Bulldogs Check Into Both National Polls
May 25, 2016 | Softball
• USA Today/NFCA Top 25
STARKVILLE, Miss. ?€" Nearly four years to the day after its last appearance among the nation's nationally ranked teams, the Mississippi State softball team cracked both major top 25 listings on Wednesday morning, checking in at no. 23 in the USA Today/NFCA ranking and No. 24 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll.
The listing marks the first for the Bulldogs since checking into the USA Today/NFCA rankings at No. 23 on March 6, 2002. State cracked the ESPN.com/USA Softball top 25 for the first time minutes before the first pitch against Southern Mississippi on Tuesday afternoon in Starkville.
State is among six Southeastern Conference teams listed in the national polls, joining Tennessee (3rd USA Today/NFCA, T-2nd ESPN.com/USA Softball), Alabama (6th/7th), Georgia (12th/11th), LSU (13th/13th) and Auburn (19th/20th) in the listings. Florida is receiving votes in both polls as well.
The Bulldogs (18-4) are off to their best start in school history and fresh off both school record streaks for consecutive wins (16) and consecutive home wins (13).
State will return to action this weekend when the Bulldogs pack up their show for the second straight weekend to head to the West coast for the Long Beach State Invitational. State will open up its portion of tournament play on Friday at 11:15 a.m. PDT against Syracuse (8-7) before remaining on site to battle #4 UCLA (19-1) at 3:45 p.m. Every game of the 2006 Long Beach State Invitational will be played at the city of Long Beach's Mayfair Park.
