No. 22 Bulldogs Host Florida In Pivotal Three-Game Series
May 25, 2016 | Softball
The Maroon and White (30-8, 4-2 SEC) will renew their rivalry with the Gators (28-12, 7-5) for the 26th time in a series-opening 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon doubleheader and will close out the set, as well as a lengthy stay at home, in the 1 p.m. series finale on Sunday. WMSV 91.1 will provide a live broadcast of all three games from MSU's home stadium with live in-game statistics available via a link at the official Internet home of the MSU athletic department, www.MStateAthletics.com.
The Bulldogs lead the all-time series with their inter-divisional rivals by a 16-9 count, including a 7-2 edge in Starkville. State has also taken 10 of the last 13 meetings in the series, but dropped two of three games in Gainesville last season, including a 12-4 mercy rule setback in game two.
Behind an eight-strikeout no-hitter by sophomore righthander Ragan Blake on Thursday, MSU avenged its first home loss of the season with an 11-hit, eight-run outburst against the Golden Eagles at the USM Softball Complex. Florida will roll into Starkville on the heels of consecutive league series victories, including a pair of triumphs over 18th-ranked Auburn on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Florida is going to be a real tough test for us, said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. They are well-coached and have a great pitching staff that is capable of knocking off anybody in the country. Offensively, they are very aggressive and swing a heavy bat and will put a lot of pressure on our defense to make plays.
Sporting the conference's seventh-best hitting club, the Gators showcase a trio of players with 28 RBI or more, including reigning SEC freshman of the week Kim Waleszonia who maintains UF's highest batting average at .344 (43-for-125) with 14 RBI and 27 runs scored. Lindsay Cameron, who is hitting just below the .300 plateau, is the Gators' best run producer with 33 RBI, but also leads the squad in home runs (8), while sharing top honors with Waleszonia in runs scored.
Despite having the fourth-best ERA on the team, freshman Stacey Nelson (8-6, 2.21) has pitched a bulk of the innings for Florida this season. Junior righthander Stacey Stevens (11-2, 1.98) looks to be UF's best option from the circle, but the Gators also have the choice of rookie Lindsay Littlejohn (9-4) who maintains a 9-4 record and a 1.74 ERA.
Following this weekend's series against the Gators, Mississippi State will be back in action on Wednesday when the Bulldogs begin a stretch of 11 games away from Starkville when they lock horns with Ole Miss in the 2006 M&F Bank Fastpitch Classic in Ridgeland. First pitch has been set for 6:30 p.m. at Freedom Ridge Park.
