Bulldog Softball Travels to No. 14 LSU for Weekend Series
April 09, 2010 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State travels to Baton Rouge, La., this weekend to take on the 14th-ranked LSU Tigers in a three-game Southeastern Conference softball series at Tiger Park. The series gets underway Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Sunday's series finale is also set for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
A free audio stream of all three games will be available at www.mstateathletics.com/m2mlive.
The Bulldogs sport a 22-18 overall record and 3-9 SEC record after Wednesday night's 9-1 win against Mississippi Valley State in the M&F Bank Fastpitch Classic in Ridgeland, Miss.
Bulldog freshman shortstop Erin Nesbit looks to continue her recent success at the dish after hitting a grand slam, State's fifth of the season, as part of a seven-run fourth inning against the Delta Devilettes. The home run was the Acworth, Ga., native's fourth this season, putting her in second place on the team. Nesbit also leads the SEC in triples with four.
Ka'ili Smith tops the Bulldogs with nine home runs as part of a stellar sophomore campaign for the 2009 All-SEC and All-Region selection. The Kapolei, Hawaii, native has compiled the team's second-highest batting average (.367) while tying for the SEC lead with 44 RBI.
Senior all-American Chelsea Bramlett continues to pace Mississippi State at the plate with a .504 batting average. She also tops MSU, the SEC and the NCAA with a 48-for-48 stolen-base total. The Cordova, Tenn., native swiped a base Wednesday night to increase her school-record consecutive steals mark to 56. A finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and USA Softball Player of the Year, Bramlett leads the club with a league-best 46 runs scored.
Head coach Jay Miller will be looking for the pitching staff to continue its recent string of stellar performances in the circle. The Bulldog hurlers have allowed two or fewer runs in four of the last five games, including a Lindsey Dunlap four-hit shutout against Kentucky in the series finale last Saturday.
Dunlap has won four games in 11 appearances this season, tossing 40.1 innings and allowing 31 runs, 29 earned, with 49 strikeouts. Redshirt sophomore Misty Flesher picked up her team-leading ninth victory Wednesday night. The Lone Grove, Okla., native also tops the Dawgs with a 3.80 ERA, 88.1 innings and 52 strikeouts.
State faces an LSU squad that boasts a 29-9 overall record and 8-5 tally in the SEC. The Tigers put together a school-record 24-game win streak, but have dropped five-straight to a pair of top-10 teams in Florida and Alabama. LSU has only lost once at home this season, a 2-0 setback to No. 4 Michigan on Feb. 20.
Much of the Tigers' success has been thanks to Kirsten Shortridge. Shortridge paces the Tigers at the plate with a .421 batting average and 33 stolen bases, which is second only to Bramlett in the league standings. In addition to being the SEC's third-best hitter with 56 hits on the year, Shortridge owns a 3-1 record in the circle and a 1.99 ERA.
At 11-4 on the season, Rachele Fico has gotten the bulk of LSU's innings in the circle with 89.2. The freshman has allowed only 18 earned runs and struck-out 98 while holding opponents to a .180 batting average.
A free audio stream of all three games will be available at www.mstateathletics.com/m2mlive.
The Bulldogs sport a 22-18 overall record and 3-9 SEC record after Wednesday night's 9-1 win against Mississippi Valley State in the M&F Bank Fastpitch Classic in Ridgeland, Miss.
Bulldog freshman shortstop Erin Nesbit looks to continue her recent success at the dish after hitting a grand slam, State's fifth of the season, as part of a seven-run fourth inning against the Delta Devilettes. The home run was the Acworth, Ga., native's fourth this season, putting her in second place on the team. Nesbit also leads the SEC in triples with four.
Ka'ili Smith tops the Bulldogs with nine home runs as part of a stellar sophomore campaign for the 2009 All-SEC and All-Region selection. The Kapolei, Hawaii, native has compiled the team's second-highest batting average (.367) while tying for the SEC lead with 44 RBI.
Senior all-American Chelsea Bramlett continues to pace Mississippi State at the plate with a .504 batting average. She also tops MSU, the SEC and the NCAA with a 48-for-48 stolen-base total. The Cordova, Tenn., native swiped a base Wednesday night to increase her school-record consecutive steals mark to 56. A finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and USA Softball Player of the Year, Bramlett leads the club with a league-best 46 runs scored.
Head coach Jay Miller will be looking for the pitching staff to continue its recent string of stellar performances in the circle. The Bulldog hurlers have allowed two or fewer runs in four of the last five games, including a Lindsey Dunlap four-hit shutout against Kentucky in the series finale last Saturday.
Dunlap has won four games in 11 appearances this season, tossing 40.1 innings and allowing 31 runs, 29 earned, with 49 strikeouts. Redshirt sophomore Misty Flesher picked up her team-leading ninth victory Wednesday night. The Lone Grove, Okla., native also tops the Dawgs with a 3.80 ERA, 88.1 innings and 52 strikeouts.
State faces an LSU squad that boasts a 29-9 overall record and 8-5 tally in the SEC. The Tigers put together a school-record 24-game win streak, but have dropped five-straight to a pair of top-10 teams in Florida and Alabama. LSU has only lost once at home this season, a 2-0 setback to No. 4 Michigan on Feb. 20.
Much of the Tigers' success has been thanks to Kirsten Shortridge. Shortridge paces the Tigers at the plate with a .421 batting average and 33 stolen bases, which is second only to Bramlett in the league standings. In addition to being the SEC's third-best hitter with 56 hits on the year, Shortridge owns a 3-1 record in the circle and a 1.99 ERA.
At 11-4 on the season, Rachele Fico has gotten the bulk of LSU's innings in the circle with 89.2. The freshman has allowed only 18 earned runs and struck-out 98 while holding opponents to a .180 batting average.
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