Softball
Sanders, DJ
DJ Sanders
- Title:
- Volunteer Assistant Coach
- Phone:
- 325-0560
DJ Sanders joined the Mississippi State softball staff in June 2021 following a standout collegiate career and a stop at Missouri where she served as a graduate assistant on the Tigers’ staff.
Sanders’ first season with the Bulldogs was historic. Serving primarily as a hitting instructor and leading the scouting of opposing pitchers, Sanders helped the Bulldogs break the MSU single-season home run record. MSU also turned in top-five marks in program history in both runs (312) and RBIs (282).
Additionally, Sanders shared responsibility for improving the Bulldog pitchers defensively. State’s pitchers were responsible for just three errors in 64 games in 2022 while recording 78 putouts and assists.
Sanders continues to play professionally with Athletes Unlimited. In the summer of 2020, she finished 14th individually in the inaugural AU season with 1,520 points and batted .333 with four homers over 14 games. The following year she tallied 1,352 points and finished 15th. She slugged a pair of homers and collected five RBIs in 11 games.
In 2022, she competed in the AUX exhibition season, totaling 808 points in eight games with a .500 batting average.
Prior to playing in AU, Sanders was drafted No. 21 overall by the Chicago Bandits in the 2018 NPF Draft. She made her professional debut with NPF on June 16, 2018, and recorded her first career hit the next day. In her rookie season, Sanders batted .306 and ranked third on her squad in home runs.
Collegiately, Sanders was an All-American at Louisiana where she played her first three seasons as the starting shortstop. In her junior year and All-American season, Sanders led the NCAA in 29 home runs (29), RBIs (82) and slugging percentage (1.013). She also posted a career-high .388 average and a .524 on-base percentage. She started all 55 games and made just seven errors on her way to being named one of 10 finalists for the USA Softball National Player of the Year award and was the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. Sanders also played the USA Softball Junior National Team at the World Cup of Softball and Junior Women’s World Championships in 2015.
Sanders transferred to Oregon for her senior season where she earned All-Pac-12 honors in 2018. In her lone season in Eugene, she hit .281 with a .614 slugging percentage while blasting 16 homers and collecting 51 RBIs in the Ducks’ Pac-12 Championship season.
Following graduation, Sanders got her start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Missouri, helping the Tigers to a 61-24 record in her two seasons.
Sanders is a native of Columbus, Mississippi, growing up less than an hour from Starkville. In addition to her coaching duties, she organizes and administers MSU softball’s camp offerings.
Sanders’ first season with the Bulldogs was historic. Serving primarily as a hitting instructor and leading the scouting of opposing pitchers, Sanders helped the Bulldogs break the MSU single-season home run record. MSU also turned in top-five marks in program history in both runs (312) and RBIs (282).
Additionally, Sanders shared responsibility for improving the Bulldog pitchers defensively. State’s pitchers were responsible for just three errors in 64 games in 2022 while recording 78 putouts and assists.
Sanders continues to play professionally with Athletes Unlimited. In the summer of 2020, she finished 14th individually in the inaugural AU season with 1,520 points and batted .333 with four homers over 14 games. The following year she tallied 1,352 points and finished 15th. She slugged a pair of homers and collected five RBIs in 11 games.
In 2022, she competed in the AUX exhibition season, totaling 808 points in eight games with a .500 batting average.
Prior to playing in AU, Sanders was drafted No. 21 overall by the Chicago Bandits in the 2018 NPF Draft. She made her professional debut with NPF on June 16, 2018, and recorded her first career hit the next day. In her rookie season, Sanders batted .306 and ranked third on her squad in home runs.
Collegiately, Sanders was an All-American at Louisiana where she played her first three seasons as the starting shortstop. In her junior year and All-American season, Sanders led the NCAA in 29 home runs (29), RBIs (82) and slugging percentage (1.013). She also posted a career-high .388 average and a .524 on-base percentage. She started all 55 games and made just seven errors on her way to being named one of 10 finalists for the USA Softball National Player of the Year award and was the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. Sanders also played the USA Softball Junior National Team at the World Cup of Softball and Junior Women’s World Championships in 2015.
Sanders transferred to Oregon for her senior season where she earned All-Pac-12 honors in 2018. In her lone season in Eugene, she hit .281 with a .614 slugging percentage while blasting 16 homers and collecting 51 RBIs in the Ducks’ Pac-12 Championship season.
Following graduation, Sanders got her start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Missouri, helping the Tigers to a 61-24 record in her two seasons.
Sanders is a native of Columbus, Mississippi, growing up less than an hour from Starkville. In addition to her coaching duties, she organizes and administers MSU softball’s camp offerings.
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