STARKVILLE — The Mississippi Highway Patrol arrested Mississippi State freshman pitcher Zane Stephens on Sunday for driving under the influence. He was released on bond. Neither MSU nor MSU coach Andy Cannizaro has commented on Stephens’ arrest.
The 5-foot-11, 163-pound Stephens is projected to have a role out of the bullpen. He was a top-500 recruit, according to Perfect Game.
No. 23 MSU will begin its season at 4 p.m. Friday against No. 21 Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg in Game 1 of a three-game weekend series.
MSU already has lost Spencer Price to a preseason injury that will require Tommy John surgery.
n Ole Miss’ Woolfolk, Southern Mississippi’s named to NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List: At Oxford, Ole Miss junior closer Dallas Woolfolk and Southern Mississippi junior Nick Sandlin were named Monday to the preseason watch list for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award.
This marks the third-straight year a Rebel has been named to list for the award, which given annually to the top relief pitcher in Division I.
Sandlin is the only Conference USA representative on the list. He has been named on this watch list for all three seasons at Southern Miss.
Woolfolk, who has been named a Preseason All-American by NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America, and D1Baseball, is one of 52 players on the list, and one of eight from the Southeastern Conference.
The Southaven native follows appearances by former Ole Miss pitchers Will Stokes and Wyatt Short on the list.
Last season, Woolfolk finished one off the school’s single-season record in saves with 12. He led the team with 26 appearances, all in relief, and went 3-2 with a 2.15 earned run average. The right-hander struck out 41 and held opposing hitters to a .200 clip in 37 2/3 innings.
Last summer, Woolfolk was selected to the Team USA Collegiate National Team, where he recorded a 0.87 ERA in 10 appearances.
Last week, the NCBWA named Sandlin and teammate Matt Wallner were named preseason first-team All-Americans by the NCBWA. Southern Miss tied with TCU for the most nominations with two apiece. Sandlin also was named the preseason Pitcher of the Year.
Last season, Sandlin went 10-2 record with eight saves and a 2.38 earned run average. He struck out 80 and walked 29 in 56 2/3 innings (29 games). He and former teammate Kirk McCarty shared the top spot in C-USA for wins in 2017. His 20 career saves places him sixth, 10 behind the school’s all-time record holder at the school.
Along with his recognition for his on-field efforts, Sandlin was named to the C-USA All-Academic Team for his 4.0 grade-point average while majoring in construction engineering technology. He garnered a third-team CoSIDA Academic All-American nod and collected three All-America accolades last summer, including one first-team honor.
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