Pen Power Fueling Diamond Dawgs’ Surge
May 02, 2024 | Baseball, Joel Coleman
Tyson Hardin and Tyler Davis are anchoring a strong corps of State relievers.
STARKVILLE – With a perfectly-placed fastball over the outside corner, Mississippi State pitcher Tyson Hardin did it again.
It was Wednesday night down in Pearl and Hardin and the Bulldogs were just a strike away from a rivalry win over Ole Miss. The right-handed reliever fired the ball with pinpoint precision, the umpire called the punch out and it was game over.
Hardin nodded his head in celebration as his body language oozed confidence. And why not? Hardin and Mississippi State's bullpen have become a force to be reckoned with and they've helped push the Diamond Dawgs solidly into the NCAA Tournament hosting discussion.
"There is a lot of momentum," head coach Chris Lemonis said of his bullpen. "Those guys, they're feeling it right now. They're feeling good. They're stacking some good days and they're stacking them on top of each other, which is nice. It's fun to watch."
As of Thursday morning, MSU's RPI – a major factor in determining NCAA Tournament fate – was all the way up to No. 24 in the country. The Bulldogs will have the chance to make it climb even higher over the next 10 days with big series against Alabama and Arkansas on the horizon. Both the Crimson Tide and Razorbacks are higher in the RPI than State, giving MSU an incredible opportunity to further bolster its postseason resume.
One of the biggest reasons to like State's chances over the upcoming games is the work of Hardin and his pen mates. Hardin and Tyler Davis in particular have been outstanding. They've been absolutely electric as the Dawgs have won eight of their last nine contests.
Combined, the duo has thrown 11 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run and striking out 17 dating back to April 19. They have a couple of saves each in this span and have surrendered very little to opposing lineups at all, giving up only eight hits and two walks.
But for as easy as it is to brag on the work of Hardin and Davis, they haven't been alone in helping State reestablish itself as one of the country's top teams.
Cam Schuelke has posted scoreless appearances in six of his last seven outings, most notably tossing four shutout frames to earn a key midweek win over Memphis on April 23.
Karson Ligon hasn't given up a run or hit in any of his last three trips to the mound. He's been especially strong this week with an inning and a third of scoreless relief against Vanderbilt on Sunday to set up a come-from-behind victory. Then he backed that showing up with 1 2/3 innings without letting a Rebel touch home plate on Wednesday night.
"We just have a bunch of guys that just want to win," Hardin explained. "When it doesn't go our way, we know we're good enough. We can compete with anybody in the country. We can get it done anywhere."
It's as though State's relievers are pushing each other. One goes out and excels. The next Bulldog heads to the bump with an attitude of, 'OK, let me top it.'
"100 percent," Davis said, affirming how State is building on each other's momentum. "It's just like hitting. If you see two guys in front of you get a hit, you're more likely to get a hit. It's the same way with pitching. You see guys go out there and shove and you're trusting in them and they're trusting in you. It's a huge part of what we do."
Now, the Dawgs just need all the good work to continue. If it does, Dudy Noble will have the chance to host playoff baseball once more. At least one expert is expecting that to happen.
D1Baseball's Kendall Rogers posted to X on Wednesday night that he fully expects MSU to be an NCAA Tournament regional host if the rest of the regular season goes as he believes it will. However, it certainly bears reminding, there is no predicting the crazy game of baseball.
What's certain though is with a bullpen seemingly getting stronger by the day and a team that has proven itself to have a never-back-down mentality, fun and exciting days are surely ahead for the Dawgs.
"They have been super gritty all year so every time something has gone the other way against us, they have responded," Lemonis said of his squad. "That's a sign of a really good team. They're starting to build confidence and feel good about each other right now."
