1971 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team

1971 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball
1971 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball
SEC West champions; SEC Championship Series champions; NCAA District III champions
College World Series, 0–2
Conference	Southeastern Conference
CB	No. 7
Record	32–12 (13–5 SEC)
Head coach	Paul Gregory (15th season);
Home stadium	Dudy Noble Field

1971 Southeastern Conference baseball standings
	Conf.				Overall
Team	W		L	PCT	W		L	PCT
Eastern Division
Vanderbilt ^x‍‍‍	11	–	5	.688	34	–	19	.642
Auburn ‍‍‍	9	–	7	.563	23	–	16	.590
Georgia ‍‍‍	8	–	8	.500	14	–	18	.438
Tennessee ‍‍‍	7	–	7	.500	15	–	15	.500
Kentucky ‍‍‍	7	–	8	.467	18	–	15	.545
Florida ‍‍‍	5	–	12	.294	19	–	26	.422
Western Division
No. 7 Mississippi State ^x‍‍‡‍^y	13	–	5	.722	32	–	12	.727
LSU ‍‍‍	10	–	8	.556	20	–	16	.556
Ole Miss ‍‍‍	7	–	11	.389	16	–	21	.432
Alabama ‍‍‍	6	–	12	.333	19	–	25	.432

x – Division champion ‡ – Championship series champion y – Invited to the NCAA tournament As of June 30, 1971^[1] Rankings from Collegiate Baseball

The 1971 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team represented the Mississippi State University in the 1971 NCAA University Division baseball season. They were led by head coach Paul Gregory in his fifteenth season and played their home games at Dudy Noble Field. The Bulldogs were members of the Southeastern Conference, and finished with a record of 32–12, champions of the SEC West with a record of 13–5 and winners of the SEC Championship Series.

Mississippi State was invited to the NCAA Tournament, where they won the District III Tournament to advance to their first College World Series. The Bulldogs were eliminated after losses to eventual third place Tulsa and fifth place BYU.^[2]^[3]

Personnel

Roster

1971 Mississippi State Bulldogs roster^[4]^[5]

Pitchers

18 - Hugh Arant - Sophomore
20 - Kenny Hudson - Senior
21 - Lamar Pritchard - Freshman
22 - Jerry Thompson - Senior
24 - Bob Myrick - Freshman
28 - Butch Holmes - Freshman
29 - Dwight Reinstetle - Freshman
31 - Jim Eichmeier - Senior
32 - Mike Proffitt - Junior
34 - Gene Henderson - Junior

Catchers

11 - Bruce Irvin - Junior
14 - Ronnie Brown - Sophomore
35 - David Voss - Junior

Outfielders

6 - Rick Spica - Junior
10 - Dave Phares - Senior
12 - Donnie Davis - Senior
25 - Ted Milton - Junior
27 - Mike Collins - Junior

Infielders

2 - Dale Holland - Freshman
7 - Joe Owen - Sophomore
17 - Phil Still - Senior
19 - Bobby Croswell - Senior
33 - Roye Horne - Senior

Coaching staff

1971 Mississippi State Bulldogs coaching staff^[4]^[5]
36 - Paul Gregory - Head coach – 15th year 23 - Tom D'Armi - Assistant coach - 6th year

Schedule

1971 Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball game log^[6]^[5]

Regular season

March
Date	Opponent	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	SEC record
Mar 2	Iowa State*	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 7–5 ⁽⁷⁾	1–0
Mar 4	Iowa State*	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 6–5 ⁽⁷⁾	2–0
Mar 13	Memphis State*	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 10–0 ⁽⁷⁾	3–0
Mar 13	Memphis State*	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 6–2 ⁽⁷⁾	4–0
Mar 18	Clemson*	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	L 4–6	4–1
Mar 19	Clemson*	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 2–1 ⁽⁷⁾	5–1
Mar 20	Clemson*	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	L 8–10	5–2
Mar 23	St. Olaf*	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 7–0 ⁽⁷⁾	6–2
Mar 23	St. Olaf*	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 2–1 ⁽¹⁰⁾	7–2
Mar 26	Illinois Wesleyan*	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 11–0 ⁽⁷⁾	8–2
Mar 26	Illinois Wesleyan*	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 5–0 ⁽⁷⁾	9–2
Mar 29	New Orleans*	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 5–0 ⁽⁷⁾	10–2
Mar 29	New Orleans*	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 8–1 ⁽⁷⁾	11–2
Mar 31	at Loyola (LA)*	New Orleans, LA	L 2–5	11–3

April
Date	Opponent	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	SEC record
Apr 2	at LSU	Alex Box Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA	L 0–2 ⁽⁷⁾	11–4	0–1
Apr 2	at LSU	Alex Box Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA	L 1–3	11–5	0–2
Apr 3	at LSU	Alex Box Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA	L 1–9	11–6	0–3
Apr 9	LSU	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 2–1 ⁽⁷⁾	12–6	1–3
Apr 10	LSU	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 7–4	13–6	2–3
Apr 11	LSU	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 11–2	14–6	3–3
Apr 16	at Alabama	Sewell–Thomas Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL	W 6–4 ⁽⁷⁾	15–6	4–3
Apr 16	at Alabama	Sewell–Thomas Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL	W 9–6	16–6	5–3
Apr 17	at Alabama	Sewell–Thomas Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL	L 5–6 ⁽⁷⁾	16–7	5–4
Apr 19	at Arkansas State*	Jonesboro, AR	W 5–4	17–7
Apr 20	at Arkansas State*	Jonesboro, AR	W 6–4	18–7
Apr 23	Alabama	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 8–7 ⁽⁷⁾	19–7	6–4
Apr 23	Alabama	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 6–2	20–7	7–4
Apr 24	Alabama	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	L 7–8 ⁽¹³⁾	20–8	7–5
Apr 27	Southern Miss*	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 9–0	21–8
Apr 28	Southern Miss*	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	L 3–6	21–9
Apr 30	at Ole Miss	Swayze Field • Oxford, MS (Rivalry)	W 15–12 ⁽¹⁰⁾	22–9	8–5
Apr 30	at Ole Miss	Swayze Field • Oxford, MS	W 7–5 ⁽¹¹⁾	23–9	9–5

May
Date	Opponent	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	SEC record
May 1	at Ole Miss	Swayze Field • Oxford, MS	W 5–2 ⁽⁷⁾	24–9	10–5
May 7	Ole Miss	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 7–6 ⁽⁷⁾	25–9	11–5
May 8	Ole Miss	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 4–2	26–9	12–5
May 8	Ole Miss	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 9–7	27–9	13–5

Postseason

SEC Championship Series
Date	Opponent	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	Series record
May 14	Vanderbilt	Dudy Noble Field • Starkville, MS	W 5–1	28–9	1–0
May 15	at Vanderbilt	McGugin Field • Nashville, TN	W 3–1	29–9	2–0

NCAA District III Playoffs
Date	Opponent	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	Regional record
May 27	Maryland	Sims Legion Park^[7] • Gastonia, NC	W 2–1	30–9	1–0
May 28	Miami (FL)	Sims Legion Park • Gastonia, NC	W 7–3	31–9	2–0
May 29	Georgia Tech	Sims Legion Park • Gastonia, NC	L 8–20	31–10	2–1
May 30	Georgia Tech	Sims Legion Park • Gastonia, NC	W 5–2	32–10	3–1

College World Series
Date	Opponent	Site/stadium	Score	Overall record	CWS record
June 11	Tulsa	Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium • Omaha, NE	L 2–5	32–11	0–1
June 12	BYU	Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium • Omaha, NE	L 1–3	32–12	0–2

References

↑ "College Baseball Conference Standings – 1971". Boydsworld.com. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
↑ Steve Robertson (June 23, 2022). "You always remember your first time". 247 Sports. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
↑ Steve Robertson (February 1, 2024). "1971: Phares' big fly sends Diamond Dawgs to Omaha for the first time". 247 Sports. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
1 2 "1971 Baseball Roster". Mississippi State Bulldogs. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
1 2 3 1971 DI Baseball Championship Program. NCAA. pp. 10–11. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
↑ "1971 Baseball Schedule". Mississippi State Bulldogs. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
↑ Richard Walker. "FLASHBACK: As ACC tournament returns to Charlotte for second straight year, a look back at when the ACC champion advanced to Gastonia". Carolinas Sports hub. Retrieved August 5, 2026.

[1] "College Baseball Conference Standings – 1971". Boydsworld.com. Retrieved August 4, 2026.

[2] Steve Robertson (June 23, 2022). "You always remember your first time". 247 Sports. Retrieved August 4, 2026.

[3] Steve Robertson (February 1, 2024). "1971: Phares' big fly sends Diamond Dawgs to Omaha for the first time". 247 Sports. Retrieved August 4, 2026.

[roster-4] 1 2 "1971 Baseball Roster". Mississippi State Bulldogs. Retrieved August 4, 2026.

[cws-5] 1 2 3 1971 DI Baseball Championship Program. NCAA. pp. 10–11. Retrieved August 4, 2026.

[6] "1971 Baseball Schedule". Mississippi State Bulldogs. Retrieved August 5, 2026.

[7] Richard Walker. "FLASHBACK: As ACC tournament returns to Charlotte for second straight year, a look back at when the ACC champion advanced to Gastonia". Carolinas Sports hub. Retrieved August 5, 2026.

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Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball
Venues	Dudy Noble Field, Polk–DeMent Stadium (1967–present)
Rivalries	Ole Miss
Culture & lore	Left Field Lounge
People	Head coaches Statistical leaders
Seasons	1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
National championships in bold; College World Series appearances in italics