Softball's Spring Break Road Swing Starts Tuesday at South Carolina
March 12, 2012 | Softball
Starkville, Miss. - Life on the road in the Southeastern Conference begins Tuesday as the Mississippi State softball team (15-9, 1-4 SEC) battles South Carolina (18-7, 2-1 SEC) in a 3:30 p.m. CT doubleheader at Beckham Field.
"South Carolina has a completely new coaching staff and their offensive numbers are way up," said head coach Vann Stuedeman. "Our pitching staff will have another challenge cut out for them and we will have to play good defense to win. We are looking forward to getting out on the road for an opportunity to prove ourselves."
Junior southpaw Stephanie Becker anchors a dynamic staff of Bulldog hurlers. The team ERA of 2.08 is thanks in part to the Chicago native, who has a team-low 1.70 clip. The lefty surpassed last year's win total (7-11) with her eighth win of the season this past Friday against No. 7 Georgia. With a team-high 72 strikeouts, Becker has gone the distance a team-best six times and has pitched 78.1 innings this season.
On offense, the Maroon and White rank near the top in several SEC categories, including hits (4th, 193), on-base percentage (4th, .418), triples (T-1st, 8), and hit by pitches (1st, 27). Redshirt senior Brittany Bell has continued her tear to start her final season and currently leads the league in slugging percentage (.898) and on-base percentage (.600).
The Gamecocks enter Tuesday's double dip with a conference-high 227 hits, hitting .332 on the year with 161 runs scored. Seniors Evan Childs and Lauren Lackey lead the ballclub, as Childs has driven in 28 and Lackey has batted .451 so far in 2012.
In the circle, the Gamecock pitching staff has maintained a 2.94 ERA, with freshman righty Katelynn Howser (7-1) leading the team in strikeouts (50) and innings pitched (64.1). The Woodstock, Ga., native owns seven of her team's 18 wins.
Following two games in the Palmetto State, Starkville's team will head west to Baton Rouge for a weekend series against LSU to continue the road portion of its SEC schedule. Live audio streaming of the game will be available online to HailStateTV subscribers (www.HailState.com/hstvlive). For more information regarding MSU's road trip, follow the team on Twitter at @MStateSB and like the team at Facebook.com/MStateSB.
PREGAME NOTES
- Mississippi State is currently riding a modest three-game winning streak against South Carolina, but has won 16 of the last 19 dating back to May 8, 2005.
- Despite the winning streak, the series between the Bulldogs and Gamecocks has been virtually even. State leads the all-time series by a slim 24-23 margin, outscoring South Carolina by just four runs (160-156).
- Senior catcher Ka'ili Smith has feasted off Gamecock pitching her first three seasons, batting .318 (7-for-22) with eight RBIs, three runs and two home runs in eight career games against the SEC East foe.
- Junior left-handed pitcher Kylie Vry found success last year vs. South Carolina in Starkville, picking up a complete-game victory on March 9, 2011. The southpaw pitched in both games in the doubleheader sweep, giving up one run in 8.0 innings (0.88 ERA), while striking out four batters.
- The Bulldogs are a perfect 3-0 in true road games this season, and with a sweep Tuesday will have their longest road winning streak since the Maroon and White won eight in a row from March 27-April 19, 2001.
- The Bulldogs are hitting an astonishing .462 (18-for-39) with a whopping 41 RBIs with the bases loaded this year.
- Of State's 110 RBIs on the season, nearly half (51) have been of the two-out variety.
- Junior left fielder Jessica Cooley, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week for Feb. 27-March 4, 2012, has hit five home runs in her past 11 games after totaling five in her previous 108 career contests.
