What Mississippi State baseball lacked last year but already has in 2019

STARKVILE – Stadium construction, an 0-3 start and coaching chaos. Mississippi State had to deal with all of that last season. The calendar has since flipped and so have the Bulldogs’ circumstances.

Dudy Noble Field’s renovation is complete, the Bulldogs get to start the year with a three-game series against Youngstown State instead of a three-game set on the road at Southern Mississippi and the program has a new head coach who has intentions of staying here a while.

Even with last year’s setbacks and distractions, the Diamond Dawgs made it to the College World Series for the 10th time in program history. Now there is a word floating around the clubhouse that could make it an attainable aspiration for the team to make it to Omaha once again: organization.

Head coach Chris Lemonis learned that “organization is a man’s greatest asset” from his college coach Chal Port. Port and Lemonis represented The Citadel at the 1990 College World Series. Lemonis learned a lot from Port, most notably how to structure practices and meetings so that they are conducive to a student athlete’s lifestyle.

“They’re very stable,” small said of his new coaches. “The thing I like the most about it is it’s very organized and very on-schedule. We’re starting when we say we’re going to start and we’re finished when we’re supposed to be. I think consistency like that helps us get our work in and know what to expect.”

Mississippi State lacked organization and stability a year ago but was still able to be successful in the long run. Senior center-fielder Jake Mangum said the team didn't even have full practices during spring ball last season because of the stadium construction.

This year, the team had upward of a dozen scrimmages at Dudy Noble in the month leading up to opening day. The Bulldogs are comfortable with their new ballpark and all the bells and whistles that have come with it, but more importantly, they’re comfortable with their new coaches.

Sophomore outfielder Rowdey Jordan said Lemonis and his staff opened up to the players right away. A level of trust Mississippi State failed to reach between players and coaches last year was achieved within weeks of Lemonis’ arrival.

Mangum has been here for four years now, so he knows what a healthy dynamic between players and coaches looks like. What Mississippi State has entering the 2019 season is definitely it.

“Coach Lemonis has asked a lot out of us,” Mangum said. “He’s asked us to come in every day and get our work in. Be the best students we can be, the best people we can be. We bought into that. We all bought into that, and we’re pulling on the same side of the rope.”

The only question left to answer is how the new ambiance associated with Mississippi State baseball affects the production on the field. Lemonis has loved building relationships with his new players and teaching them the way he likes to operate, but he’s ready to move past the honeymoon phase.

“I’m ready for them to say play ball and for all that to be to the side,” Lemonis said.

Lemonis will get his wish at 4 p.m. Friday when Mississippi State breaks in the new Dudy Noble Field against Youngstown State. 

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Contact Tyler Horka at thorka@gannett.com. Follow @tbhorka on Twitter.