Why Mississippi State baseball's Chris Lemonis trusts Hunter Hines, Dakota Jordan amid slump
HOOVER, Ala. — Hunter Hines was walking somberly toward the Mississippi State baseball dugout when teammate David Mershon stopped him. Speaking in a tone inaudible to anyone but themselves, Mershon delivered words of encouragement to the slumping slugger.
No. 5 seed Mississippi State lost 4-3 against No. 8 seed Vanderbilt at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium as Thursday night turned to Friday morning. The defeat gave the Bulldogs (38-20) their first lost of the SEC tournament, sending them into the loser’s bracket where an elimination game against No. 1 seed Tennessee (47-11) awaits on Friday.
While a plethora of sequences go into deciding a one-run game, one factor looms more obvious than others.
Hines went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Dakota Jordan, a likely first round pick in July’s MLB Draft, went 0-for-4 with three whiffs. While the Bulldogs have put together an exciting week in Hoover, their stars remain hitless in the tournament.
So in that quiet moment with the team packed up and heading back to its hotel, Mershon spoke to Hines.
“They know who they are,” Mershon said of his message to the stars. “We know who they are. Just try to keep them in the right mindset and right frame of mind. I mean, they’re going to come around. We all know that. We’re excited for when it happens.”
Hines has been at the heart of State’s offensive success throughout his three years with the Bulldogs – something the Commodores (38-20) are aware of. In a late-April series win at Vanderbilt, Hines hit three home runs. Among those was a two-run blast to turn a one-run deficit in the ninth inning of a rubber match into a one-run victory.
He has 15 home runs this season and 53 in his career, which ranks fifth in program history. However, Hines has only one hit since May 11.
"Changing rhythms," Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin said of the key to slowing down Hines. "Throwing the fastball in when applicable and then going away from him."
Jordan has matched, if not beat, Hines’ production this year. He has a team-best 17 home runs while hitting .335 – numbers worthy of earning him the 2024 Ferriss Trophy. But he’s hitless in his last 18 at-bats while striking out seven times in that span.
“Just pressing. Trying to do too much,” coach Chris Lemonis said. “That’s what happens in this game. I hate it for them. It’s such a fun time of year to play, and they’re struggling a little bit. But they can be ready tomorrow. You’ve just got to have the right mindset and attitude and come out here and compete.”
TEAM LEADER: David Mershon is Mississippi State baseball's voice — from field, faith to national anthem
Thrilling victories against Ole Miss and Texas A&M didn’t blind Lemonis from recognizing the struggles of his stars, which affected the offense as a whole. He swapped the two in Wednesday’s lineup, hitting Hines third and Jordan fourth.
Against Vanderbilt, he kept Jordan hitting fourth while moving Hines to seventh in the order.
Eventually, he removed Jordan from the lineup altogether. Freshman Nolan Stevens replaced him in right field for the ninth inning. In the bottom half of the frame, with Mississippi State down two and the tying run at the plate, Nate Chester hit in Jordan’s spot – marking only the 33rd at-bat of the season for the junior infielder.
Rejuvenating the offense in an elimination game won’t be easy with Lemonis expecting to face Tennessee’s Drew Beam.
If MSU is going to break through and keep its run in Hoover alive, it feels as though a big night from Hines or Jordan will be necessary.
“They’ve been able to do it all year,” Lemonis said. “They’ve had bad games. They’ve come back and had good games. They’re super talented players, and they can get hot in an instant. Right now, they’re just trying to do a little too much.”
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State baseball vs. Vanderbilt: Stars continue SEC tournament slump
