Bulldog Softball In Orlando For Citrus Classic
February 26, 2015 | Softball
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – In the midst of its first road trip of the 2015 season, the Mississippi State softball team (13-2) will face tough competition with five games over three days, two against top-25 teams, Friday through Sunday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
"This tournament has been very good to us in the past, coming home 5-0 in 2013," head coach Vann Stuedeman said. "The venue is magical, it's Disney, where dreams come true. We are looking forward to the great weather and softball. It's sort of a homecoming for our only Floridian, senior Erika Gaul. Playing in front of her family will be special."
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, Feb. 27: vs. No. 13 Minnesota (13-1) – 12:15 p.m. CT
vs. Maryland (10-5) – 2:30 p.m. CT
Saturday, Feb. 28 vs. No. 23 Notre Dame (9-5) – 2:30 p.m. CT
vs. Indiana (2-13) – 4:45 p.m. CT
Sunday, March 1 vs. Georgetown (5-3) – 9 a.m. CT
FOLLOW LIVE
The weekend opener vs. No. 13 Minnesota can be viewed live on ESPN3 through WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app. All five games of the weekend will be available for listening through HailStatePLUS.
ESPN3 vs. Minnesota (Friday) | HailStatePLUS Audio
TICKET INFORMATION
Adults (ages 10+): $16.50
Children (ages 3 - 9): $11.50
LAST TIME OUT
Having opened its road season in Birmingham on Tuesday, MSU battled back with a four-run sixth inning, but UAB rallied to tie the game at four in the seventh before claiming a 5-4 walk-off win in the eighth. Senior Julia Echols and Caroline Seitz each notched two RBIs in the game, while sophomore pitcher Alexis Silkwood (9-1) struck out seven.
TEAM & PLAYER NOTES
· MSU is batting at a clip of .360, which ranks third in the Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs lead the conference in steal attempts (51) and stolen bases (46), while ranking second in the SEC in doubles (32) and hit by pitches (22).
· State is 10-0 this season when scoring six or more runs and 8-0 when holding opponents to two runs or less. The Maroon & White is also 9-0 when leading after five innings in 2015, 76-4 under Stuedeman. The Bulldogs are 11-0 when junior shortstop Kayla Winkfield records a hit and 7-0 when senior first baseman Erika Gaul notches a hit.
· Alexis Silkwood has recorded 87 strikeouts in her last 60.1 innings of work dating back to the 2014 NCAA Tournament. Silkwood stands first in the SEC in strikeouts with 73, while her nine wins lead the league.
· Along with leading MSU in batting average (.511) and hits (24), Katie Anne Bailey is ninth in the SEC in batting average, tied for fourth in hits and tied for first in fielding percentage (1.000).
· Sophomore Caroline Seitz's seven home runs are most in the SEC, while her team-best 21 RBIs are 11th-most in the conference. As a team, MSU has 14 long balls this season.
SERIES HISTORY
MSU will face Indiana and Minnesota for the first time in the history of the programs. The Bulldogs are 3-0 against Georgetown, 2-0 vs. Maryland and 0-1 vs. Notre Dame with all if its meetings with the Terps and Fighting Irish having been playing at neutral sites. State played Maryland the last time the two teams were in Orlando in 2013 with MSU having won 4-3 on March 1.
SCOUTING THE FIELD
The No. 13 Golden Gophers are off to a 13-1 start and are coming off of a 2014 season in which they reached the Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament. Like MSU, 23rd-ranked Notre Dame reached an NCAA Tournament Regional in 2014.
ON DECK FOR THE BULLDOGS
State will return home for four games, starting with a mid-week matiness vs. Atlantic Sun member Kennesaw State on Wednesday, March 4 at 3 p.m. The contest will air live on SEC Network+.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on the MSU softball program, follow "HailStateSB" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can also find all-access coverage of the Bulldogs on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap."
