Just A Bulldog Minute: Mississippi State Pitcher Khal Stephen Could Be A Key Starter Moving Forward

Diamond Dawg pitcher Khal Stephen, who made his debut on Saturday, has the potential to be a key starter this season.

Mississippi State baseball pitcher Khal Stephen has the potential to emerge as an important piece in the Bulldogs' starting rotation this season.

Stephen transferred from Purdue during the offseason and made his Bulldog debut this past Saturday in Game 2 against Air Force.

In that game, Stephen pitched across seven innings, during that span allowing just one run and three hits while recording zero walks and striking out 11 batters. Despite his efforts, the Bulldogs would fall to the Falcons on Saturday, 2-1.

While it is still a little too early in the season, what we saw from Stephen on Saturday could be a tell tale sign for the future this season.

Stephen was a big reason why the Bulldogs were able to keep the game close in Starkville on Saturday, and although it ended up going down as a loss, Stephen's versatility and strengths on the mound showed signs that he could very well be a solid starting option as we begin the Diamond Dawgs' season.

The Bulldogs were a team that struggled with pitching last season, which resulted in them firing their pitching coach Scott Foxhall midseason. If he continues to play like he did against the Falcons on Saturday, he has the potential to be one of their go-to men on the mound once SEC play begins.

The Bulldogs have a three game series against Georgia Southern coming up this weekend, starting with Game 1 on Friday at 4 p.m. CT. While a starting rotation hasn't been announced as of yet, there is a chance we can see more of Stephen in action this upcoming weekend.

It will be interesting to see how he does the rest of the way under new pitching coach Justin Parker.