Bulldogs Host No. 21 LSU To Wrap Home Campaign
April 28, 2011 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State says thank you to seniors Ali Bainbridge, Courtney Nesbit and Chelsea Raines this weekend as the Bulldog softball team wraps the 2011 home campaign with a three-game Southeastern Conference series against No. 21 LSU beginning Friday at the MSU Softball Field.
Friday's opener is set for a 5 p.m. first pitch, and the first 25 youth fans have the opportunity to take part in the Friday Night Kid Fan Zone.
Each participant will receive a free t-shirt and pom-pom, and they will also get to assist with retrieving foul balls and leading the fans in cheers.
The Bulldogs will host White Out The Tigers at 1 p.m. on Saturday, with the first 100 fans receiving a free Mississippi State t-shirt. A free pizza from Old Venice will be awarded to the Fan of the Game.
Sunday's game is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. first pitch and will be broadcast live by SportSouth. Prior to the game, the Bulldogs will honor the three seniors as they play on the MSU Softball Field for the final time.
A free, live audio stream for all three games will be available at www.mstateathletics.com/m2mlive.
The Dawgs enter the weekend 23-26 overall and 9-13 in SEC play following last Saturday's 3-2 upset of No. 4 Tennessee in Knoxville.
State has been outstanding at home this year, entering the series against LSU (32-15, 13-9 SEC) with a 17-4 ledger at the MSU Softball Field.
The Bulldogs need the seniors to continue their banner offensive seasons as the team continues its quest to earn a spot in the 2011 SEC Tournament in Oxford.
Bainbridge currently leads the Dawgs with a .362 batting average, 13 doubles and 45 runs scored. She also tops the squad with 19 stolen bases while tying for the team lead with her personal-best four triples.
The Vestavia Hills, Ala., native, who has not missed a start in her four-year career, will wrap her Bulldog career ranked in the top 10 in nine offensive categories.
Nesbit has set personal bests in batting average (.318), home runs (8) and RBI (40) while matching a career best with nine doubles. Her home run and RBI totals both lead the team.
The Acworth, Ga., native's 13 career round-trippers are tied with teammate Ka'ili Smith for ninth in MSU history. Nesbit has been stellar defensively, posting a .988 career fielding percentage that is tied for third in school annals.
Raines, an Ackerman, Miss., native and Holmes Community College product, went from appearing in five games in 2010 to starting 48 of the team's 49 games this year.
She has tallied a .273 batting average, 10 doubles, a triple, six home runs and 26 RBI. Her home run and RBI totals are the third-most on the squad.
