Softball To Open Nusz Park, 2016 Campaign Thursday Night
February 10, 2016 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – One of the most anticipated seasons in the history of the Mississippi State softball program will open Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. CT with the Bulldogs taking on Georgia Southern as part of the Bulldog Kickoff Classic.
The culmination of a new season, the opening of a brand new facility and the 25th season of MSU softball has the excitement level at an all-time high surrounding head coach Vann Stuedeman's program as she enters her fifth season at the helm.
State is coming off of a 2015 season that saw numerous offensive records fall in the midst of making a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Thursday opener will begin the four-day event which will include a total of 12 games between five teams (Alabama A&M, Georgia Southern, Houston, Tennessee Tech and host MSU).
Admission to all regular season games at Nusz Park is FREE for the general public.
FOLLOW LIVE
All five of MSU's games over the weekend will air on SEC Network+, exclusively through WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app. The voice of Bulldog softball, Anthony Craven, will have the call for all five games.
Click below to see State's contests live on SEC Network+
Thursday – vs. Georgia Southern (5:30 p.m.)
Friday – vs. Houston (5:30 p.m.)
Saturday – vs. Tennessee Tech (2 p.m.)
Saturday – vs. Alabama A&M (4:30 p.m.)
Sunday – vs. Houston (11 a.m.)
PRESEASON VOTE GETTERS
The 2016 preseason opened with MSU receiving votes in both the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 and the USA Today/NFCA Coaches polls.
WELCOME TO NUSZ PARK
MSU announced Jan. 22 that its new $6.4 million softball facility would carry the name of alumni couple Tommy and Terri Nusz of Houston, Texas, and be known as Nusz Park.
The Nusz' lead gift for the softball facility is part of a significant contribution from them for Infinite Impact: The Mississippi State University Campaign. The campaign gift continues their longtime support of the land-grant institution and will benefit athletics, academics, and other areas of MSU.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
State will play 31 games versus teams that appeared in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Along with being scheduled to play six 2015 Women's College World Series teams (Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Tennessee and UCLA), the Bulldogs will play another two teams that reached the Super Regionals (Kentucky and Missouri). Overall, MSU will play 15 teams that are coming off of an NCAA Tournament appearance (Baylor, Central Arkansas, Chattanooga, Longwood, South Alabama, Tennessee Tech and Western Kentucky).
TEAM & PLAYER NOTES
· The Bulldogs are coming off a 2015 campaign that saw new program records set for batting average (.312), home runs (54), RBI (294), slugging percentage (.495) and on-base percentage (.411) in year one of assistant coach Samantha Ricketts.
· MSU has made four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances for just the second time in program history (2002-05); five straight has never been done.
· State had 15 come-from-behind wins in 2015 and have 50 in four seasons under Stuedeman.
· MSU added former Oklahoma All-American and USSA Pride player Keilani Ricketts as a Volunteer Assistant to work alongside her sister, MSU hitting coach, Samantha.
· Junior Alexis Silkwood was a workhorse for the Bulldogs last season as she made 47 appearances and 35 starts in the circle and posted a 26-16 record en route to a spot on the NFCA All-South Region third team and two SEC Pitcher of the Week honors. Among the SEC's best, Silkwood ranked first in appearances, second in the SEC in innings pitched, batters struck out and tied for second in wins.
· Junior Caroline Seitz has started all 117 games at third base in which she has been a member of the Bulldogs over the past two seasons. In 2015, Seitz led the Bulldogs in doubles (16), home runs (15), RBI (54), total bases (123) and slugging percentage (.631). Also put up a .318 batting average with a team-high 62 at bats in a team-high 195 at bats
· Kayla Winkfield made her junior season count as she recorded 13 extra-base hits in 2015 through 172 at bats after having recorded only one through her first two seasons at MSU in 173 at bats.
STATE VS. THE FIELD
MSU is 17-4 all-time against the Bulldog Kickoff Classic field and hold winning records over every opponent except Houston. State is a combined 17-2 vs. Alabama A&M, Georgia Southern and Tennessee Tech, but 0-2 against Houston. The Bulldogs are joined by Tennessee Tech as the only two programs in the event coming off of NCAA Tournament appearances in 2015.
ON DECK FOR MSU
The Bulldogs will play their next nine games away from Nusz Park, starting with four in Mobile, Alabama (Feb. 19-21) as part of the Mardi Gras Invitational hosted by South Alabama.
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.”
