STARKVILLE – Landon Sims strolled out to the pitching mound he had dominated from just a few months earlier. The crowd at Dudy Noble Field rose to its feet, as if hearing Whitesnake’s “Still of the Night” triggered a natural reaction.

Mississippi State was home for its final series against No. 1 Tennessee. Following an on-field graduation ceremony for the players who missed commencement due to a series at Texas A&M, Sims was designated with throwing out the ceremonial first pitch – his last pitch in some regard.

This was unlike the hundreds of pitches the fiery right-hander has thrown in his MSU career. He faced the first base dugout, wound up and delivered a floater over the plate with his left arm.

“I’ve done it a few times, but not from the mound,” Sims said. “It felt really weird. It was very unorthodox.”

HUNTER HINES: Mississippi State freshman makes immediate impact

MSU AD JOHN COHEN: 'Chris (Lemonis) has a plan' after disappointing season

Sims was a cornerstone in Mississippi State’s 2021 national championship run. He was among college baseball’s elite arms and perhaps the top closer in the game.

When Sims entered from the bullpen, teams knew it was over. He posted a 1.44 earned run average and owned a 100-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

“He’s a guy, along with a group of others, who bears huge responsibility for a national championship,” athletics director John Cohen said.

The excitement regarding his talent reached a new height this season when MSU coach Chris Lemonis and his staff moved Sims into a starting role. He became the Friday night ace and dominated once more.

Sims’ pitched 12 innings over his first two starts, allowing just two earned runs, and was most efficient in his third outing.

He was through 3⅔ innings at Tulane on March 4 and had already struck out 10 batters when he felt it – that unfortunate feeling pitchers dread.

“The pitch I did it, I pretty much knew,” Sims says.

He underwent various tests and gathered opinions from doctors, but it was inevitable. Sims tore his ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, requiring Tommy John surgery that kept him out for the remainder of the season.

“In a year that could be my last at Mississippi State, it’s really tough,” Sims said.

The timeline for Sims’ recovery is the typical 12 to 15 months, though he hopes it’s closer to 12. He underwent surgery March 15 and was back on the field in a new role almost immediately with the robotic-looking guard on his right arm.

Mississippi State didn’t have a solidified first base coach, so Sims saw it as an opportunity to continue contributing. When he wasn’t timing pitchers' moves, he was fielding foul balls and collecting shin guards and elbow protectors from his teammates.

“It’s tough, but I just try to be there for them,” Sims said. “Just as much as being a teammate, I want to be a friend for them. At the end of the day, there’s more to life than baseball.”

Though Sims hasn’t committed to departing for Major League Baseball, Lemonis is prepared to move into next season without him.

Sims is the No. 32 draft prospect according to MLB.com – only a slight drop from his pre-injury assessments. The slot value for the 32nd overall pick is just north of $2 million.

“Seeing him out there, it’s hard but we wanted to get him recognized before he gets out of here,” Lemonis said. “He’s been such a special player in this program.”

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Why Mississippi State baseball honored Landon Sims 'before he gets out'