Inside Gehrig Frei's transfer to Mississippi State baseball and the Landon Sims connection

STARKVILLE — Gehrig Frei remembers tuning into the 2021 College World Series as he watched Mississippi State baseball secure its first national title.

But for the former North Alabama third baseman, the Bulldogs’ run came with special purpose.

“That’s where my first taste of Mississippi State baseball came from,” Frei told the Clarion Ledger. “Was just wanting to watch my buddy close out the national championship.”

Landon Sims, MSU’s dominant closer throughout the 2021 season, is friends with Frei. The two were teammates at South Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia, for two years.

So while Frei was wrapping up his high school career, he watched closely what the Bulldogs were doing.

“I saw how electric the environment was and how great the fans were,” Frei said. “It was awesome to see a friend like that be such a big part of a national championship team.”

Frei will look to replicate the success. The North Alabama transfer announced Saturday he is committed to Mississippi State.

“My No. 1 goal is to win a national championship,” Frei said. “I believe that this team can do it, and that’s one of the biggest things for me throughout this recruiting process. I want to go to Omaha. I want to win a national championship.”

Inside Gehrig Frei’s recruitment to Mississippi State baseball

When the transfer portal opened on June 3, Frei entered his name. Mississippi State was among the first schools to reach out.

While other programs contacted him, Frei felt his relationship with MSU coach Chris Lemonis and hitting coach Jake Gautreau formed quickly. Less than a week into his recruitment, Frei was committed.

“I just wanted a place that had a great baseball culture and great baseball environment because I’m a baseball guy,” Frei said.

Frei played at Dudy Noble Field on May 14 when UNA faced Mississippi State in a midweek contest. He had one hit in four at-bats with a run scored in front of an announced crowd of nearly 10,000.

“I’ve obviously heard a lot about it playing college baseball for three years,” Frei said. “Being able to experience it was just different. It was just different. There’s nothing else to explain it.”

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What is Mississippi State baseball getting in Gehrig Frei?

Frei redshirted his freshman season in 2022 before becoming a consistent threat in the UNA lineup. In 2023, he hit .293 with seven home runs.

This year, his batting average jumped to .320 to go along with 15 home runs. Among consistent starters, he led the Lions in batting average, home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.

He did that while striking out only 26 times – fewest among regular starters on the team.

Frei is spending his summer in Vermont where he’s playing for the Upper Valley Nighthawks in the New England Collegiate Baseball League before he heads to Mississippi State.

“I’m excited to get to Starkville and start getting to work,” Frei said.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Gehrig Frei: Mississippi State baseball transfer, Landon Sims' friend