Bulldog Softball Faces California In NCAA Tournament Opener
May 14, 2009 | Softball
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ? The Mississippi State softball team opens the 2009 NCAA Tallahassee (Fla.) Regional on Friday, taking on California at 4 p.m. CDT at JoAnne Graf Field on the Florida State University campus.
The Bulldogs advanced to NCAA play for the eighth time overall and sixth time in head coach Jay Miller's seven seasons in Starkville. This season's tournament is State's first east of the Mississippi River.
State enters the tournament seeded third with a 28-26 overall record, while second-seeded California boasts a 35-18 ledger. The two teams will be meeting for the third straight year, with the Golden Bears holding a 3-2 advantage in the series. State, however, has won the previous two meetings, taking a 4-1 win in nine innings at last season's Cathedral City Kickoff in Palm Springs, Calif., after claiming a 9-0 victory in Las Vegas during the 2007 season.
Junior Chelsea Bramlett leads the Bulldogs at the plate entering the NCAA Regional. The first-team All-SEC catcher and NFCA All-South Region selection tops the Southeastern Conference and ranks third nationally in batting average (.486). She also leads the nation and conference in stolen bases with an MSU-record 53 in 59 attempts. Bramlett also holds State's career steals record with 145.
Smith, the lone freshman to receive All-SEC honors, earned NFCA All-Region accolades along with sophomore Ali Bainbridge and senior Sammie Jo Bailey after hitting a team second-best .329. The Kapolei, Hawaii, native paces the Maroon and White in doubles (11), triples (4) and RBI (35).
The Bulldogs will look for freshman Lindsey Dunlap and senior Kelsey Nurnberg to continue their recent success in the circle. Dunlap has won eight of her last 11 starts to sit at 17-14 on the year. The Hueytown, Ala., native has allowed 103 runs (97 earned) on 192 hits for a 3.27 ERA while striking out an MSU freshman-best 157.
Nurnberg picked up wins in her previous two starts to improve to 11-10 overall. The Ankeny, Iowa, native has allowed just two runs over the past 10 innings to drop her ERA to 3.81. She has struck-out 83 over 121 1/3 innings in her final collegiate season.
Cal makes the cross-country trek hitting .267 as a team. The Golden Bears have been led this season by freshman Jamia Reid and sophomore Valerie Arioto. Reid is hitting a team-best .345 while connecting on four doubles, two triples and seven home runs. She has driven in 25 runs while leading the team with 45-of-47 stolen bases.
Arioto, a .344 hitter, tops the squad with 10 home runs. She has also driven in a team-leading 34 runs behind five doubles, a triple and a squad-best 10 round-trippers.
The Bulldog bats will face one of the top pitchers in the Pac-10 in Marissa Drewrey. Drewrey (21-10) boasts a 2.24 ERA after giving up 76 runs, 62 earned, with 222 strikeouts. Arioto has made 35 appearances this season, going 14-8 with a 2.45 ERA and 165 strikeouts.
