STARKVILLE Though an afternoon class had him running a little late for Mississippi State’s Thursday baseball practice, MSU left fielder Reid Humphreys didn’t have to worry about finding a parking space.
There, just under the grandstand at MSU’s Dudy Noble Field, was an empty space, with a small sign indicating that the spot is reserved for MSU’s hitter of the week. For his huge effort at Kentucky last weekend, the parking space currently belongs to Humphreys.
“I would love to keep that parking spot for the rest of the year,” said Humphreys, a sophomore from Northwest Rankin High. “But we have a lot of great hitters on this team who are coming for it.”
Humphreys and his teammates will each take their turns vying for the right to park right outside the MSU locker room this weekend, when the Bulldogs – currently 2-4 in Southeastern Conference play – host 1-5 Auburn.
“This weekend is definitely important,” said Humphreys. “It’s about getting on the right track. Obviously we want to win every game but right now, we really need to have a good weekend.”
For the versatile Humphreys, who played third base as a freshman before splitting time in left and at designated hitter this year, this weekend is about continuing the roll he started in Lexington. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder launched a pair of home runs and drove in a career-high five runs during MSU’s 11-5 win on Sunday, continuing a surge that began last week.
Humphreys is currently riding a career-long eight-game hitting streak and during that span, he’s batting .400 (12-for-30). The recent hitting spree is counter to Humphreys’ previous 11 games, which saw him earn just five hits in 37 at-bats.
So what’s been the difference? A little bit of luck, according to Humphreys.
“I don’t think I’m seeing the ball any differently,” said Humphreys. “The ball is just falling better than it was earlier in the year. I didn’t feel like I was hitting terribly at the beginning of the year, I just wasn’t finding holes. Guys on the team were real encouraging. We can all hit. A lot of guys have struggled but you just keep going. Know that it’s going to come and be patient. Just keep pushing.”
MSU coach John Cohen, who has watched his team drop 10 of its last 15 games after a 13-0 start, agreed with Humphreys’ assessment.
“Reid’s been great,” said Cohen. “The thing is, if you looked at a box score some days, you’d look at it and say ‘Well Humphreys only had one hit.’ Yes, but what you don’t see is that he almost knocked the second baseman down twice, he hit a long fly ball to the wall and he hit a bullet right at somebody. An inch here or an inch there, and suddenly he’s 3-for-5 every night.”
For the season, Humphreys is hitting .279, up from .241 during an injury-riddled freshman campaign. He has also been on of MSU’s biggest extra-base hit threats, as his nine extra-base hits ranks second on the team while his total of four home runs paces MSU. He’s also second on the team with 15 RBIs.
In SEC play, he’s been particularly dangerous. In six league games, Humphreys is hitting a robust .409 with two home runs, two doubles and a team-leading total of five RBIs.
Luck changes
Asked to explain his recent hot streak, Humphreys credted the MSU coaching staff.
“Just the coaches working with me,” said Humphreys. “I’ve been trying to stay under control and keep swinging the bat. A lot of times I find myself taking pitches that I should swing at so the key is to be aggressive, just not too aggressive.”
Humphreys’ emergence in the last two weekends has given MSU another legitimate threat in the middle of its lineup. Senior Wes Rea, MSU’s 6-foot-5, 260-pound first baseman, has also been good this year, with two home runs and 17 RBIs complementing his .279 average. Add in the return of Freshman All-SEC catcher Gavin Collins, who has played in just nine of MSU’s 28 games due to an offseason wrist injury, and suddenly the middle of the Bulldogs’ order is showing signs of becoming as fearsome as fans hoped it would be.
“Those guys are great hitters,” said Humphreys of Rea and Collins. “If we can all get going at the same time, it would really be a fun lineup.”
For his part, Humphreys has split time in left field and at designated hitter.
For a player who never ventured into the outfield during four years at Northwest Rankin, the learning curve that comes with roaming Dudy Noble’s Field’s expansive outfield has been steep. It also has not been a problem.
“I’ve felt very comfortable,” said Humphreys. “You just have to accept your role. Some games I will be in left, some games I will DH. This is a good team and we have some great outfielders who need to get in the lineup. So whenever that happens, I go to designated hitter and I try to perform that job the best I can.”
Teammates approve
So far, so good for Humphreys, according to his teammates.
“He’s a great player,” said MSU senior shortstop Seth Heck of Humphreys earlier in the season. “There wasn’t any doubt that he would go out to the outfield and pick it up.
Just like there’s not any doubt that he’s a great hitter. He’s a guy that you want to see in the lineup every single game.”
For Cohen, the path that Humphreys is on currently is exactly where he needs to be.
“I think he’s really been swinging it well,” said Cohen. “Really proud of the progress he’s made and I think he’s going to continue developing into an elite hitter.”
And about that parking space?
“I love it,” said Humphreys. “I want to keep it all year but I know some guys who are gunning for it.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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