Norris, Bradford Sidelined By Injuries; Brownlee To Undergo Surgery
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Injuries sustained during Mississippi State's 10-6 Wednesday win over Penn State have sidelined sophomore standouts Daryl Norris and C.T. Bradford. Bradford, MSU's starting center fielder, is expected to miss one to two weeks with an injury to his right shoulder (subluxation) while Norris, State's starting third baseman, will be out for four to six weeks with a knee injury (subluxation).
A third member of the Mississippi State baseball team, senior outfielder Brent Brownlee (Oxford, Miss.) was scheduled to undergo corrective surgery in Columbus, Miss., Thursday to repair a knee cap injury (chondromalacia).
"Injuries are a part of the game, but it really hurts when you lose two guys who are at the top of their game." Said MSU head coach John Cohen. "We'll be a much better club when we get them back. It's disappointing, but now we have to come together as a club and have some players step up in their absence."
Bradford (Pace, Fla.), a 2011 SEC All-Freshman Team selection and a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, sustained a stretched ligament when his shoulder popped out of its socket while he was sliding into second base in the fifth inning of Wednesday's game. Norris (Fairhope, Ala.) sustained a knee cap injury during a seventh-inning plate appearance. He fouled off a pitch and during the swing his knee cap popped out of its socket. Brownlee's surgery was scheduled to correct a grinding of his femur with his knee cap.
Bradford is hitting .309 and shares the team lead with 13 RBI, while Norris owns a .375 batting average and ranks second on the club with 21 hits and 12 RBI. Brownlee has drawn six starts and played in seven games this spring, compiling a .250 batting average.
No. 23 Mississippi State (12-2) wraps up a 17-game season-opening homestand this weekend with a three-game series against Mercer University.