State Takes On No. 16 Missouri For Senior Weekend
April 28, 2016 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Fresh off a combined no-hitter, the Mississippi State softball team (25-24, 3-15 SEC) now turns its attention to a three-game Southeastern Conference set with No. 16 Missouri (34-12, 9-9 SEC) at Nusz Park.
The final three home games of the 2016 regular season, the series will open Friday with a 6:04 p.m. CT first pitch on SEC Network+. The action will continue Saturday at 2:02 p.m. and conclude Sunday at 3:32 p.m. CT with games two and three to air nationally on SEC Network.
TICKETS
Admission is free for all regular season games at Nusz Park.
FOLLOW LIVE
The voice of Bulldog softball, Anthony Craven, will have the call Friday on SEC Network+ through WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app, while Saturday and Sunday's contests will be nationally televised on SEC Network. Live stats will also be available for all three games and can be found at HailState.com.
Watch Friday's Game
Watch Saturday's Game
Watch Sunday's Game
PROMOTIONS (FREE Admission to All Regular Season Games)
“Punch Your Ticket to the SEC Tournament” – the Bulldogs are hosting the 2016 SEC Softball Tournament May 11-14 at Nusz Park and fans have a chance to win a pair of All-Tournament Tickets to the event. Fans can pick up a punch card at the marketing table in the Nusz Park concourse and get it stamped in the fifth and sixth innings of MSU's three remaining SEC home games. The more games you attend, the more chances you have to win. Attend six games, get six stamps and have your name entered six times into the drawing. You control the odds!
Friday:
- FREE movie night with FREE popcorn postgame (The Good Dinosaur)
- FREE Kids' Zone
- T-shirt toss & prizes given out throughout the game
Saturday:
- Senior Day
- Starkville Parks & Rec Day: kids take the field with the team & FREE popcorn with voucher
- FREE Kids' Zone
- T-shirt toss & prizes given out throughout the game
Sunday:
- Bark in the Park sponsored by DogPound Printing: special seating section in Nusz Park for dogs & owners (all dogs must be on a leash (10ft max length), up-to-date vaccinations, check-in with dog at table at main entrance); adoptable dogs will be on site
- Kids' Day at the Park: FREE Kids' Zone; kids take the field with the team (pregame) & run bases (postgame)
- T-shirt toss & prizes given out throughout the game
LAST TIME OUT
State went 1-1 over the week, falling 2-1 to South Alabama at home Tuesday before freshman Regan Green and sophomore Holly Ward combined for a no-hitter at Mississippi Valley State Tuesday afternoon. The 6-0 victory also saw senior Kayla Winkfield hit a two-run home run in the second inning to give the speedy shortstop her first career home run.
TEAM & PLAYER NOTES
· MSU held its position at No. 33 in this week's NCAA RPI rankings, while the SEC sits in first among conference RPIs.
· All six of State's remaining regular season games are against clubs with RPIs in the top 12, with six of those coming away from Starkville (three vs. No. 11 Missouri and three at No. 12 Kentucky).
· Entering the week, the Bulldogs have played the third-toughest schedule in the nation with five of its six SEC series having been against 2015 Women's College World Series participants (Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama, LSU and back-to-back national champion Florida). The final two conference weekends for State include another two 2015 Super Regional teams (home against Missouri and at Kentucky).
· MSU ranks fourth in the SEC as a team for triples (12), while Winkfield is tied for first among individuals with six. Winkfield's six triples rank seventh in the nation.
· Freshman Sarai Niu has now been hit 18 times this season, which leads the SEC and ranks in the top 10 in the nation. The 18 HBP rank third in the MSU single-season record books.
THE BULLDOGS VS. THE TIGERS
MU leads the all-time series 2-7 and has won the last two meetings between the two sides, including a meeting in the first round of the 2015 SEC Tournament. This marks the third consecutive season that the Bulldogs and Tigers have squared off with a three-game series with MSU having taken game two in the first two series, forcing a Sunday rubber game. State is 1-3 against MU in Starkville and 1-2 in league play as the two sides met February 21, 1998 as part of the MSU Bulldog Classic.
ON DECK FOR MSU
With no midweek contests on the slate, the Bulldogs will take a breather before closing the regular season with a series at No. 11 Kentucky. The three-game SEC series will open Friday, May 6 at 5 p.m. CT.
GET SOCIAL WITH STATE
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.”
