Wednesday, March 22
Oxford, Miss.
6:00 PM
Mississippi State
at
#23 Ole Miss
Senior Amanda Ivy has started the last two games in center field for the Dogs, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double.
MSU, No. 23 Ole Miss Set For Magnolia State Showdown
March 21, 2017 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – It will be a battle for in-state bragging rights as the Mississippi State Bulldogs (22-7) and the Ole Miss Rebels (21-6) meet for the 64th time in history on Wednesday night in Oxford.
First pitch from the Ole Miss Softball Complex is set for 6 p.m. CT, with the contest set to be live streamed on the SEC Network +. Will Kollmeyer and Madi Osias will have the call and fans can access the broadcast through WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app.
These two squads met last season for a hard-fought three-game series in Starkville, highlighted by a 1-0 Bulldog walk-off win in the second game of the series in front of a nationally-televised audience. Wednesday night's meeting will be the first non-conference clash between the in-state foes since April 1, 2009.
State, which opened up at No. 27 in the first NCAA Softball RPI rankings of 2017, is coming off a 1-2 performance this past weekend at home against the eighth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. The Dogs pulled out a 1-0 victory on Saturday night behind a masterful pitching performance from Holly Ward, but fell short in a hard-fought Sunday afternoon battle.
With the game two win, the Dogs have now defeated three ranked opponents this year (No. 5 Texas A&M, No. 8 Alabama, No. 21 Fresno State).
The Bulldogs' success has been heavily fueled by their strong play in the circle through the first 29 games of the 2017 campaign. As a staff, MSU sports a 1.35 ERA, which ranks fifth in the SEC and 12th in the NCAA. Senior lefty Alexis Silkwood has been the staff's leader, holding a 9-1 record and a 0.75 ERA that stands fourth in the league and 10th nationally.
Offensively, Bevia Robinson and Reggie Harrison have been MSU's catalysts at the plate. Robinson leads MSU with a .383 batting average, 31 hits and 18 runs. She has also demonstrated lightning-fast speed, stealing 16 bases this year. Her 0.57 stolen bases per game average ranks fourth in the SEC and 55th nationally.
Harrison is right behind Robinson, tallying a .370 clip through 28 games. Harrison leads the squad with 51 total bases, seven doubles, a .630 slugging percentage and a .495 on-base percentage. After a two-run blast on Friday against No. 8 Alabama, Harrison now has four bombs this year, which ties Olivia Golden for the team lead.
The Bulldogs will next head to Oklahoma for the College Preview Tournament this weekend. MSU will face Louisiana Tech (3:30 p.m. CT) and No. 9 Oklahoma (6 p.m.) on Friday, March 24 in Norman, Okla., before closing out the weekend against UAB at noon on Saturday, March 25. Saturday's game will be held in Oklahoma City at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, the home of the Women's College World Series.
Last Time Out…
The Bulldogs wrapped up their first weekend of home SEC play with a 1-2 showing against the eighth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. The Dogs put together a 1-0 victory on Saturday behind a masterful pitching performance from Holly Ward. MSU and UA battled from start to finish on Sunday, with the Tide just edging out State.
Friday, March 17
No. 8 Alabama def. Mississippi State, 11-3 (5) (Recap, Box Score)
Saturday, March 18
Mississippi State def. No. 8 Alabama, 1-0 (Recap, Box Score)
Sunday, March 19
No. 8 Alabama def. Mississippi State, 3-0 (Recap, Box Score)
Series History…
Against Ole Miss
Overall: Mississippi State leads, 39-24
In Oxford: Mississippi State leads, 16-12
Last Meeting: Ole Miss def. Mississippi State, 9-5 (April 4, 2016 in Starkville)
Current Streak: Ole Miss, +1
First RPI Rankings Of 2017 Released…
The Bulldogs come in at No. 27 in the first RPI rankings of the 2017 season. So far this year, the Dogs have earned two wins against Top 5 RPI teams (No. 2 Alabama and No. 4 Texas A&M) and a win against 30th ranked Fresno State. Nine of State's wins this year have come against Top 100 programs.
State is 11th among SEC programs in the RPI, as all 13 Southeastern Conference programs stand in the Top 45. It's ranking of No. 27 is the highest since coming in at No. 23 on April 12, 2015.
Record Crowds Roll In For First SEC Home Series Of 2017…
A total of 2,946 fans made their way to Nusz Park last weekend for MSU's first home weekend of SEC play. That number set the record for largest SEC home opening weekend in Mississippi State softball history.
Saturday's total of 1,056 people landed as the 11th-largest crowd in school history and the 13th crowd of at least 1,000 people at Nusz. Of the Top 15 crowds in MSU softball history, 11 have come in the Vann Stuedeman era, including the Top 3 crowds in program history.
Dogs Got That Power…
The Bulldogs have tallied 14 home runs so far through the year, besting the nine they hit in the first 29 games of the 2016 season. State has put together three multi-home run contests through this season, while only having one all of last year and is just four away from tying last year's season total 18 bombs.
Pitching Staff On Fire…
State's pitching staff has been stellar through 29 games in 2017. The group's 1.35 ERA ranks fifth in the SEC and 12th in the NCAA. Alexis Silkwood (0.75 ERA) is up to fourth in the SEC and 10th in the nation.
Adding to State's pitching dominance has been Cassady Knudsen's ability to strike out batters, as her 10.0 K's per seven innings is fourth in the league and 14th nationally. She's also third in the SEC and the NCAA with just 2.39 hits allowed per seven innings.
Silk Rewriting The Record Books…
Senior lefty Alexis Silkwood has been putting her name all throughout the MSU record books since she arrived on campus in 2014. Now in her final year, she has already crowned herself the new MSU K Queen and is poised to take over several other categories...
- 1st in strikeouts (508)
- 1st in complete games (46)
- 1st in innings pitched (590.0)
- 2nd in wins (53)
- 3rd in starts (84)
- 3rd in appearances (125)
- T-3rd in shutouts (13)
- T-3rd in saves (8)
Robinson's Off To An Impressive Start…
In just 28 games, junior Bevia Robinson owns a team-best .383 clip. She also leads the team with 31 hits, 18 runs and 16 stolen bases. Robinson's speed is one of the best in the conference, as she averages 0.57 stolen bases per game, good for fourth in the SEC and 55th in the NCAA.
Ranked Wins Keep Coming…
Through 29 games, the Bulldogs have accumulated a trio of ranked wins, defeating No. 5 Texas A&M in College Station, No. 8 Alabama in Starkville and No. 21 Fresno State in Mexico. That ties last year's total and is the most since capturing seven ranked wins in 2015.
Vann Stuedeman now has at least one ranked win in all six years she has been at the helm of the Bulldog softball program and a total of 27 in six years. She is the only head coach since MSU reached varsity status in 1997 to have a ranked win in every year of their tenure. Stuedeman's 27 total ranked wins are second most in school history.
Late Innings, Our Innings…
Under the leadership of head coach Vann Stuedeman, State has been a force in the late innings and nothing is more evident of that than the 68 comeback wins the Bulldogs have amassed in her tenure.
MSU tallied 10 in 2016, including an early-season comeback against No. 23 South Alabama and another against No. 11 LSU at home. State has eight come-from-behind victories so far in 2017, including walk-off victories against Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 11 and Samford on March 4.
These Dogs Don't Roll Over…
During the Vann Stuedeman era, Mississippi State has won four games versus top-five opponents during 2014, two in 2015, one in 2016 and one so far in 2017. Prior to the set versus No. 3 Alabama on April 11-13, 2014, the Bulldogs had won five games in program history versus top-five opponents. A closer look at MSU's wins against top-five foes:
Date Opponent Score (Innings)
Feb. 9, 2002 No. 1 Arizona W, 7-1
March 19, 2002 No. 4 LSU W, 8-7 (11)
April 24, 2011 No. 4 Tennessee W, 3-2
April 7, 2013 No. 3 Florida W, 6-5
April 19, 2013 No. 4 Alabama W, 3-2
April 12, 2014 No. 3 Alabama W, 4-2
April 13, 2014 No. 3 Alabama W, 4-3 (10)
April 18, 2014 No. 4 Tennessee W, 2-0
April 20, 2014 No. 4 Tennessee W, 11-7
March 29, 2015 No. 2 Florida W, 5-3
April 8, 2015 No. 1 LSU W, 9-4
March 19, 2016 No. 3 Auburn W, 6-3
March 10, 2017 No. 5 Texas A&M W, 5-2
Weather…
Wednesday's Forecast (March 22) – Cloudy, 64 Degrees (20%)
Live Stream…
Wednesday night's matchup will live streamed through the SEC Network +. Fans can access the game through WatchESPN.com, the ESPN app or clicking the links below. Will Kollmeyer and Madi Osias will have the call.
Mississippi State at Ole Miss SEC Network + Broadcast
Live Stats…
Ole Miss will provide live stats for Wednesday night's game. They can be found in the link below.
Mississippi State at Ole Miss Live Stats
Admission…
All games at the Ole Miss Softball Complex are free admission.
On Deck…
The Bulldogs will next head to Oklahoma for the College Preview Tournament this weekend. MSU will face Louisiana Tech (3:30 p.m. CT) and No. 9 Oklahoma (6 p.m.) on Friday, March 24 in Norman, Okla., before closing out the weekend against UAB at noon on Saturday, March 25. Saturday's game will be held in Oklahoma City at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, the home of the Women's College World Series.
Social Media…
For more on Mississippi State softball, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSB." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap".
First pitch from the Ole Miss Softball Complex is set for 6 p.m. CT, with the contest set to be live streamed on the SEC Network +. Will Kollmeyer and Madi Osias will have the call and fans can access the broadcast through WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app.
These two squads met last season for a hard-fought three-game series in Starkville, highlighted by a 1-0 Bulldog walk-off win in the second game of the series in front of a nationally-televised audience. Wednesday night's meeting will be the first non-conference clash between the in-state foes since April 1, 2009.
State, which opened up at No. 27 in the first NCAA Softball RPI rankings of 2017, is coming off a 1-2 performance this past weekend at home against the eighth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. The Dogs pulled out a 1-0 victory on Saturday night behind a masterful pitching performance from Holly Ward, but fell short in a hard-fought Sunday afternoon battle.
With the game two win, the Dogs have now defeated three ranked opponents this year (No. 5 Texas A&M, No. 8 Alabama, No. 21 Fresno State).
The Bulldogs' success has been heavily fueled by their strong play in the circle through the first 29 games of the 2017 campaign. As a staff, MSU sports a 1.35 ERA, which ranks fifth in the SEC and 12th in the NCAA. Senior lefty Alexis Silkwood has been the staff's leader, holding a 9-1 record and a 0.75 ERA that stands fourth in the league and 10th nationally.
Offensively, Bevia Robinson and Reggie Harrison have been MSU's catalysts at the plate. Robinson leads MSU with a .383 batting average, 31 hits and 18 runs. She has also demonstrated lightning-fast speed, stealing 16 bases this year. Her 0.57 stolen bases per game average ranks fourth in the SEC and 55th nationally.
Harrison is right behind Robinson, tallying a .370 clip through 28 games. Harrison leads the squad with 51 total bases, seven doubles, a .630 slugging percentage and a .495 on-base percentage. After a two-run blast on Friday against No. 8 Alabama, Harrison now has four bombs this year, which ties Olivia Golden for the team lead.
The Bulldogs will next head to Oklahoma for the College Preview Tournament this weekend. MSU will face Louisiana Tech (3:30 p.m. CT) and No. 9 Oklahoma (6 p.m.) on Friday, March 24 in Norman, Okla., before closing out the weekend against UAB at noon on Saturday, March 25. Saturday's game will be held in Oklahoma City at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, the home of the Women's College World Series.
Last Time Out…
The Bulldogs wrapped up their first weekend of home SEC play with a 1-2 showing against the eighth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. The Dogs put together a 1-0 victory on Saturday behind a masterful pitching performance from Holly Ward. MSU and UA battled from start to finish on Sunday, with the Tide just edging out State.
Friday, March 17
No. 8 Alabama def. Mississippi State, 11-3 (5) (Recap, Box Score)
Saturday, March 18
Mississippi State def. No. 8 Alabama, 1-0 (Recap, Box Score)
Sunday, March 19
No. 8 Alabama def. Mississippi State, 3-0 (Recap, Box Score)
Series History…
Against Ole Miss
Overall: Mississippi State leads, 39-24
In Oxford: Mississippi State leads, 16-12
Last Meeting: Ole Miss def. Mississippi State, 9-5 (April 4, 2016 in Starkville)
Current Streak: Ole Miss, +1
First RPI Rankings Of 2017 Released…
The Bulldogs come in at No. 27 in the first RPI rankings of the 2017 season. So far this year, the Dogs have earned two wins against Top 5 RPI teams (No. 2 Alabama and No. 4 Texas A&M) and a win against 30th ranked Fresno State. Nine of State's wins this year have come against Top 100 programs.
State is 11th among SEC programs in the RPI, as all 13 Southeastern Conference programs stand in the Top 45. It's ranking of No. 27 is the highest since coming in at No. 23 on April 12, 2015.
Record Crowds Roll In For First SEC Home Series Of 2017…
A total of 2,946 fans made their way to Nusz Park last weekend for MSU's first home weekend of SEC play. That number set the record for largest SEC home opening weekend in Mississippi State softball history.
Saturday's total of 1,056 people landed as the 11th-largest crowd in school history and the 13th crowd of at least 1,000 people at Nusz. Of the Top 15 crowds in MSU softball history, 11 have come in the Vann Stuedeman era, including the Top 3 crowds in program history.
Dogs Got That Power…
The Bulldogs have tallied 14 home runs so far through the year, besting the nine they hit in the first 29 games of the 2016 season. State has put together three multi-home run contests through this season, while only having one all of last year and is just four away from tying last year's season total 18 bombs.
Pitching Staff On Fire…
State's pitching staff has been stellar through 29 games in 2017. The group's 1.35 ERA ranks fifth in the SEC and 12th in the NCAA. Alexis Silkwood (0.75 ERA) is up to fourth in the SEC and 10th in the nation.
Adding to State's pitching dominance has been Cassady Knudsen's ability to strike out batters, as her 10.0 K's per seven innings is fourth in the league and 14th nationally. She's also third in the SEC and the NCAA with just 2.39 hits allowed per seven innings.
Silk Rewriting The Record Books…
Senior lefty Alexis Silkwood has been putting her name all throughout the MSU record books since she arrived on campus in 2014. Now in her final year, she has already crowned herself the new MSU K Queen and is poised to take over several other categories...
- 1st in strikeouts (508)
- 1st in complete games (46)
- 1st in innings pitched (590.0)
- 2nd in wins (53)
- 3rd in starts (84)
- 3rd in appearances (125)
- T-3rd in shutouts (13)
- T-3rd in saves (8)
Robinson's Off To An Impressive Start…
In just 28 games, junior Bevia Robinson owns a team-best .383 clip. She also leads the team with 31 hits, 18 runs and 16 stolen bases. Robinson's speed is one of the best in the conference, as she averages 0.57 stolen bases per game, good for fourth in the SEC and 55th in the NCAA.
Ranked Wins Keep Coming…
Through 29 games, the Bulldogs have accumulated a trio of ranked wins, defeating No. 5 Texas A&M in College Station, No. 8 Alabama in Starkville and No. 21 Fresno State in Mexico. That ties last year's total and is the most since capturing seven ranked wins in 2015.
Vann Stuedeman now has at least one ranked win in all six years she has been at the helm of the Bulldog softball program and a total of 27 in six years. She is the only head coach since MSU reached varsity status in 1997 to have a ranked win in every year of their tenure. Stuedeman's 27 total ranked wins are second most in school history.
Late Innings, Our Innings…
Under the leadership of head coach Vann Stuedeman, State has been a force in the late innings and nothing is more evident of that than the 68 comeback wins the Bulldogs have amassed in her tenure.
MSU tallied 10 in 2016, including an early-season comeback against No. 23 South Alabama and another against No. 11 LSU at home. State has eight come-from-behind victories so far in 2017, including walk-off victories against Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 11 and Samford on March 4.
These Dogs Don't Roll Over…
During the Vann Stuedeman era, Mississippi State has won four games versus top-five opponents during 2014, two in 2015, one in 2016 and one so far in 2017. Prior to the set versus No. 3 Alabama on April 11-13, 2014, the Bulldogs had won five games in program history versus top-five opponents. A closer look at MSU's wins against top-five foes:
Date Opponent Score (Innings)
Feb. 9, 2002 No. 1 Arizona W, 7-1
March 19, 2002 No. 4 LSU W, 8-7 (11)
April 24, 2011 No. 4 Tennessee W, 3-2
April 7, 2013 No. 3 Florida W, 6-5
April 19, 2013 No. 4 Alabama W, 3-2
April 12, 2014 No. 3 Alabama W, 4-2
April 13, 2014 No. 3 Alabama W, 4-3 (10)
April 18, 2014 No. 4 Tennessee W, 2-0
April 20, 2014 No. 4 Tennessee W, 11-7
March 29, 2015 No. 2 Florida W, 5-3
April 8, 2015 No. 1 LSU W, 9-4
March 19, 2016 No. 3 Auburn W, 6-3
March 10, 2017 No. 5 Texas A&M W, 5-2
Weather…
Wednesday's Forecast (March 22) – Cloudy, 64 Degrees (20%)
Live Stream…
Wednesday night's matchup will live streamed through the SEC Network +. Fans can access the game through WatchESPN.com, the ESPN app or clicking the links below. Will Kollmeyer and Madi Osias will have the call.
Mississippi State at Ole Miss SEC Network + Broadcast
Live Stats…
Ole Miss will provide live stats for Wednesday night's game. They can be found in the link below.
Mississippi State at Ole Miss Live Stats
Admission…
All games at the Ole Miss Softball Complex are free admission.
On Deck…
The Bulldogs will next head to Oklahoma for the College Preview Tournament this weekend. MSU will face Louisiana Tech (3:30 p.m. CT) and No. 9 Oklahoma (6 p.m.) on Friday, March 24 in Norman, Okla., before closing out the weekend against UAB at noon on Saturday, March 25. Saturday's game will be held in Oklahoma City at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, the home of the Women's College World Series.
Social Media…
For more on Mississippi State softball, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSB." You can also find all-access coverage of the program on SnapChat by searching for "HailStateSnap".
Players Mentioned
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/ Softball
INF
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UTL
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