STARKVILLE — The expectations continue to be set higher for Chris Stratton.
In what likely was his final start and appearance at Dudy Noble Field, the junior right-hander turned in another near perfect performance and left to a standing ovation Thursday night after he helped lead the Mississippi State University baseball team to a 3-1 victory against the No. 6 University of Kentucky.
“We have an awfully high standard we have set for that young man because he’s one of the premier guys in this country,” MSU coach John Cohen said. “I told our players before this game I think we have the best Friday night guy in America. There’s times he looks mortal, but not very often.”
Stratton, a junior, will be eligible for the 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft in June, and is expected to be selected in the middle of the first round.
On Thursday, Stratton did for MSU (32-21, 14-14 Southeastern Conference) what he has done in nearly every series opener this season. With what he and his coaches considered less-than-extraordinary life to his four-pitch repertoire, Stratton (10-1) still did enough to become the SEC’s first 10-game winner in his ninth quality start of the season.
“We’re as positive as you can be,” Stratton said. “With a game-one win, they are in a hole and we got a good one in Kendall Graveman going (Friday), too.”
Stratton, who uncharacteristically gave up two hits on two-strike counts in the only inning Kentucky scored, went to the weapon most scouts consider his fourth-best pitch. He turned to a developing changeup to get outs against the Wildcats’ five left-handed batters to survive 6 1/3 innings.
“In my start at Florida (a 4-1 loss on Friday in which he allowed four runs, two earned, and six hits in seven innings), they had a good number of left-handed hitters,” Stratton said. “Tonight, it was the same plan to go with the changeup again. It’s been working with some great success lately and just adds to keeping them off balance.”
One of way hitters are trying to attack Stratton is to swing at fastballs early in the counts. Kentucky (41-13, 18-10) had three hits on the first pitch of at-bats.
“They know I’m pounding the strike zone, so they’re trying to get the early stuff and see if that works,” Stratton said. “It’s not like I’m not aware that’s what they’re trying to do that from the start.”
Stratton’s 10 wins is the most in school history since former left-hander Paul Maholm went 10-3 in 2002. Stratton’s efforts likely will help him become a first-round pick in the MLB draft and join Maholm, who was the eighth overall pick in the 2002 MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“There’s no doubt that all the outside distractions would’ve affected Chris earlier in his career,” Cohen said. “That’s why I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again tonight, Chris Stratton is a completely different young man physically, mentally, and emotionally from last year.”
Cohen said Thursday that Stratton was angry with himself for not being able to throw his second complete game of the season.
“One of the reasons I’m so darn proud of him is when he came off that mound tonight he was really upset,” Cohen said. “He wanted to finish that sucker, and we felt like in that situation we had the right guys in pen. I just love the fact that guy wants to be on the mound all the time. That’s thrilling to me as a coach.”
Stratton now has 267 strikeouts, which is sixth all-time at MSU. He has recorded a strikeout in 79 of the 97 innings he has pitched this season, and 39 of those frames have been three up, three down. In the last 38 1/3 innings in the past six games, Stratton has only allowed four runs and has struck out 37. He has walked only three.
“He’s flat out unbelievable, and the fact is I get to catch the best starting pitcher in college baseball,” MSU junior catcher Mitch Slauter said. “If it turns out to be his last start here, I really don’t think that ever popped into his mind. That’s just how Chris operates and thinks when he’s doing his thing.”
The victory gave Stratton a .909 winning percentage, which ties Don Mundie’s 1979 mark for highest single-season winning percentage.
The Tupelo native ended the evening with eight strikeouts to increase his league-leading mark to 115. The strikeout total is tied for seventh in program history with former MLB veteran Jeff Brantley’s 1984 season.
When reminded of the professionals Stratton matched or passed Thursday night, he shrugged it off as if the numbers didn’t matter.
“I’m not paying attention to any of the outside stuff,” Stratton said. “I just want to come out here and have fun with my friends. I just love to compete.”
Stratton left open the possibility of returning to pitch in Starkville again. That could happen if the Bulldogs earn a chance to play host to an NCAA tournament regional in two weeks.
“Maybe we can host a regional,” Stratton said. “I don’t know why that’s still not in the picture as long we take care of business this weekend and then make some noise in Hoover during the SEC tournament.”
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