Road Test at Southeastern Louisiana, Next For MSU
March 16, 2015 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Coming off a Southeastern Conference series win, Mississippi State softball (20-6, 3-3 SEC) will kick off a six-game road stretch at Southeastern Louisiana (10-15, 5-1 Southland) on Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT at North Oak Park.
"We had a big weekend. It is great that we have had so many different players come through in big moments," head coach Vann Stuedeman said. "The challenge now is to get refocused and ready to play on the road. Southeastern Louisiana is a well-coached team and will be ready to play."
FOLLOW LIVE
Tuesday's game can only be followed through the SLU live stats page or by following Mississippi State softball on Twitter "@HailStateSB" for live in-game updates.
LAST TIME OUT
State most recently took two of three games from No. 19 Texas A&M at the MSU Softball Field over the weekend with sophomore Amanda Ivy having hit two home runs and eight RBIs on the weekend.
In the Sunday rubber match, MSU trailed 5-3 heading into the seventh, but a two-run home run from sophomore pitcher Alexis Silkwood tied the game at five. Looking to avoid extra innings, Ivy belted a two-run shot off of the scoreboard in left to lift State to a 7-5 walk-off win, clinching the SEC series victory.
TEAM & PLAYER NOTES
· The Bulldogs have ten come-from-behind wins in 2015 and six walk-off wins.
· MSU is 16-2 this season when recording seven or more hits in a game and 10-0 when recording 10 or more hits.
· State is 4-4 against teams ranked in the top 25 at the time of competition.
· After MSU had gone 1,479 days without a walk-off home run, the Bulldogs have now had two in the past seven days, both over ranked SEC opponents.
· State ranks second in the Southeastern Conference in doubles (45), hit by pitch (34), stolen bases (57) and steal attempts (66).
· MSU has had four games nixed that were on the initial schedule. Feb. 15 vs. Lamar, March 1 vs. Georgetown, March 10 at Lipscomb and March 11 at Samford.
· Silkwood is tied for third in the nation in victories by a pitcher (15), she had 14 wins in all of last season
· Silkwood leads the nation in wins (15) and is tied for first in the SEC in batters struck out (121)
· Ivy is tied for second in the MSU record books for grand slams (2), both of which have come this season.
· Ivy also leads State in batting average (.383) and RBI (25).
· Sophomore Mackenzie Toler has reached base in 10-straight games, a present team high. Ivy has reached base safely in eight straight.
· Having gone from pinch hitter in 2014 to offensive leader in 2014, sophomore Katie Anne Bailey leads the Bulldogs in hits (31), runs (23) and triples (5), while she is tied for first in doubles (7) with sophomore Caroline Seitz.
· Bailey is tied for sixth in the SEC in doubles (7), second in triples (5) and tied for fifth in hit by pitch (6).
SERIES HISTORY
State leads the all-time series 2-0 with MSU having won the earlier meeting this season, 4-3 on Feb. 19. A three-run jack from Seitz, a sacrifice fly from Ivy and a 10-strikeout day from Silkwood lifted the Bulldogs to the win.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
A Southland Conference member, SLU was picked to finish 10th in the 12-team league's 2015 Preseason Coaches' Poll. Junior outfielder Katie Lacour was a 2015 All-Southland Conference preseason first team selection for the Lions. SLU is already off to a 5-1 start in Southland play and has won three straight.
ON DECK FOR THE BULLDOGS
State will get back to SEC play this weekend in a road series with in-state rival Ole Miss. The three-game set will begin Friday, March 20 at 6 p.m. CT from the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
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."
