While they might not get the spotlight like the LSU Tigers or Texas Longhorns, one of the most successful college baseball programs of all time is the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs have been to 12 College World Series, won 11 SEC titles, and have one World Series championship.
Their baseball tradition goes back to before the SEC was formed, during their years in the Southern Conference. They dominated that conference as well, winning seven titles.
The Bulldogs’ dominance in baseball extends to the Major Leagues as they have produced some of the best pros in the game. We honor those players who made a huge contribution to this program.
Here are the 10 best Mississippi State baseball players of all time.
10. Adam Frazier, shortstop
Adam Frazier had one of the greatest seasons of all time with the Bulldogs. In 2013, he batted .352 with 107 hits, 20 doubles, seven triples and 38 RBIs. Frazier’s most iconic moment as a Bulldog came in the Charlottesville Super Regional when he went an incredible 8-for-11 to lead MSU to the College World Series for the first time since 2007. He ended his career in the maroon and white batting .348.
9. Chris Stratton, pitcher
Chris Stratton struggled at the beginning of his career in a Bulldogs uniform but that quickly changed. In 2012, Stratton had an 11-2 record with an earned run average of 2.38. That same year he won SEC Pitcher of the Year honors, leading the Bulldogs to the SEC Tournament.
8. Hunter Renfroe, outfielder
Not to be confused with Hunter Renfrow, Hunter Renfroe was a beast on the baseball field. Renfroe tried his hand at being a catcher and pitcher but found his calling in the outfield. As a junior, Renfroe batted .345 with 88 hits, 16 doubles, 16 home runs, 65 RBI, and three triples. He also became an All-American that season.
7. Jonathan Holder, pitcher
If you heard Johnny Cash’s “God’s gonna cut you down” on the loudspeakers, you knew who was coming out of the bullpen for the Bulldogs. As a freshman, Jonathan Holder pitched in 24 games, had nine saves, and surrendered just one earned run all year. Holder set the school record for consecutive scoreless innings (27.1) and earned First-Team All-American honors. In his sophomore year, he became the permanent closer for the team, He threw 54. 1 innings with a 1.65 ERA and a school-record 21 saves during the season, tying the SEC record. Holder holds the MSU record for most saves (37), which is also fourth in the SEC all-time.
6. Ethan Small, pitcher
Ethan Small came into his own as a junior with the Bulldogs. That year, he had a 10-2 record with a 1.93 ERA, 107.0 IP, a school-record 176 strikeouts, 32 walks and just 61 hits surrendered. That not only garnered him SEC Pitcher of the Year but National Pitcher of the Year. He ended his college career with a 3.05 ERA with 318 strikeouts.
5. Brent Rooker, outfielder/first baseman
As good as Brent Rooker was, he wasn’t a starter in his first year in college. It was a testament to how good that 2016 team was that he was made designated hitter. Despite that, Rooker hit .324 that season with 11 home runs and 15 doubles while driving in 54 runs. In 2017, Rooker was named SEC Player of the Year while hitting .387 with 96 hits, 23 home runs, and 82 RBIs. Rooker will go down as one of the greatest hitters in Bulldog history.
4. Jake Mangum, outfielder
Perhaps the greatest hitter this past decade for the Bulldogs has been Jake Mangum. Mangum won the SEC batting title as a freshman, hitting an unbelievable .408 that year and earning All-SEC honors. He also was the first MSU freshman since Rafael Palmeiro to win that honor. Mangum stayed his whole four years in Starkville and, during that time, the Bulldogs went to four Super Regionals, made two trips to Omaha and the College World Series, and won an SEC Regular Season championship. Mangum has the record for hits in SEC history with 383.
3. Jeff Brantley, pitcher
When you think of the greatest pitcher in Bulldogs history, you probably think of Jeff Brantley. Brantley pitched for those great Bulldog teams that also featured Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro and went to the World Series in 1985. Brantley is the co-holder of the SEC record for career wins by a pitcher with 45. He was also an All-American, an All-SEC selection, and led the SEC in wins and strikeouts in 1984 and 1985.
2. Rafael Palmeiro, outfield
Along with Will Clark, Rafael Palmeiro was part of the dynamic duo known as Thunder and Lighting. In 1984, Palmeiro had 98 hits, 29 home runs, and 94 RBIs while hitting .415. That season he was also a finalist for the Golden Spikes award. He was the first of two players to have ever won the SEC triple crown and went on to a very successful Major League Baseball career where he was a member of both the 500 home run club and the 3,000 hit club.
1. Will Clark, first baseman
Will “The Thrill” Clark was the other part of Thunder and Lighting. He and Palmeiro dominated college baseball in the mid-80s for the Bulldogs. The 1985 Golden Spikes winner batted 425 with 25 home runs, 75 runs scored, and 77 RBI. He was a two-time All-American and finished with an astonishing .391 batting average, still tops in the record books. Clark, who is also part of the College Baseball Hall of Fame, was part of the 1984 US Baseball Olympic team where he batted .429 with nine hits, eight runs batted in, and tied for the team lead in home runs with three. Clark, like Palmeiro, went on to have a great Major League career, finishing as a six-time All-Star, National League Championship Series MVP in 1989, and a Golden Glove winner in 1991.