Virginia Transfer Pitcher Commits to Mississippi State

The Bulldogs add another arm from the transfer portal.

Jun 14, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Virginia Cavaliers pitcher Chase Hungate (39) throws against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the seventh inning at Charles Schwab Filed Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Chase Hungate has committed to the Mississippi State Bulldogs. State head coach Chris Lemonis has been busy since his team fell in a regional final at Virginia.

Lemonis did an excellent job of turning the tide after back-to-back lackluster seasons, but he needed to perform well in the transfer portal to keep the momentum going. During the first month or so of the portal cycle, the Bulldogs picked up a few bats to help out the lineup but needed to replace a good chunk of their pitching staff.

MSU pitching coach Justin Parker did a tremendous job during his first year in Starkville, turning one of the worst pitching staffs in the country into one of the best. However, he was replacing his entire rotation, but after three pitcher commitments this week, State is in good shape.

This will be Hungate's third different school, but it will be his first season outside of Virginia. The Abingdon, VA. native started his career at VCU (6-4, 3.57 ERA) before heading to the ACC and the Virginia Cavaliers.

The lefty made 46 appearances during his time in Corvallis, and all came out of the bullpen. This past season was his breakout year as he headed the Cavalier bullpen en route to a trip to Omaha.

The 6-1 175-pound hurler finished the season with a 7-2 record and a 3.74 ERA. Hungate also only issued 13 walks compared to 37 strikeouts and recorded a pair of saves and a career-high in appearances with 30.

Lemonis has shown he likes to sign guys that he has coached against, and that trend continued as Hungate pitched a scoreless inning against MSU in its final game. The 2025 MSU baseball roster is starting to take shape and looks promising.