Indiana State Pitcher Commits to Mississippi State

MSU adds its first pitcher from the transfer portal.

Yorktown graduate Jacob Pruitt tossed a no-hitter to help Muncie's Post 19 Chiefs win the Indiana American Legion state championship with a 4-0 victory over terre Haute at Highland Park in Kokomo on Saturday, July 30, 2022. / Gus Martin / The Star Press / USA TODAY

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Jacob Pruitt is the newest member of the Mississippi State Baseball roster. MSU head coach Chris Lemonis had to hit the transfer portal hard this offseason to replace a ton of lost talent from the 2024 squad and continue building momentum after making a regional.

Lemonis already has four hitters from the portal, and the focus seems to be on guys who do not strike out much and are versatile. However, the Bulldogs had not added a pitcher, even with the success that MSU pitching coach Justin Parker had this past season with his staff, but the former South Carolina coach has his first prospect.

Pruitt played a pair of seasons with the Indiana State Sycamores and really found his footing in 2024. The 6-1 170-pound righty worked 41.2 innings a season, made five starts, and appeared eight times out of the bullpen.

The Yorktown, Ind. native had some impressive outings where he flexed his ability to strikeout batters as he struck out 11 over six innings pitched against UCONN, and worked 5.1 innings against Southern Miss and struck out 11 batters while allowing a run.

Pruitt finished the season 3-2 with a 3.02 ERA and struck out 57 batters opposed to 23 walks, and opponents batted .232 against the righty. With the first pitcher now into the boat, the portal class for State is starting to take shape.

The Bulldogs still need to add a couple of pieces, but they must feel better about the class after the last two commitments.