Good morning, Bulldogs! Former Diamond Dawg Adam Frazier stays ready to hit!

What else do we have brewing today

⚾️ Aced it
👟 Day 1 in Oregon
🐶 And much, much more!

Now a full week since Brian O’Connor was introduced as the 19th head coach in Mississippi State baseball history on a spectacular evening at Dudy Noble Field, Starkville is still buzzing.

Momentum has been steadily building within the program over the past few days as proof the future is brighter than ever for the Diamond Dawgs under the leadership of their new skipper.

If you somehow missed last week’s event when O’Connor was revealed at The Dude, I strongly encourage you to go back and find the replay of it, as well as the press conference that followed. I was so impressed by O’Connor, and I believe anyone that hears him speak will understand exactly why Director of Athletics Zac Selmon zeroed in on the hall of famer to take the reins of State baseball.

Selmon, in his own remarks to reporters, spoke about the “elite drive and fire” of O’Connor. That passion rang out of O’Connor last Thursday as strongly as the clang came from the ceremonial cowbell he was presented.

One of O’Connor’s comments, in particular, stood out to me the other night. He was asked about what it meant to him to be able to put his fingerprints on MSU baseball after spending 22 successful years at Virginia.

He answered with the kind of vigor you might expect from an up-and-coming first-time coach rather than the seasoned veteran he is with his seven College World Series appearances and national title.

“I’m excited about that,” O’Connor said. “That leads to why I coach. I think any of us, no matter what we do, should step back and ask ourselves why we do what we do. I reflect on that every year.

“I love building young men and impacting their lives. Secondly, I love making difficult decisions. I don’t shy away from them. It’s not an ego thing. If you’re a leader in whatever you do, you can’t be afraid to make difficult decisions. Third, I love making something better than when you got there. Those things drive me. I’m excited about putting our footprint on the huge tradition here and making it the best we can make it during our time here – maybe making it better.”

It’s safe to say O’Connor is ready and chomping at the bit for this chance to further elevate MSU baseball. He spoke of how he knew this was the right time for him to make this move, and how his family voiced they felt the exact same way.

Mix O’Connor’s hunger to succeed with the knowledge in his head and heart that this is where he’s supposed to be and, man, this has the potential to be so, so special in the years to come.

Time will tell, as Selmon himself said last Thursday, but I truly believe Mississippi State baseball is about to have itself an unforgettable era under Brian O’Connor, and I believe he’ll put a product on the field year in and year out we can all be proud of.

“We’ll play tough, we won’t back down from anybody, but it will be played in a classy way that will represent this community the right way,” O’Connor said.

(Coleman’s Corner is brought to you each Thursday by Mississippi State athletics senior writer Joel Coleman. A 2007 and 2009 graduate of Mississippi State, Coleman has worked inside and around MSU sports for nearly two decades with prior stops also including the Starkville Daily News and Sports Illustrated.)

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Schedule Gets Clearer. The SEC announced additional kickoff times and television windows for SEC-controlled games Wednesday afternoon, with two more Bulldog games announced!

September 20
🏈 Mississippi State vs. Northern Illinois
⏰ 3:15 p.m.
📺 SEC Network

November 8
🏈 Mississippi State vs. Georgia
⏰ 11 a.m.
📺 ABC or ESPN

🔼 Hitters Hit. Following a breakout sophomore season for the Diamond Dawgs, Ace Reese has been tabbed a Third Team All-American by Perfect Game!

🔼 Day One Done. Mississippi State track and field’s Peyton Bair kicked off the NCAA Outdoor Championships in style on Wednesday, setting the NCAA Decathlon 100m record in a personal best time of 10.25. Bair leads the field after one day of competition with 4,479 points, 287 points ahead of second place.

🔼 Anchor Up Front. We have 79 days until Mississippi State football’s season opener at Southern Miss on August 30!

Former Mississippi State offensive lineman Derek Sherrod wore No. 79 during his time in Starkville, leading the way for a Bulldog offense that led the SEC in rushing during the 2009 season. At the conclusion of his Mississippi State career, Sherrod was selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

🤔 BULLDOG TRIVIA

The Pick Is In. Which organization drafted Derek Sherrod with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft?

Got a guess? 

Scroll to the bottom of the Bulldog Brew to see if you know your stuff!

🤝 SHARE THE BREW

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📆 LOOKING AHEAD

Wednesday, June 11 — Saturday, June 14
👟 Track & Field at NCAA Outdoor Championships (Eugene, Ore.)

🐶 Click here to see the full Mississippi State Athletics Calendar

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: The Green Bay Packers!

🐶 Have a great Thursday, y’all!