Tanner Allen’s frustrations in 2020 began even before the outbreak of COVID-19.

Allen injured his wrist and missed half of Mississippi State’s 16 games before the pandemic shut down the season, ending the Bulldogs’ hopes of making a third consecutive trip to the College World Series.

Allen needed a break. So he went back home to Alabama.

Allen spent some days hitting in a friend’s batting cage and others working on his swing at his high school alma mater, UMS Wright Prep, in Mobile.

But the time he spent on the water helped the most.

“I just spent the summer offshore fishing,” Allen said. “I live right off the coast so it was perfect to just do that and social distance at the same time.”

Allen, Mississippi State’s lefty-hitting senior right fielder, might have gone pro had he not gone undrafted in MLB’s abbreviated five-round draft last year.

Instead, one of the Bulldogs’ most experienced players with 142 career starts is healthy and back in their starting lineup this spring.

While Mississippi State (12-4 in 2020), ranked in the top 10 in at least four major polls to open the 2021 season, is loaded when it comes to pitching, Allen’s presence at the plate and in their outfield could be the perfect complement to propel the Bulldogs to contend for their first national championship.

“That's the blessing for us is having those guys (like Allen) back,” Mississippi State coach Chris Lemonis said. “We're getting, not only great players but their maturity, their energy they bring, guys who've been through it. I say that over and over but guys that have been through it are a really big piece. They've been to Omaha. They've played in the SEC, big Friday night games. They do a great job.”

Allen’s injury hurt his numbers in last season’s small sample size as he hit .240 with a pair of doubles, a triple and five RBI in only 25 at-bats.

But as a sophomore in 2019, Allen hit .349 with seven home runs and 66 RBI and has 12 homers and 116 RBI for his college career.

He’ll enter this season on a career-long 26-game on-base streak.

With veteran infielders Justin Foscue and Jordan Westburg gone, Allen is expected to step into more of a leadership role this season.

“The young guys follow your habits and how you handle things on the field especially failure,” Allen said.

“You have to hold yourself and others around you to a higher standard.”

Allen transitioned from to his starting spot in right field as a junior after making 64 starts at first base as a sophomore and 43 starts there as a freshman, when he earned Freshman All-American honors.

Allen, a former quarterback in high school, made 11 starts for the USA Collegiate national team in 2019. He was drafted in the 36th round by the Cubs out of high school and in the 34th round by the Rockies after his sophomore year.

Allen is hopeful his offseason work will translate into a strong senior season that will not only lead to more wins for Mississippi State, but also increase his draft stock.

One of the keys is generating more power primarily to the pull side although he has been consistent at hitting balls to the gaps in clutch spots when going to the opposite field.

“I think he will hit a lot more home runs for you if he just tries to pull the ball down the right field line,” Lemonis said. “Those 10 doubles he gives you in the backside gap with runners on base, you will lose some of that.”

Mississippi State, which hit .260/.356/.380 with 11 homers in 16 games last season, is looking for more production in the power department overall to complement their deep pitching staff and trio of talented starters – Christian MacLeod, Eric Cerantola and Will Bednar.

Senior Rowdey Jordan is back in center field, but Lemonis said the left field spot is up for grabs and could be a rotation between senior Brayland Skinner and juniors Brandon Pimentel and Brad Cumbest.

“Skinner has come back and kind of did what he did in the end of the fall,” Lemonis said. “He’s a pretty electric baseball player, but he still has to go out there and prove it. Pimentel (is there) if we want to play a left-hander. Brad's got five at-bats under his belt now, so just coming out from football is always a harder transition with some of those guys and trying to get people involved with the outfield.”

Lemonis said Logan Tanner will start behind the plate, Josh Hatcher (the Bulldogs’ top hitter last season before the shutdown with a .311 batting average and a .508 slugging percentage), will be back at first base. Senior Scotty Dubrule is the incumbent at second and Kamren James is at shortstop.

Junior Landon Jordan and freshman Kellum Clark will compete for playing time at third base.

“That battle may play out where it's just one guy playing against left and right and see who can win the job,” Lemonis said. “See who's going to play there late in the game. We're just trying to figure out a lot of those pieces.”

Mississippi State will be tested immediately when they face Texas, TCU and Texas Tech in that order Feb. 20-22 in the State Farm College Baseball Showdown in Arlington, Texas at Globe Life Field.

“The bullets are going to be flying early,” Allen said. “We’re going right into enemy territory playing some of the best teams in the country. We have to go in there and play our best. But the common denominator is that at the end of it, we’re still going to have to come home and work hard whether we’re 0-3 or 3-0.”

Andre has covered baseball at the high school, college and both minor-league and major-league levels for the past 15 years for multiple publications including the Miami Herald, the Athletic and Baseball America. You can follow him at @FernandezAndreC on Twitter.