Bulldogs Meet USM Wednesday in Madison as Miller Goes for Win No. 1,000
April 05, 2011 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State head softball coach Jay Miller claimed his 999th career win in Sunday's series-clinching victory against rival Ole Miss, and now he goes for No. 1,000 against another in-state foe as the Bulldogs meet Southern Mississippi Wednesday at Liberty Park in Madison, Miss., as part of the M&F Fastpitch Classic. First pitch for the game is set for 6:30 p.m.
Miller can become the 13th Division I head coach and the 18th among all divisions to reach the prestigious milestone.
The Bulldogs improved to 19-18 overall and 7-6 in SEC play after claiming the final two games of last weekend's series against the Rebels.
Wednesday's game will be the second meeting between the two teams this season. State claimed its second-straight win in the series, a 6-4 decision, in Starkville on Feb. 23.
That win gave the Dawgs a 30-11 all-time record against the Golden Eagles. Miller's squad has won nine of the last 11 meetings.
Senior Ali Bainbridge hit a big double in that game, her first in the leadoff position for Mississippi State. Since that point, Bainbridge has tallied a .387 batting average in the top spot in the lineup.
On the season, the Vestavia Hills, Ala., native leads Mississippi State with a .380 average, 11 doubles and 36 runs scored. She is also tied with classmate Courtney Nesbit for the triples lead with three.
Nesbit paced the Bulldogs in Sunday's series-clinching victory against the Rebels, collecting three hits and matching a career high with five RBI. The Acworth, Ga., native, a .324 hitter, finished a triple shy of the cycle as she notched her team-best eighth home run of the season. Nesbit tops MSU with 33 RBI.
Since tallying two hits in the first USM game, junior Ka'ili Smith has been red-hot at the plate, hitting at a stellar .405 clip. The Kapolei, Hawaii, native has collected 38 hits in 107 at-bats this season (.355 average), and she has scored a team second-most 24 times while tallying three doubles, a triple, two home runs and 19 RBI.
Sophomore Kylie Vry, who picked up the win against Southern Miss, earned her team-best seventh win of the year as she held Ole Miss to a hit over the final four innings on Sunday. Vry, a Des Moines, Iowa, native, has compiled a 3.51 ERA and 79 strikeouts over 101.2 innings.
Fellow second-year pitcher Stephanie Becker tossed a four-hit shutout last Saturday to notch her fifth victory of the season. Becker has collected a 4.75 ERA and struck out 46 in 45.2 innings. Junior Misty Flesher has collected six wins and a team-high three saves. The Lone Grove, Okla., native tossed 69.1 innings, striking out 55 while being touched for a 5.15 ERA.
Southern Mississippi comes to Madison sporting a 10-24 record after being swept in a three-game series against East Carolina.
The Golden Eagles have struggled at the plate, hitting .215 this season. Taylor Brown leads her team with a .277 average and seven doubles. Michelle Takeda (.268) and Jill Mathis (.223) pace USM with 16 RBI each.
Beth Dietrich tops USM with five victories, a 3.09 ERA and 56 strikeouts. Kelly Smith took the loss in the previous meeting against the Bulldogs. She has won two games while being touched for a 3.69 ERA.
