No. 23 State Heads South For Four Games In Gulfport
February 25, 2016 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – After having started the week by receiving a top 25 ranking, Mississippi State (10-0) will look to build upon that with continued success on the field during its four-game stretch this weekend at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic.
No. 23 MSU will open their weekend with McNeese State (7-2) on Friday night at 8 p.m. at the Gulfport Sportsplex. The Bulldogs will then play games Saturday against Incarnate Word and No. 24 Baylor, before closing their weekend with a second game versus McNeese State on Sunday.
The four games in Gulfport, Mississippi will close out a larger nine-game road swing for State that began Thursday, Feb. 19 in Mobile, Alabama.
A total of 12 teams will be in attendance at the round-robin event.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)
Friday, Feb. 26 – vs. McNeese State (7-2) – 8 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 27 – vs. Incarnate Word (3-8) – 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 27 – vs. Baylor (6-3) – 8 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 28 – vs. McNeese State (7-2) – 12:30 p.m.
TICKETS
All games over the course of the three-day event will be held at the Gulfport Sportsplex. Fans can purchase a one day pass for $10 or a weekend pass for $20.
FOLLOW LIVE
All four games on the weekend will be available for listening through HailStatePLUS as the voice of Bulldog softball, Anthony Craven, will have the call. Fans can also keep up with all of MSU's games in Gulfport via live stats or by following the Bulldogs on Twitter (@HailStateSB).
LAST TIME OUT
State opened their road schedule with a marquee comeback victory at then-No. 23 South Alabama 4-2 in eight innings. The Bulldogs continued their hot start with wins over Southern Miss, SIU-Edwardsville, Samford and Southeastern Louisiana. Dominant pitching, stout defense and a balanced offense allowed MSU to close out the weekend away from Starkville with a 5-0 mark, having outscored opponents 30-8.
POLLS AND VOTES
The nation has taken notice at the Bulldogs' hot start as MSU was ranked in Tuesday's ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25. This marks the highest ranking for the Bulldogs in this poll since April 2008 when MSU was tied for 23rd. State most recently cracked the Top 25 in the Week 6 poll (25) during the 2015 season.
In the USA Today/NFCA DI Top 25 Coaches Poll, the Bulldogs are atop the “Others Receiving Votes” category, which has them on the cusp of another national ranking. MSU has been receiving votes in both publications' polls since the preseason.
TEAM & PLAYER NOTES
· After posting 15 comeback victories in 2015, MSU already has five in 2016 which brings its grand total to 55 under head coach Vann Stuedeman.
· State's staff ERA is 0.51, which ranks third in the nation.
· Freshman Cori Cooper (0.00, 1st), freshman Regan Green (0.49, 21st), sophomore Holly Ward (0.49, 23rd) and sophomore Cassady Knudsen (0.58, 28th) all rank in the top 28 nationally in ERA.
· MSU's speed and aggressive base running has helped amass 24 stolen bases (fourth in the Southeastern Conference) and an average of 2.40 per game, which ranks 16th in the nation and third in the SEC.
· Small ball has been key for MSU as State leads the SEC in sac flies with eight
· Senior Kayla Winkfield's two triples in 2016 has her sitting at fourth in the nation and second in the league.
· Cooper is the NCAA leader in hits allowed per seven innings (1.27).
· Juniors Katie Anne Bailey and Caroline Seitz both have two sac flies on the year, good enough for first in the conference and third in the country.
· Green is currently averaging 11.7 strikeouts per seven inning which ranks fifth in the nation and first in the SEC.
STATE VS. THE FIELD
MSU is a combined 2-5 all-time against its opponents for the weekend, while Saturday's contest between the Bulldogs and Incarnate Word will mark the first in the history of the two programs. State and Baylor are familiar foes as both teams were placed in the Lafayette Regional during the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The Bears beat MSU in the regional opener and then did the same in an elimination game to end State's season, also adding to Baylor's perfect record (5-0) vs. MSU all-time. The Bulldogs are 2-0 against McNeese State with the last meeting between the two sides having come in Feb. 2005.
ON DECK FOR MSU
State will return home to Nusz Park on March 4 to open the Bulldog Slamboree against Chattanooga with first pitch set for 6:04 p.m. CT. MSU will play a total of five games during the three-day event with free admission to all regular season games at Nusz Park. The full schedule can be found on the Bulldog Slamboree Central page.
GET SOCIAL WITH @HAILSTATESB
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.”
