How Justin Parker took Mississippi State baseball's pitching from worst to top half of SEC
STARKVILLE — Chris Lemonis has an office that adequately resembles a decorated career. From his start as an assistant at The Citadel to his national championship with Mississippi State baseball in 2021, his accomplishments are evident.
But not lost in the coach’s ascent, particularly with the Bulldogs, is the role his assistants have played.
In 2019, hitting coach Jake Gautreau was named the nation’s top assistant by D1Baseball. Two years later, as MSU made a run toward the first national title in program history, it was pitching coach Scott Foxhall who earned that title from the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Justin Parker, who was hired in June from South Carolina to replace the fired Foxhall, may not be honored this season, but his role hasn't gone unnoticed.
“He’s done an amazing job with that pitching staff,” Lemonis said earlier this month. “He’s done a really, really good job.”
Mississippi State failed to make the SEC tournament in the two seasons following its national title. At the core of the Bulldogs’ struggles was woeful play on the mound.
MSU had an SEC-worst 6.05 ERA in 2022. That was followed up by a 7.01 ERA in 2023 − again the worst in the conference .
As No. 5 seed Mississippi State (36-19) prepares to open the SEC tournament Tuesday (8 p.m., SEC Network) against No. 12 seed Ole Miss (27-28) in Hoover, Alabama, pitching is at the heart of the Bulldogs’ rise back to relevance.
Behind a 4.21 ERA – the fourth-best mark in the SEC – MSU is in the conversation to host a regional for the NCAA Tournament. The pitchers who have made that possible often link their success to Parker’s 11 months in Starkville.
“It means a lot,” Parker told the Clarion Ledger. “That’s what’s important to me about this game and what I do. It’s not necessarily about the wins and losses, the environments and all the accolades. It’s about the relationships, the teaching and the development.”
Khal Stephen, Jurrangelo Cijntje are key to Mississippi State’s success
Mississippi State’s pitching has rarely been stretched thin – a key to the team’s success that can be attributed to the production Khal Stephen and Jurrangelo Cijntje have provided. The Bulldogs’ top two starters have thrown 160⅔ innings with a combined ERA of 3.36.
With those two accounting for 64.3% of possible innings pitched in their starts, Mississippi State’s rotation is often rested in the latter parts of a series.
Cijntje struggled as a freshman last year. His ability to throw with both hands was eye-catching, but it didn’t diminish an 8.10 ERA. Stephen, meanwhile, was at Purdue last year. He earned third team All-Big Ten honors, but he had a 5.21 ERA.
With Parker, Cijntje has honed in on primarily throwing with his right hand – providing a fastball in the high 90s complemented by a slider with sharper movement. Stephen split up his offspeed pitch, utilizing a curveball and a slider, while also working on his lower-body mechanics.
“He helped me a lot, especially with my command, getting the fastball down,” Cijntje said. “I can’t say (anything) bad about him. He helped me a lot, and it’s proven.”
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Mississippi State’s relief pitchers have made jump
MSU’s top three relievers in high-leverage situations have been Tyler Davis, Tyson Hardin and Brooks Auger. Here’s a look at their improvement under Parker:
Hardin had a 12.81 ERA last season – worst on the team. He has a 3.16 ERA with two saves this year.
Davis had a 14.09 ERA in SEC play last season. He has a 1.20 ERA this year.
Auger didn’t play last year after an arm injury in 2022. He has a 3.78 ERA this year and has made three starts.
Lemonis made an uncharacteristic move by firing Foxhall midseason before bringing in Parker. The pitching staff has been aware of the results.
"Beforehand, we kind of had a little bit more freedom with what we wanted to do,” Auger said on Feb. 20. “He's a little bit more hands-on. He's very detail-oriented."
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: How Justin Parker helped fix Mississippi State baseball pitching
