Mississippi State established itself with a freshman catcher, Gavin Collins, behind the plate in 2014.
Collins caught 42 games and was the Diamond Dogs leading returning hitter entering this past spring.
However, that did not stop Josh Lovelady from signing with MSU and coming in to compete with the Preseason All-SEC selection for playing time.
It was a gamble that paid off for Lovelady, who was the Bulldogs starting backstop on opening day. Collins underwent offseason surgery on his left hand which kept Lovelady in the lineup during the first month of the season.