Mississippi State Players To Watch

May 31, 2000

Travis Chapman

Position: Shortstop/Third Base Hgt.: 6-2 Wgt.: 186 Class: Senior Bats/Throws: R/R Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.

A veteran Bulldog infielder who moved back to third base this season after setting records at shortstop last season… Has earned three letters with the Bulldogs, playing on both the 1997 and 1998 College World Series teams.

Compiled record numbers in 57 games this season… Earned first team All-Southeastern Conference honors as the SEC’s top fielding third baseman (.935 fielding percentage)… Selected to the Starkville Regional all-tournament team at third… Also named to the 2000 SEC Academic Honor Roll… Hit .500 (7-for-14) during the MSU-hosted regional with six RBI and six runs scored… Passed Will Clark for fifth place on the school’s career RBI chart with 201 runs batted in during his tenure in Starkville… Hit three doubles during the regional to advance his school record for career two-baggers to 71… Garnered SEC Player of the Week honors for his solid play against the Florida Gators, pacing MSU with a 7-for-12 plate performance that included three walks and seven runs scored… Ranks second on MSU’s career hits list and fifth on the SEC career hits list with 325 base knocks in 910 at-bats… Has been hit by a school record 44 career pitches, and has been plunked an MSU single-season best 19 times… Notched a team second-best .356 (80-for-225) batting average with 62 RBI and seven home runs.

Earned all-tournament honors for both the Columbus, Ohio, regional and the SEC tournament during the 1999 campaign… Started all 63 of the Bulldogs’ games at shortstop during the 1999 campaign… Hit a career-best .404 last season, the eighth best average in MSU history.

Played a key role in the Bulldogs’ return trip to the College World Series in 1998… One of only three MSU players to start in all 65 games… Hit safely in 49 of 65 games, while committing only three errors in his last 28 contests of the year… Went 7-for-15 at the plate in MSU’s final three games of the NCAA Central Regional in College Station, Texas… Drove in 50 runs in 1998 while hitting at a .327 clip.

Earned honorable mention Mizuno Freshman All-American honors as the lone true freshman to start for the Bulldogs in 1997… Played a back-up role at short and third before starting the final 37 games of the year at the “hot corner”… Hit .389 (7-for-18) with a double and four RBI in the MSU-hosted NCAA Mideast Regional to earn a spot on the all-tournament team… Recorded 19 multi-hit games as a rookie… Hit .400 over his first 34 games.

Came to Mississippi State after a stellar prep career at baseball powerhouse Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, Fla… Helped BKHS to runner-up honors in the state and a No. 23 national ranking by USA Today… Named Jacksonville’s 4A Player of the Year and the Crusaders’ Most Valuable Player as a junior.

Travis Adrian Chapman was born June 5, 1978, in Jacksonville, Fla… The son of Lynn and Beverly Chapman… Majoring in general business administration.

Mark Freed

Position: Lefthanded Pitcher Hgt.: 6-5 Wgt.: 222 Class: Junior Bats/Throws: L/L Hometown: Pennsville, N.J.

A talented southpaw who enjoyed a career season in 2000 after struggling during the 1999 campaign… Returned to his freshman form as a starter for the Bulldogs during the season.

Enjoyed a career year for the Bulldogs during the 2000 season, starting all 15 games he appeared in and compiling a 9-1 record with a 3.89 ERA… A three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection who allowed 89 hits and gave up 40 runs with 85 strikeouts and 38 walks in 90.1 innings of work… Went the distance in an 8-1 win over Notre Dame at the Starkville regional to put the Bulldogs into the championship game and notch him a spot on regional all-tournament team… Gave up four hits and struck out nine against the Fighting Irish… Pitched nine innings to help the Bulldogs complete a sweep of Tennessee… Struck out a career-high 11 batters in a win over Jackson State on Feb. 29… Matched his career-best 11 K’s as he combined with Jeff Hunter to post the school’s ninth no-hitter in a 13-0 win over Alcorn State… Suffered his only loss of the year against Georgia in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, allowing three runs on nine hits in 6.1 innings.

Worked his way into the starting rotation on MSU’s 1998 College World Series team as a freshman, compiling a 6-6 record with a 5.55 earned run average… Appeared in 21 games, starting 15, during the 1998 season after redshirting due to mononucleosis in 1997… Notched a 6-5 record and a 5.55 ERA as a redshirt freshman… Selected along with two other Bulldogs to take part in the 1997 USA Baseball Team Fall Trials.

Came to MSU as one of the top prep prospects out of the state of New Jersey… Hit at a .470 career clip with 96 RBI and piled up a 25-9 mark on the mound with 282 strikeouts over 207 innings for Pennsville (N.J.) HS… The lone junior named to the 1995 National High School Baseball Coaches Association All-America team.

Mark Alan Freed was born August 10, 1978, in Salem, N.J… The son of Randy and Nancy Freed… Majoring in sports communication.