Bulldogs Travel For Pivotal Conference Series At No. 22 Auburn
May 25, 2016 | Softball
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State To Face Streaking Tiger Squad On Friday And Saturday
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Just four days removed from its first Southeastern Conference series victory of the season, the Mississippi State Softball team will continue its eight-game road trip this weekend as the Bulldogs pack up their show again and head to Auburn, Ala., for a three-game set with SEC Western Division rival and No. 22 Auburn.
The Bulldogs (22-18, 4-11 SEC) and Tigers (26-7, 8-4) will engage each other for the 26th time in the series opener Friday evening at 6 p.m., while the two squads will close out series action with a Saturday afternoon doubleheader slated with a 1 p.m. first pitch. Live game action from Jane B. Moore Field can be followed via live statistics and internet broadcasts links at the official Internet home of Mississippi State Athletics, www.MStateAthletics.com.
Having taken the bookends of its series at Kentucky to capture its first road series victory against the Wildcats since 1997, the Maroon and White revitalized its bats as well, pounding out 30 hits in the set, including nearly matching its season high with 15 in the series opener. The series win was State's first of the season against an SEC opponent as well.
On the flipside, Auburn will roll back into town fresh off its first conference series loss of the season, having dropped all three games of its midweek set at No. 17 Florida. The Tigers, who were hitting near the .300 plateau going into Gainesville, Fla., hit just .253 (19-for-75) against the Gator pitching and were shutout for the first time all season in game two, 3-0. Game three produced Auburn's first run-ruling of the season, 11-3 in six innings.
"We went up to Kentucky and did what we needed to do," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "Right now, we're fighting to get into the SEC Tournament. We have got to move ahead of some teams, and Kentucky was one of those that we needed to move ahead of. I thought that we responded very well to that. Obviously, we would have liked to get all three games, but we got our first series win and, hopefully, that gives us something to build on the rest of the season.
"We're at the halfway point right now in the SEC, and we're ready to make a little run in the second half."
But to make a run, State will first need to shut down a high-powered offense, as well as a capable pitching staff that has held its own inside the circle this season. Staff ace Kristen Keyes (13-6, 1.21 ERA) has already thrown three no-hitters this season, including one each against SEC opponents Mississippi and then-No. 14 ranked South Carolina. The senior anchors a staff that has collected a miniscule 1.05 ERA through 33 outings and who has maintained a strikeout-to-walk ratio of nearly 4-to-1, led by Keyes' 8-to-1 ratio. While Keyes has tallied a bulk of the innings for the Tigers this season, rookie Holly Currie (7-1, 1.51) has been a pleasant surprise for the Tigers as well, striking out 60 and walking 33 in 55 and two-thirds innings of work in 2004.
Offensively, Auburn is just as dangerous as their pitching staff. Junior Sara Dean has erupted to post the league's second-best batting average, hitting .455 (45-for-99) with four home runs and 24 RBI. Two other players * sophomore Ashley Griffin and Currie * have batting averages above the .300 plateau as well. With a very capable offense and a stingy defense, Auburn has outscored its opponents by a 151-45 count this season.
State will counter with an explosive offense that has collected 10 or more hits on 12 occasions this season, including 15 or more twice in the last two weeks. Senior Iyhia McMichael continues to lead the charge on the SEC's third-best batting average (.454) that complements 26 extra-base hits (7 HR) and 30 RBI. Fellow senior Jennifer Waterman overtook the team's RBI lead (34) in Lexington, and currently ranks second on the squad with a .374 clip. Three other Mississippi State players are hitting .317 or better, while the Bulldogs have tallied a .317 on base percentage as a unit through 40 games this season.
"We have been facing teams like Auburn all year," said Miller of the impressive Tiger squad. "So, I don't think it's going to be anything different for us. We have got to go out and play well and compete. We have been a little inconsistent in doing that. Hopefully, as the season goes on, we'll get more consistent with that."
