Skip to main content
Mississippi State

Rosters set for Mississippi State baseball's Diamond Dawg Classic

3rupauk8_400x400by: Robbie Faulk10/10/25RobbieFaulkOn3
dudy noble2
Dudy Noble Field (Photo by Mississippi State Athletics)

For years, Mississippi State baseball fans have been clamoring for the return of an Alumni baseball game and, last month, that wish was granted.

Dudy Noble Field will serve host for the Inaugural Farm Bureau Diamond Dawg Classic on Friday, November 7. Powered by the Bulldog Initiative with portions of the proceeds going towards State’s NIL efforts, the event will welcome in dozens of former State baseball players with a chance to get back on the field that they called home for many years.

The two teams will be led by Diamond Dawg legends Rafael Palmeiro and Will Clark running Team Lightning and Team Thunder, respectively. Both coaches recently drafted players to their teams with other former players serving as assistant coaches.

Among the group playing the games will be an incredible 30 players who made a trip to the College World Series. 10 former players played in National Championship series from either 2013 or 2021 and six of them were on the National Championship team of ’21. Nine different All-Americans will be playing in the game as well.

Clark’s Team Thunder will have assistant coaches that include former MLB players like Jeff Brantley, Bobby Thigpen and Chris Stratton with the Captain of his team being longtime MLB veteran Mitch Moreland. Among the other highlighted players on the team will be former All-American and Ferris Trophy winner Thomas Berkery and current MLB SS Adam Frazier and OF Jake Mangum.

For Palmeiro on Team Lightning, he will have assistant coaches like former pitching greats Paul Maholm, Jay Powell, Jonathan Holder, Landon Sims and Konnor Pilkington. Legendary closer Jonathan Papelbon will be the team captain. SEC Player of the Year and National Champion Tanner Allen will be playing first base for the team with sluggers Hunter Renfroe, Connor Powers and Dakota Jordan highlighting the team’s offense.

Fans can grab tickets for the events at this link. The Bulldog Initiative is also putting on a benefit Grand Slam Golf Event at Mossy Oak Golf Club on Thursday, Novemeber 6 with a Tee Time at Noon. Fans can sign up for that event HERE.

Team Thunder:

Head coach – Will Clark

Assistant Coaches – Jeff Brantley, Bobby Thigpen, Trent Intorcia, Scott Clark, Chris Stratton

Captain – 1B Mitch Moreland

3B Thomas Berkery

SS Jet Butler

2B Travis Chapman

2B Brandon Turner

OF Brad Cumbest

SS Adam Frazier

OF Connor Hujsak

OF Reid Humphreys

OF Jake Mangum

OF Jaron Shepherd

OF Brayland SKinner

C Dustin Skelton

C Wes Thigpen

1B Tyler Moore

LHP Nick Routt

LHP Ross Mitchell

RHP Blake Smith

RHP Keegan James

RHP Preston Johnson

RHP Zac HOuston

RHP Todd Doolittle

RHP Ben Bracewell

RHP Aaron Weatherford

Team Lightning:

Head Coach – Rafael Palmeiro

Assistant Coaches – Jonathan Holder, Paul Maholm, Konnor Pilkington, Landon Sims, Jay Powell

Captain – RHP Jonathan Papelbon

SS Luke Alexander

SS Jonathan Ogden

2B Hunter Stovall  

3B Russ Sneed  

3B Nick Vickerson

1B Tanner Allen

1B Connor Powers

OF Hunter Renfroe

OF Kellum Clark

OF Jeff Flagg

OF Dakota Jordan

OF Elijah MacNamee

C Marshall Gilbert

C Luke Hancock  

LHP Zach Neff

RHP Brandon Smith

RHP Spencer Price

RHP Cole Gordon

RHP Jacob Billingsley

RHP Devin Jones

RHP Peyton Plumlee

 RHP Colby White

You may also like