The leadoff spot has been a strong suit for the Bulldogs in recent history, as they were led by a pair of switch hitters in Jake Mangum and then Rowdey Jordan. The current Mets Minor Leaguers consistently batted over .300 for the Bulldogs and featured an above .400 on-base percentage in all but one year.

With Rowdey gone, the Bulldogs have struggled to find their next leadoff man. In the first nine games of the 2022 season, they've tried four different guys in the leadoff spot, and they've combined for just 2 hits in 29 at-bats, with just 3 walks.

RJ Yeager, a 2nd baseman from Mercer, has seen three starts in the leadoff spot. Yeager has struggled so far this season, batting just .091 and went 0-13 in his three starts batting leadoff.

Junior 3rd baseman Kamren James has gotten three starts in the leadoff spot and has been their best option thus far. James is having a solid year at the plate, batting .310 with a .462 on-base percentage, and hit 2-7 with 3 walks and an HPB in his starts batting leadoff, good for a .545 on-base rate. Mississippi State Head Coach has said, "I don't know if I want him to lock down the leadoff spot; he's such a good RBI guy." While that may be true of James, he's been the Bulldogs' best leadoff hitter so far, so they may likely refer back to him soon.

Centerfielder Matt Corder has seen two starts batting leadoff. In those starts, he has struggled, going just 0-7, including striking out 3 times in yesterday's game against Southern Miss. When Corder has been moved down the order, he's been much more effective, batting .267 with a .388 OBP in those plate appearances.

The last guy to get a start hitting leadoff was outfielder Drew McGowan. McGowan went 0-2 with 2 strikeouts against Grambling on Tuesday before being pinch-hit for. Like Corder, McGowan has been more effective farther down the lineup, and is putting together a solid start to the year, getting 3 hits in 7 at-bats.

So who could be the guy going forward?

As mentioned earlier, Kamren James could be a solid option, and he has produced in his opportunities. 1st baseman Luke Hancock is another option. Hancock is batting .313 with a .450 on-base percentage to start the year and has drawn 6 walks and struck out just twice in 32 at-bats.

A wild card option could be outfielder Jess Davis, a transfer from UAB. Davis has a career OBP of .375, but has gotten only 6 at-bats this season, getting 2 hits and drawing an HBP in his limited action. Also an elite baserunner, Davis stole 77 bases during his 3 seasons at UAB and stole 3rd base in Tuesday's game against Grambling after entering as a pinch-runner.