STARKVILLE — Mississippi State made a major change to its baseball coaching staff on Monday by parting ways with pitching coach Scott Foxhall.

Foxhall spent five seasons with the Bulldogs and was named the Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association in 2021, when Mississippi State won its first national championship. MSU had a team ERA of 4.04 in 2021, and four pitchers were selected in the Major League Baseball draft.

This season, however, Mississippi State ranks last in the Southeastern Conference in team earned run average (6.62) and walks allowed (255). Its pitching struggles have been a primary contributor to a 6-15 record in the SEC (24-20 overall) that has the team in danger of missing the conference tournament for the second year in a row.

The Bulldogs also rank 261st out of 295 Division I teams with 5.98 walks per nine innings

“While this is a difficult decision because of the tremendous respect I have for Scott as a person and a coach, it is in the best interest of our program,” Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis said in a statement. “I want to thank Scott for his contributions to Mississippi State over the last five years, and I am appreciative of all he’s devoted to our program. He has played a significant role on our staff during his time here, including helping us win a College World Series championship. I sincerely wish Scott and his family the absolute best in the future.”