This off-season, Mississippi State will be very active in the transfer portal, and they've picked up their first commitment in Memphis right-hander Landon Gartman.
The Brookhaven, MS, native spent his first three college seasons at Pearl River C.C. He redshirted in 2019 and the 2020 season was cut short, but broke out in 2021 with a 9-0 record and 1.95 ERA with 81 strikeouts and 21 walks in 60 innings, earning him the 2021 DII Juco Pitcher of the year. He joined the Tigers this year. For most of the season, Gartman held down the Friday night spot and finished with a 7-1 record, 3.56 ERA, 94 strikeouts, and 29 walks in 86 innings. His prowess on the mound earned him American Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year and was a First Team All-AAC selection.
In Gartman's 13 starts, Memphis came out with a victory in 10 of them, and he allowed more than 3 earned runs in just three. His standout performance of the season came on May 6th, where he dominated the No. 8 national seed East Carolina Pirates, pitching eight no-hit innings and fanned a season-high ten batters. Gartman followed that up with another ten strikeout performance two weeks later against Tulane, allowing just one hit and one run in five innings.
Chris Lemonis and Scott Foxhall got to see Gartman up close and personal this season, as he started the midweek matchup with the Bulldogs on March 29th. He tossed four no-hit innings against the Diamond Dogs but would be taken out as he was set to pitch on the weekend in Memphis' opening conference series. He certainly left an impression on the Mississippi State coaches that day and will now get the opportunity to compete for his home-state team.
Gartman has a fastball that sits in the 92 MPH range and can hit up to 94. He also works in a mix of a slider primarily to righties and a changeup primarily to lefties, as well as a curveball.
Mississippi State has seen four pitches enter the transfer portal, and Gartman is the first of a plethora of new faces that could take the mound for the Diamond Dogs in 2023.
