Trust from coaching staff helped Tyson Hardin transform on the mound

It’s taken some time for fans to grow used to feeling confidence when pitcher Tyson Hardin comes out of the bullpen, but the junior right hander has earned the trust of fans.

That trust was already there with the coaching staff even dating back to last year as coach Chris Lemonis always saw the potential that the Dover, Fla., native had from a talent perspective. It’s pitching coach Justin Parker that has helped change some things in Hardin’s arsenal that has unlocked his full potential.

Tweak to Hardin’s pitches has been gamechanger

Velocity was something that Hardin had before he even arrived in Starkville but learning how to truly pitch is something that has come to him in time. The fastball was hittable last season with teams batting an incredible .412 against him with eight home runs.

This year, a fastball with sink and movement has created issues for the bats he faces.

“Last year was hard, but I trusted myself and trusted this coaching staff with Parker coming in. We got to work, made some changes and it paid off,” Hardin said. “Just wanted to get guys off the fastball (with) sinkers, cutters and not throwing something that’s as straight.”

In 15 games last season, Hardin gave up at least a run nine times despite not pitching more than 2.0 in a single appearance. He had a bloated 12.81 ERA with 40 hits in just 19.2 innings, 29 runs, 11 walks and 25 strikeouts. Teams had 14 extra base hits against him.

This year, the game has changed for Hardin. He’s already thrown in 13 games and that ERA has shrunk to 2.57. He’s thrown 21.0 innings, surrendered just 17 hits, seven runs, nine walks and four extra base hits. The opposing team batting average has dropped nearly .200 points down to .233.

It’s a jump that is becoming reminiscent to former Bulldog Chad Girodo in State’s run to the National Championship game in 2013 or, most recently, Jared Liebelt in 2019 when State made it back to the College World Series. Lemonis continuing to believe in his potential instead of trying to push him to the transfer portal meant something to him, but his willingness to stick it out and get better was even more impressive.   ‘

“It’s the reason that I love this place and always wanted to come back,” Hardin said of the staff. “They had that trust in me and I always trusted them that they would help me and get me on the right track and they did.”

In the last 10 appearances, Hardin hasn’t given up a run. He’s pitched 15.2 innings during that stretch with eight hits, zero runs, six walks and 18 strikeouts.

Auburn series shows Hardin ready to lead backend of bullpen

His biggest moment came last weekend against Auburn in a doubleheader as the Diamond Dawgs were working to win the series and then sweep it on Sunday. Hardin would close out the first game with a final out and then struck out five of the six batters he faced in game three. Exiting the mound in the eighth inning after his fifth strikeout, he knew the game was turning for the better.

“We’ve always trusted in each other that we’re going to get the job done. You could feel the momentum coming back to our side and after that eighth inning, I just knew we were going to get it done.”

With nine losses and just three wins in one-run games this season, the Bulldogs have been searching for bullpen arms that can shut down games.

For one of the first instances this year, Hardin was the guy that Lemonis and Parker asked to do it this past weekend and it happened in each games on Sunday. With the bases loaded in game one and State clinging to a 3-1 lead, Hardin got a flyout to end the game.

The junior RHP came back in game three and got three-straight strikeouts in the seventh with the team trailing and came back with two more in the eighth with the game tied. If anyone has earned a shot to be the shutdown reliever for the Bulldogs, it’s Hardin and that in itself is an incredible story.

“He was the MVP of the day (Sunday). He comes in and gets the big out (in the first game of the double header) and then he just dominates there in the second game,” Lemonis said. “He’s made a big jump. It’s a two-seamer, it’s power, it’s a cutter, it’s confidence. When we got him, he was going from a hitter to a pitcher so his history as a pitcher isn’t as much as some other guys. He’s developed into one of the best relievers in our league.”