Downs Making His Breathrough
March 21, 2024 | Baseball
STARKVILLE - Aaron Downs has worked hard for his moment to shine with the Diamond Dawgs, and he's finally seeing it all pay off.
It all started in Mississippi State's 2-1 extra-inning victory over New Orleans on March 13. The junior entered the lineup as a pinch-hitter and knocked in the winning run with the bases loaded in a moment that he'll likely never forget.
That gave Downs a chance to prove himself as he earned a spot in the starting lineup for the squad's SEC-opening series against LSU. He didn't disappoint, going 7-of-14 at the plate with three RBIs, five runs scored and a series victory. The slugger was given another starting opportunity as State faced Memphis and drove in three more runs en route to his team's 17-9 win.
Through each strong swing of the bat, Downs has faith in his abilities and he knows exactly where it comes from.
"I've got a lot of confidence from playing well, coaches believing in me and my teammates believing in me," Downs said. "It's been super fun, and we've had a lot of success in the past few games."
Head coach Chris Lemonis, who has guided the Dawgs to a 16-6 record so far this season, has also been impressed by Downs.
"He's been a big piece for us, I mean, he's playing really well right now," Lemonis said. "He gives a little production in that lineup, lengthens our lineup."
If you knew the left fielder's backstory, then it would be no surprise that he has always worked hard to reach his full potential.
"My story is kind of crazy," Downs said, "I've made a bunch of different connections with a bunch of people."
It all started when the Pella, Iowa native, linked up with an organization in Tennessee that was committed to helping him reach the next level.
"There's an agency in Nashville that I got hooked up with, and there's a guy on their staff from Iowa," Downs said. "His uncle happened to be my mom's boss at the school she works at."
After this chance meeting, the agency knew that there was a wonderful spot down South for Downs to continue to grow as a baseball player.
"They hooked me up with an organization called East Coast Sox, which is based out of Columbus, Mississippi," Downs said.
East Coast Sox is an elite summer baseball club that focuses on each player's growth both on the diamond and as a member of the Christian faith. Downs, who is a devout Christian himself, eagerly jumped at the chance to join the program, and the details quickly began to fall into place.
"My host dad was the owner of the East Coast Sox and they invited me in 2018 to come live with them just for the summer because in Iowa, we play high school baseball in the summertime, everybody else plays in the springtime," Downs said. "So I came down here, fell in love with it, played a lot of great competition and then they offered me to come live with them and finish high school down here."
The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity ultimately proved to be beneficial for the talented slugger, but it wasn't easy. Downs had to uproot his entire life and leave his cozy hometown of a little more than 10,000 people to spend some of the biggest years of his early life in a place that was still so new to him.
It didn't take long for Downs to find his place at Heritage Academy in Columbus and eventually the Magnolia State felt like a second home.
"It was a big jump moving 740 miles from home, away from parents [to] finish high school, but I was blessed with a great host family," Downs said.
The 6-foot, 210-pounder made his debut for MSU in 2022 as one of the top prospects in the country. Downs saw action in 18 games as a freshman and 19 games as a sophomore as he worked to figure out how to best serve the team.
"Over the last couple of years, I didn't really know my role, but I always believed in myself and my teammates believed in me," Downs said. "I was always super close to making that breakthrough to getting in the lineup. I was in the lineup here and there the first couple of years but could never solidly get a spot in the lineup."
Through thick and thin, Downs has relied on his faith to keep him motivated. It's something that has always been an important part of his life, and it has been key for him throughout his time in the Maroon and White.
"I know that God has a plan for me through everything, and there's more to life than just baseball," Downs said. "It's just something that we get to do, and there's so many different people that wish they could be in our shoes. I'm just beyond grateful that I get a platform like this to be able to tell others about the Lord."
Downs isn't the only one putting a major emphasis on practicing his faith. For many of State's student-athletes, spending pregame time in prayer and having conversations about their beliefs has become an important part of their everyday routine.
"Our culture is definitely starting to begin to change with guys reading their Bible in the locker rooms before games and guys just being open about their faith to one another."
Downs shared this message, which motivates him through each situation he faces under the lights at Dudy Noble Field and through his everyday life.
"When everything is going good, you've got to keep your eyes on the Lord, and when everything's going bad, you've got to keep your eyes on the Lord," Downs said. "He's the constant through it all."
Downs will undoubtedly continue to play his heart out night in and night out for Mississippi State as the Diamond Dawgs look to continue building off the momentum that they have started the season with. No matter what happens, he and his teammates will strive each week to bring the program back to championship heights.
"Whether we win or whether we lose, just keep getting better, keep growing closer together," Downs said. "We're just going to keep working hard and playing for each other."
