One Last Ride | By Hunter Hines
Hunter Hines
5/29/2025
Here we go. What a ride it’s been.
No matter what the next few days or weeks hold, I know I’m in my final moments as a Bulldog baseball player. It’s been such an honor to wear the Mississippi State uniform.
It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s always been amazing.
It’s been an honor to play for this place and play for you, the fans. There have been so many people behind me these last four years.
Even in hard times, there were so many that supported us and supported me. I have always appreciated that. It’s meant a lot to me. This place is special. You all are special. It’s made being here a blast.
It’s been four years of ups and downs. My first two years were great for my success, but it was also hard at the same time because we took some lumps as a team. Then, last year, it kind of flip-flopped and we had success as a group, but I wasn’t always clicking individually.
Still, it was a pretty easy choice to come back for this season. It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Aside from all that’s happened on the field (I’ll talk more about that in a minute) it was a blessing to team up with Make-A-Wish. It was awesome to help them raise a lot of money that I know will go to help others. It was a really cool experience.
I’ve also treasured everything that’s happened on the diamond. It’s unbelievable to know I’ve now hit more home runs than anyone in Mississippi State history.
I can’t lie. I’ve felt some pressure these last couple of years as the record got closer. Last year, in addition to the record, I felt pressure knowing there was a chance I could get drafted. That’s a different kind of pressure that’s difficult to explain. It’s tough.
Then coming back this year, after not breaking the record early on and you look up and you’re halfway through the season and still have several more to hit, that created a little more pressure for me. I came back for this fourth year, and it was kind of like, ‘If I come up short of the record, that’s going to be a little rough.’
When I finally hit that record-breaking homer at Missouri, it was like a weight lifted off of me. That’s a hard record to break, and I hope somebody is able to break mine one day, but it’s really cool to know my name will be around here forever and ever.
The record means a lot to me, and I know it means a lot to my family as well. My dad actually played against Rafael Palmeiro and Will Clark when my dad played ball at Mississippi College. I know my success means so much to my dad because of how much he helped me growing up.
He taught me how to play kind of an old-school way. We didn’t always go to showcases and things. He just taught me to be an old, country type of hitter. So, for me to have the home run record and have our last name up at the top of the list, it means a lot to us because of how much we love the game and how much work we put into it together.
As great as all that was though, baseball is still a team sport and I’m so grateful to once again be a part of a group that’s going back to the NCAA Tournament. We certainly had to dig deep and earn it after things weren’t going so well for a bit.
I think the biggest thing for us was just coming together as a team and relaxing and playing the game. We just made the game fun again.
Losing is always hard, and it had gotten to a point where I think we were almost scared to lose. You can’t play the game that way. I think we were able to turn it around because we started playing hard, having fun, enjoying it and playing for each other. The rest took care of itself.
I don’t know what’ll happen this postseason, but I feel like the joy we’ve been playing with is just going to carry over. We’re going to Tallahassee and going to play hard and have fun and know that we have the ability to play with any team in the country. We just have to do exactly what we’ve been doing the last month.
Whenever it’s all over, it’s going to be bittersweet to move on to the next phase. Like I said earlier, it’s been an honor to wear the M-over-S.
I’ve always said I’m the type of guy you think about when you think about a Mississippi State baseball player. I’m kind of the mold of a Bulldog.
I’m just a small-town boy. I’m country. I’m not very flashy, but so many of our greats haven’t been. They’ve just been guys that are committed to getting the job done. That’s me in a nutshell.
So yeah, my time here has been absolutely wonderful. Mississippi State and its people have always been so loyal to me and I’m loyal to everyone here. I always wanted to stay loyal, too.
I know there’s a transfer portal these days, but that’s just not my style. I always wanted to play here and that’s what I was going to do.
I’m a Bulldog through and through, and I’m ready to do all I can to play in Maroon and White a little while longer.
