winning series."
What's just as notable as the mound appearances that MSU's younger pitchers put together was the environment in which they competed in. Dudy Noble Field set another national record for on-campus attendance on Saturday night, with just north of 16,400 people cramming in to get a view of the game. In fact, the crowd of roughly 43,000 fans that came throughout the weekend was the most in a series in Mississippi State history. That can be an overwhelming environment for any baseball player, no matter the age or experience level.
Everyone on the field certainly felt that, especially those on the mound in the most crucial moments. When sophomore transfer Nate Dohm ran out to compete late in Saturday's close contest, Lemonis shared how he felt as his ace reliever took in his surroundings.
"You'll probably never pitch in that intense of a moment until you're in the big leagues," Lemonis said. "You're going out there and this place is rocking."
For many of the young Diamond Dawgs, the weekend meant just a little bit more because of their Mississippi ties. It was their first Super Bulldog Weekend against their instate rival, and there was much more on the line than just another win. Those who grew up in the Magnolia State — from the Jackson Metro to the Coast — have seen the impact that the rivalry has had since they were just kids playing travel ball.
"You're a Mississippi kid, and it matters," Lemonis said.
This season's trials and adversity paired with the success and moments of glory have shaped the young Diamond Dawgs into a force to be reckoned with in all aspects of the game. They're growing up and filling into their roles right before everyone's eyes.
"We're probably one of the younger teams in our league right now, but those kids, they're not young anymore," Lemonis said.
A successful weekend was had, and now it's time to carry that success through the second half of the conference slate. Now all Diamond Dawgs – the young ones and older ones – will try and keep building and growing.
