Bulldogs Battle No. 9 Alabama In SEC Tournament Opener
May 25, 2016 | Softball
SEC Tournament Central
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Having matched its best regular season finish in the SEC Western Division standings in school history, seventh-seeded Mississippi State will suit up to take on second-seeded and ninth-ranked Alabama in the opening round of the 2005 SEC Tournament Thursday afternoon at the Florida Softball Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.
Having finished third in the SEC West standings for the first time since 2001, the Bulldogs (32-27, 12-18 SEC) will draw the divisional champion Crimson Tide (53-12, 23-7) in game two of Thursday's opening round action at 1:30 p.m EDT. The game is slated to be broadcast live on WMSV 91.1 FM with Anthony Craven calling all the balls and strikes. The match-up can also be followed in progress via a live stats link at the official Internet home of the MSU athletic department, www.MStateAthletics.com.
Making its eighth consecutive appearance at the league's postseason gala, MState will face Alabama for the fourth time in SEC Tournament play. The inaugural neutral site meeting between the two clubs came in the championship game of the 1998 tournament in Columbus, Ga., with the Crimson Tide posting a 4-3 comeback triumph in extra innings before State rebounded with a 6-3 victory over UA in the opening round of the 1999 tournament. The last meeting between the two clubs in 2000 was, again, spoiled by an Alabama comeback as the Tide scored four runs in the final two innings to negate a 3-0 lead by the Bulldogs.
Having traded series victories the past two seasons, the Crimson Tide currently boasts a three-game series winning skein after posting a series sweep of the Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa earlier this season. Over the course of the weekend, Alabama outscored the Maroon and White by a 28-8 count, including a pair of mercy rule victories in the bookends of the series. State hit just .136 against Crimson Tide pitching, with Alabama posting a .418 average to complement six doubles, four home runs and 20 RBI.
"We really struggled with Alabama over at their place," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "We have to get up for every game, no matter who we're playing, and we didn't do that over there. We had a few days to get some kids healthy and I think that will help a little bit. We worked on some things down in Gainesville this week and we're ready to come out and play hard on Thursday."
State has posted a 10-14 record in its seven previous tournament appearances, including a 7-7 mark against SEC Eastern Division foes. The Bulldogs tallied their best mark in SEC Tournament play in 1998 when, following an opening round loss to South Carolina, the Maroon and White rattled off four-straight victories in the loser's bracket before falling to Alabama in the title game. Only Alabama, Florida and South Carolina have qualified for more SEC Tournaments than Mississippi State since the establishment of the league in 1997.
