After what was potentially the worst 5-Day stretch in program history, Mississippi State baseball bounced back with a 3-1 week in which the Bulldogs won their first three games under interim Head Coach Gary Henderson. The 2018 season started off on a sour note last weekend with a road sweep at the hands of Southern Miss- it then got even worse Monday Night as rumors circled and later reports confirmed that Andy Cannizaro would no longer be Head Coach of the Bulldogs due to off the field issues. A three win week was exactly what the Bulldogs needed to start on the path towards a more positive future.
The Gary Henderson Era began with a 12-1 win at Jackson State on Wednesday Night; the Bulldogs wore the gray pinstripes for the first time this season in the win. As I expressed in the season preview and in last week's recap, there was some uncertainty over whether or not the gray pins, entering their third year of use, would be included in the Bulldogs' 2018 uniform lineup. Indeed, they have returned and should see action in 5 to 10 games this season. I'm a big fan of the gray pins, so I'm very happy to see them return, especially with the higher than average number of road games this season.
On Friday through Sunday, State played in the Kleberg Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Bulldogs were the "away" team against UC Santa Barbara on Friday, and wore the Maroon 85s in a 7-4 win. As the "home" team on Saturday, the Bulldogs wore the White 85s in a 14-4 win over Nicholls State. The wins were the first of the season in both of the new 85-style jerseys, which looked even better with the Bulldogs ahead.
On Sunday, the Bulldogs debuted a surprise black jersey, their first since the 2016 season and third black jersey design in program history. The new black jerseys are most similar to the 2015-2016 versions that featured a black "85" wordmark/numbers with white outlines. The 2018 black 85s are literally just the maroon 85s with all of the maroon replaced with black. There is no maroon whatsoever on the jersey, which is great for contrast but not so great if you prefer school colors. Overall, I would probably say that these are the best of the State's three black uniform designs; the 2009-2014 look had the most maroon, but that created a muddier look with numbers that were sometimes hard to read. The 2015-2016 fixed the muddiness issue but still featured an inverted wordmark and numbers that weren't ideal. The 2018 version, while completely devoid of maroon, is the cleanest, most legible version yet; while I would rather we avoid black jerseys in baseball, this is probably the best way to execute one.
The Gary Henderson Era began with a 12-1 win at Jackson State on Wednesday Night; the Bulldogs wore the gray pinstripes for the first time this season in the win. As I expressed in the season preview and in last week's recap, there was some uncertainty over whether or not the gray pins, entering their third year of use, would be included in the Bulldogs' 2018 uniform lineup. Indeed, they have returned and should see action in 5 to 10 games this season. I'm a big fan of the gray pins, so I'm very happy to see them return, especially with the higher than average number of road games this season.
On Friday through Sunday, State played in the Kleberg Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Bulldogs were the "away" team against UC Santa Barbara on Friday, and wore the Maroon 85s in a 7-4 win. As the "home" team on Saturday, the Bulldogs wore the White 85s in a 14-4 win over Nicholls State. The wins were the first of the season in both of the new 85-style jerseys, which looked even better with the Bulldogs ahead.
On Sunday, the Bulldogs debuted a surprise black jersey, their first since the 2016 season and third black jersey design in program history. The new black jerseys are most similar to the 2015-2016 versions that featured a black "85" wordmark/numbers with white outlines. The 2018 black 85s are literally just the maroon 85s with all of the maroon replaced with black. There is no maroon whatsoever on the jersey, which is great for contrast but not so great if you prefer school colors. Overall, I would probably say that these are the best of the State's three black uniform designs; the 2009-2014 look had the most maroon, but that created a muddier look with numbers that were sometimes hard to read. The 2015-2016 fixed the muddiness issue but still featured an inverted wordmark and numbers that weren't ideal. The 2018 version, while completely devoid of maroon, is the cleanest, most legible version yet; while I would rather we avoid black jerseys in baseball, this is probably the best way to execute one.
As I mentioned in the season preview, the 2017 season was an outlier in the fact that no black uniforms were worn and no new uniforms were announced during the season. So far, my predictions for the season are holding steady, with both "50% possibilities" (gray pins and a new alternate) panning out and the "85% Likely" white 85s seeing the field twice so far. The white pins probably won't be worn until the Bulldogs return home to Dudy Noble field; the lone surprising omission thus far is the Maroon MS jerseys. Though updated versions were unveiled before the season, they have not seen the field yet and may not until the Bulldogs return home, if at all.
So, after a disastrous 5-day stretch, it was nice to see Gary Henderson and the Bulldogs get some wins to get back on the right track. The variety of uniforms on the road trip is nice to see; with gray pins and the three 85 jerseys, there's not a bad look in the mix. Best Uniforms in College Baseball.
Uniform Models for the second week of the 2018 Season:
Wednesday at Jackson State- Gray Pinstripes- #32 Hunter Vansau
Friday v UC Santa Barbara- Maroon 85 over White- #10 Josh Hatcher
Saturday v Nicholls State- White 85- #5 Tanner Allen
Sunday at Texas A&M Corpus Christi- Black 85 over White- #17 Justin Foscue
So, after a disastrous 5-day stretch, it was nice to see Gary Henderson and the Bulldogs get some wins to get back on the right track. The variety of uniforms on the road trip is nice to see; with gray pins and the three 85 jerseys, there's not a bad look in the mix. Best Uniforms in College Baseball.
Uniform Models for the second week of the 2018 Season:
Wednesday at Jackson State- Gray Pinstripes- #32 Hunter Vansau
Friday v UC Santa Barbara- Maroon 85 over White- #10 Josh Hatcher
Saturday v Nicholls State- White 85- #5 Tanner Allen
Sunday at Texas A&M Corpus Christi- Black 85 over White- #17 Justin Foscue
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