Chasing History
May 10, 2023 | Baseball
Hunter Hines continues moving up in the MSU record books.
STARKVILLE – It seems Hunter Hines rarely takes a swing these days that doesn't bring the fans at Dudy Noble Field to their feet.
The sophomore has been a shining spot for Mississippi State this season with his remarkable power-hitting abilities. No matter the situation, Hines always has the chance to make a huge difference in every contest with his tendency to hit the ball out of the ballpark.
So far this season, Hines has recorded a whopping 22 home runs — an average of roughly one in every two games. He's had three multi-homer games. Time and time again, Hines has had big moments that have boosted the Diamond Dawgs and at all times, he poses a major threat to opponents.
Hines has put much of his focus into helping his team, but the program record for most home runs in a single season has been in the back of his mind. The slugger is currently tied with recent Ron Polk Ring of Honor inductee Tommy Raffo for sixth place in MSU history, and he's only a few more long balls away from catching up and passing the likes of Brent Rooker and Will Clark. But now that he's cemented himself in MSU history as a top-10 single-season home run hitter, Hines says that there's one particular former player that he's hoping to catch up to.
"Really the only name I'm looking at is [Rafael] Palmeiro. I'm trying to get to that," Hines said. "I just go out there every day and take good swings."
Hines has already halfway accomplished his goal of recording more home runs in a single season than Rafael Palmeiro. That's because the Mississippi State legend actually holds two top-10 single-season home run records in program history. Hines has easily surpassed the 20 home runs that Palmeiro hit in 1985, but Hines still has a few more to hit in order to tie or break the all-time record of 29 homers in a single season, set by both Palmeiro and another Bulldog great, Bruce Castoria.
It seems like nearly every towering shot that Hines hits flies over the outfield wall and into the student section of the Lounge. He's garnered national attention and earned the respect of conference pitchers and head coaches alike with his talent.
"When he hits some balls, some of the things he does are special," MSU head coach Chris Lemonis said.
All of Hines' accomplishments have not come without plenty of work put in. He's persevered through a frustrating wrist injury and a few tough games, but his determination has been unmatched. Hines has reaped the benefits of all of his hard work, and according to Lemonis, his presence in the locker room is just as important as his presence in the batter's box.
"He does some really special things," Lemonis said. "He's doing a good job coming every day working [and] leading. [He's] kind of the leader of that clubhouse in a lot of ways."
There are still at least a couple of weeks left in Mississippi State's season, and that's plenty of time for Hines to blast a few more home runs for his team as well as for some of college baseball's most loyal fans. No matter what happens through the final games of his sophomore season, one of the team's brightest stars has plenty to look forward to in the coming years as he continues to improve his game.
"I just got to keep working every day," Hines said.
