Mississippi State switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje dazzles in first collegiate start

Mississippi State has an advantage no other college baseball team has this season. And the Bulldogs are already enjoying the benefits. 

Freshman switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje struck out seven over four scoreless innings in his first collegiate start Wednesday night, allowing just one hit and one walk against Louisiana-Monroe.

Six of those strikeouts came when he was pitching right-handed and one came as a lefty. 

Cijntje, 19, first gained national attention as a high school senior at last year's MLB Draft Combine. The Milwaukee Brewers were impressed enough with his potential that they took him in the 18th round of the draft, but he decided not to sign and accepted a scholarship to Mississippi State instead.

Cijntje, a natural lefty, tops out at around 92 mph on his fastball from the left side. However, he can ramp it up to 97 mph as a right-hander. 

He made his first appearance of the season in relief last Sunday, tossing a scoreless inning against VMI and getting the win. 

If Cijntje does eventually make it to the major leagues -- he'll be eligible for the draft again in 2025 -- he won't be the first switch-pitcher to do so. Creighton's Pat Venditte pitched for six MLB teams in five years from 2015-2020.

Greg Harris pitched both left- and right-handed in one game for the Montreal Expos in 1995 and several others did in the 1800s.