He's back!

One of the integral parts of Mississippi State's baseball program over the past two seasons is returning for one last ride. Unfortunately, Bulldog senior Luke Hancock didn't hear his name called in last week's MLB Draft. After mulling different options over the past eight days, Hancock has decided he will be using his extra year of eligibility and be back in the Maroon and White in 2023.

While his natural position is catcher, Hancock has mostly seen action at 1st base and designated hitter due to the Diamond Dogs having one of the nation's best backstops in Logan Tanner. After the Reds selected Tanner in the 2nd round, State was slated to only have true freshmen on the depth chart behind the dish next season. Hancock returning is a win-win as the Bulldogs will get some experience at the position, and Hancock will be able to return to his primary position full time.

The Houston, MS, native was the cleanup hitter for the 2021 national champions and started every game as he posted a .393 on-base percentage with ten home runs and 63 RBIs. He had another great season as a senior as he led the Bulldogs with a .406 OBP and hit seven home runs.

Hancock will bring in a veteran presence to a Mississippi State lineup with lots of new faces and is as important as any transfer commitment with the uncertainty of his return. The Bulldogs should be a nightmare for right-handed pitching in 2023 as they'll be stacked with left-handed hitters with the return of Hancock, Kellum Clark, and Hunter Hines and the addition of Samford outfielder Colton Ledbetter.

What Hancock brings to the lineup is so rare for a hitter as he's drawn 83 walks with only 37 strikeouts the past two seasons. The senior routinely battles at the plate fouling off pitches to make the pitcher work while being one of the best at putting the ball in play. More importantly, Hancock brings the experience of a seasoned veteran and will be the leader in the Mississippi State clubhouse.

The Mississippi State lineup is starting to shape together with veterans Lane Forsythe and Kellum Clark returning. Hunter Hines is coming off a phenomenal freshman season, and Slate Alford and Aaron Downs should have more prominent roles in 2023. The 6th ranked recruiting class comes in having lost only one player in Jett Williams to the MLB Draft, and a transfer group of New Orleans' Amani Larry, Samford's Colton Ledbetter, and Duke's Wil Hoyle round out a very solid position player group, and they may not be done in the portal either.