/Luke Reynolds makes USM better, and State could surely use a guy with his power

Luke Reynolds makes USM better, and State could surely use a guy with his power

Southern Miss will be better off with Luke Reynolds as the Golden Eagles’ slugger. State would be better if Reynolds remained in Starkville as his college home. Reynolds, a junior third-baseman from Forest, waited for two long seasons before he could get back on the college diamond. He has now made up for that time through two games. Reynolds drove in a run and scored a run to lead the Eagles to victory 7-4 Saturday afternoon. After he had slugged a double and a single, scored three more runs, and brought home two more, Reynolds won a 7-4 victory. He is now hitting.571 through two games with a double and a monster home run, four RBIs, and a triple. Reynolds acknowledged that it was against his old school made it even more special. Reynolds spoke all the right words about his departure from State shortly before the 2016 season in which the Bulldogs won 44 victories and an NCAA Regional. Reynolds stated Saturday that there were no hard feelings. “I have a lot of friends on the other field,” Reynolds said Saturday. Reynolds was a sophomore in 2015. He hit.370 in 2015 with a.452 on-base percentage in SEC play. He played 17 games as a designated batter and three more at third. In 35 games, he hit.304 and finished the season with a 10-game SEC streak. He was asked to wear a red-shirt as 2016 was about to start. He believed he was eligible to play. He transferred to Southern Miss, where he was forced to miss the entire 2017 season. People close to USM kept saying that last season was a record-breaking 50-game winning season. They were referring to Reynolds, who was a frequent hitter for the team, hitting tape-measure home runs that made people stop in their tracks and ask, “Who is that?” Reynolds admitted that it was hard to watch for two seasons. He said, “But I knew that I was making the right decision.” “I believe that things happen for reasons. It’s a great place to be. This program is a great opportunity for me. “We’ve got something special right here.” The first two games show that USM may have it. The Golden Eagles have scored 18 runs and hit 22 in 16 innings against high-quality Bulldog pitching. This includes two left-handed starters. The best way to reduce the Eagles’ power this season would be for lefties. Reynolds, a 215-pounder who bats third, is an impressive hitter. Matt Wallner, modestly listed as 6-5 and 220, is cleanup. Hunter Slater is a muscular 200-pounder who bats behind Wallner. All of them are left-handed. Matthew Guidry, designated hitter, is also left-handed. He is a compact, 205-pound power hitter and knocked one out Friday night. They are a nightmare for right-handers and have been a nightmare for Bulldog lefties in the past two games. Andy Cannizaro, Mississippi State’s coach, said Saturday that State may not face a stronger, faster, and more physically demanding team than USM this season. He said, “They all look as if they are 30-years olds.” On Saturday, the Eagles picked up right where they left off Friday night. Three runs were scored in the first and two more in the second. Reynolds’ blast left the park in a matter of seconds. They led 5-0 at the end of two innings, 7-2 at six, and they never looked back. Wallner had three hits and scored one run Saturday. “All I can do is thank Luke for being here,” he said. He is a great baseball player, and even more of a man. He makes us better.” Assistant coach Chad Caillet said, “Luke’s a great baseball player and even better dude.” Berry will return to the field on Sunday as the teams face off in Game 3. Southern Miss will see Luke Reynolds back in the 3-hole. State still needs more hitters to replicate the feats of Josh Hatcher, who was a freshman. Hatcher had three hits on Saturday, including a two run homer. He also had three hits Friday night. His college career is off to an impressive, if not winning start. Reynolds, as a slugger, would be a great addition to State’s roster.