Vets To Set Stage For Dawgs On Opening Weekend
February 11, 2025 | Baseball, Joel Coleman
Trio of experienced arms get first crack at MSU’s starting rotation spots.
STARKVILLE – There is just no substitute for experience. So, it should come as little surprise then that when Mississippi State opens up its 2025 baseball season this weekend, head coach Chris Lemonis has chosen to get this year off and running on the backs of Bulldogs that have been under the bright lights of Dudy Noble Field before.
Junior Pico Kohn, senior Karson Ligon and graduate Stone Simmons are all set to take the ball to start State's first three games. Kohn will toe the slab on Opening Day against Manhattan at 4 p.m. on Friday, while Ligon is set for Saturday's 2 p.m. tilt ahead of Simmons hurling in Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale.
"Handing it to some older guys that are out there," Lemonis explained. "We have a lot of guys in the mix that could start. A lot of our talent on the mound is young. They probably haven't been out there in The Dude yet [for a regular game]…But I do think some of the younger guys can really fight for some starting rolls down the road."
But before any pups get a chance to perform, it'll be the old Dawgs looking to set the tone with their own barks and bites. Kohn, Ligon and Simmons each bring high levels of not only experience, but toughness and resilience into their weekend opportunities. Their personal backgrounds make them ideal as team leaders and table setters.
The left-handed Kohn has fought his way into being a top-of-the-rotation piece. Remember, this is a young man that missed the entirety of the 2023 season recovering from injury following a promising debut campaign in 2022. Last year, Kohn once again showed flashes of his tremendous potential with his final showing of the season illustrating his capability to head a pitching staff.
Facing Virginia in the Charlottesville Regional Finals, Kohn had a career day. He struck out eight Cavaliers in seven innings of work, allowing just six hits and two earned runs.
"You know, when you go back to that Virginia game and he's 92, 94 [miles per hour] against arguably one of the best offensive lineups in college baseball…That's what you were hoping for when you got [Kohn] back," Lemonis said. "And he's kind of been back in that form this spring training.
"So, he came back [to MSU this year] for a reason. He really wanted to get better. I think he's the heaviest he's been in his career. I think he's mechanically the strongest he's been in his career. So, I'm excited for him. I think he has an exciting season ahead of him."
Lemonis is also incredibly optimistic about Ligon. The Sarasota, Florida, native, who was a highly-thought-of transfer from Miami a year ago, seems primed to be an even bigger part of things for State this year after his initial year in Starkville.
Ligon had a bit of a bumpy beginning to 2024, but settled into a mainly-bullpen role and didn't allow an earned run in eight of his last 11 appearances – all but one of which lasted at least an inning.
Lemonis explained earlier this week that Ligon was a bit banged up heading into last year, and this season, health and development has Ligon eying big things.
"This time last year, I don't even know if [Ligon] was throwing," Lemonis said. "The mechanics were off. But he's done a great job with [pitching coach Justin Parker] working to get back. He's still got some work to do. I think he'll tell you that. But you're getting a 22-year-old guy who's pitched in a lot of big-time college baseball games and atmospheres. It's real plus stuff."
Then, there's Simmons who is knocking at the door of a return three years in the making. The big 6-foot-4, 235-pound right-hander out of Houston, Texas, last pitched for MSU on March 5, 2022. Since then, he's battled through injury and setbacks to put himself in line for his official return to the mound.
Simmons' personal tale is one defined by faith and grit, but Lemonis insists this is far from just a feel-good fairy tale. Lemonis is confident Simmons is about to be a productive part of the MSU pitching staff, even though Simmons will start the season somewhat limited as compared to others.
"[Simmons] is probably a week behind everybody else," Lemonis said. "Just building up his volume right now is the most important thing for us, trying to get him to the right volume and not push him too hard too early. So, you'll see us handle him probably a little different than some of the other starters. But he's so efficient. He's probably the most efficient pitcher we have that, you know, he can run out there and give you some really quick innings."
Another sidenote on Simmons – he's the lone Bulldog on the roster that was a part of MSU's 2021 national championship team. Outside of what Simmons brings between the lines, he knows what it takes to not just get to the College World Series, but to dogpile in Omaha.
That remains the goal at Mississippi State. A June trip to Nebraska is always the standard. This weekend, Kohn, Ligon and Simmons will try and do their parts to go ahead and start pointing the Dawgs northward.
"We want to go to Omaha," Lemonis said. "I'm pretty confident in this group. We've had a good spring training. We had a good fall. I think we have some nice pieces.
"We still need to see some guys in between the lines on game day in the uni do it, but I like our group a lot."
