Bulldogs Head To Long Beach for Louisville Slugger Invitational
March 10, 2016 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Riding a four-game win streak, the Mississippi State softball team (17-3) looks to continue its hot start to the season when it heads out west to Long Beach, California for the Louisville Slugger Invitational.
The Bulldogs will play a total of five games over a three-day span, Friday, March 11 through Sunday, March 13.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)
Friday, March 11 – vs. UC Santa Barbara (12-8) – 1:30 p.m.
Friday, March 11 – vs. No. 14 UCLA (13-8) – 4 p.m.
Saturday, March 12 – vs. Cal State Fullerton (13-8) – 12 p.m.
Saturday, March 12 – vs. Long Beach State (11-8) – 6 p.m.
Sunday, March 13 – vs. Cal State Fullerton (13-8) – 1:30 p.m.
FOLLOW LIVE
All five 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 Long Beach by following the Bulldogs on Twitter (@HailStateSB).
LAST TIME OUT
Multiple-hit performances from three Bulldogs helped MSU to a 9-3 win at home over Penn State (9-11) Tuesday night. Junior Amanda Ivy led the way by going 3-for-3 on the night with three runs batted in and two runs scored. Junior Alexis Silkwood got the start in the circle for State on a night that all six MSU pitchers saw time in the circle in the game.
TEAM & PLAYER NOTES
· The MSU pitching staff has recorded eight shutouts on the season with six of those having come in the last 11 games.
· State is 6-1 this season against teams that made the 2015 NCAA Tournament with 24 more such games remaining on the schedule.
· The remaining teams on the Bulldogs' schedule have won 275 games so far this season, a mark that leads the nation.
· On the year the pitching staff's 1.07 ERA ranks fourth in the Southeastern Conference, as does their opposing batting average (.187) and their earned runs allowed (21).
· Freshman Cori Cooper has hold of the second-best ERA in the SEC with her 0.28 mark, while classmate Regan Green is ninth (0.80) and sophomore Holly Ward is 11th (0.87).
· Cooper also is holding opponents to a batting average of .088 which leads the conference, as do her marks of hits allowed (7) and runs allowed (1).
· After posting 15 comeback victories in 2015, MSU already has six in 2016 which brings its grand total to 56 under head coach Vann Stuedeman.
· The Bulldogs are once again receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 Poll and the USA Today/NFCA Division I Coaches Poll. MSU was ranked No. 23 earlier this season in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 Poll.
MSU VS. THE FIELD
The Bulldogs are a combined 2-9 all-time against their four Louisville Slugger Invitational opponents. State has yet to collect wins over UCLA (0-for-3) or Long Beach State (0-for-1) in the history of the programs.
ON DECK FOR STATE
After returning home from California, the Bulldogs will prepare for a three-game series against No. 3 Auburn at Nusz Park to open SEC play. The series will open with game one Friday, March 18 at 6 p.m. CT.
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.”
