The 2016 Diamond Dawgs are doing some things that have never been done before.
I know sometimes it takes certain MSU fans a little while to get into baseball. They’re not into the grind of February, March or April, because really they just aren’t that wild about baseball. If you’re one of those fans – it’s time to look up because this group of Diamond Dawgs are special.
This team can hit – they’re doing so with a .312 team batting average. They can hit for power too: 45 home runs and .450 slugging percentage.
This team can pitch – 3.35 team ERA with five guys under 3. They strike out more than one per inning….the entire staff does (552 in 547.1).
No one is going to accuse the left side of the infield as being the best there ever was but they aren’t a liability and everywhere else has been really good.
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The bottom line is – the 2016 Diamond Dawgs have a killer instinct like we haven’t seen in a long time. And this team is proving to be one of the best to ever wear the maroon and white.
For starters, they won the most SEC games in a season….ever. Granted, they played 30 and the 1989 team only played 25….so just having one more win isn’t that impressive, but when I tell you the SEC featured SEVEN top 10 teams with SEVEN Regional hosts and MSU played five of the other six – it’s pretty impressive.
MSU has now hosted 13 Regionals in program history. We’ve won seven of them now, but out of all those Regionals the only time we’ve swept was 2016. THE ONLY TIME.
The only thing standing in the way of a 10th trip to Omaha is a Super Regional at Dudy Noble Field. If State were to win that, they’d become only the third MSU team to win the SEC and make it to Omaha.
Wow.
You could look at that stat two different ways. The SEC champion was determined by the SEC Tournament prior to the 1989 season, so that’s how MSU won the 1985 title….then they of course when to the College World Series. The 1981 team actually had the best regular season in the SEC but didn’t win the tournament…they made the CWS as well. So either or. The 1979 team actually did the trifecta: best record in the regular season, SECT title and made it to Omaha.
Here’s another one:
This team has been pretty impressive to say the least. Even though the 2013 team played for a national championship, you won’t get much argument from folks to say this is John Cohen’s best team. Hang on tight, it should be a fun ride!