Dogs Travel To Southern Miss, Host MVSU In Midweek Action

Tuesday, March 28

Hattiesburg, Miss.

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

Southern Miss

Reggie Harrison's team-high .374 batting average leads the Bulldogs into a pair of midweek showdowns against in-state foes this week.

Dogs Travel To Southern Miss, Host MVSU In Midweek Action

March 27, 2017 | Softball

Game Notes Live Video at USM ($)Live Stats (MSU at USM)SEC Network + (MSU vs. MVSU)Live Stats (MSU vs. MVSU)

STARKVILLE, Miss. – After a weekend in Oklahoma, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (24-9) return to the home state for a pair of midweek contests, traveling to Southern Miss (16-15) on Tuesday and hosting Mississippi Valley State (8-21) on Wednesday.

First pitch for Tuesday's showdown in Hattiesburg is set for 6 p.m. CT from the Southern Miss Softball Complex. The game will be streamed through Southern Miss All-Access Video. MSU will then return home for a Wednesday night battle with MVSU at Nusz Park. Set for a 6 p.m. CT start, the Bulldogs and Devilettes will square off on SEC Network +, which fans can access through WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app.

The Bulldogs have dominated both series, holding a 35-12 advantage against Southern Miss and a 28-1 lead against MVSU. MSU has won its last five meetings with the Golden Eagles and has defeated Valley 20-straight times entering Wednesday night.

State, which held strong at No. 27 in the last NCAA Softball RPI, is coming off a 2-1 weekend in Oklahoma, defeating Louisiana Tech and run-ruling UAB, while falling in a tight contest to No. 12 Oklahoma.

The Bulldogs' success has been heavily fueled by their strong play in the circle through the first 33 games of the 2017 campaign. As a staff, MSU sports a 1.45 ERA, which ranks fifth in the SEC and 13^th in the NCAA. Senior lefty Alexis Silkwood has been the staff's leader, holding a 9-2 record and a 0.93 ERA that stands fifth in the league and 14^th nationally.

Offensively, Reggie Harrison has been the star at the plate for the Dogs. Harrison tops the squad with a .374 clip, 34 hits, 57 total bases, a .626 slugging percentage and a .504 on-base percentage. She also is tied with Olivia Golden for the team lead in home runs with four so far this year.

The Bulldogs will get back to SEC play this weekend, heading to Baton Rouge to take on the 12^th-ranked LSU Tigers (27-7, 4-2 SEC). The series begins Friday, March 31 with a 6 p.m. CT first pitch. Saturday's contest is also set for 6 p.m., while Sunday's first pitch will be 1 p.m. All three games will be streamed on the SEC Network +.

Last Time Out…
The Bulldogs went 2-1 on their road swing through Oklahoma last weekend. The weekend was highlighted by a walk-off victory against Louisiana Tech on Friday and a run-rule win against UAB on Saturday at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. State also squared off against No. 12 Oklahoma, dropping a hard-fought 5-3 contest.

Friday, March 24
Mississippi State def. Louisiana Tech, 5-4 (Recap, Box Score)

Friday, March 24
No. 12 Oklahoma def. Mississippi State, 5-3 (Recap, Box Score)

Saturday, March 25
Mississippi State def. UAB, 8-0 (6) (Recap, Box Score)

Series History…

Against Southern Miss
Overall: Mississippi State leads, 35-12
In Hattiesburg: Mississippi State leads, 16-2
Last Meeting: Mississippi State def. Southern Miss, 4-0 (April 19, 2016 in Starkville)
Current Streak: Mississippi State, +5

Against Mississippi Valley State
Overall: Mississippi State leads, 28-1
In Starkville: Mississippi State leads, 20-0
Last Meeting: Mississippi State def. MVSU, 6-0 (April 28, 2016 in Starkville)
Current Streak: Mississippi State, +20

First RPI Rankings Of 2017 Released…
The Bulldogs hold strong at No. 27 in this week's RPI rankings. So far this year, the Dogs have earned wins against Alabama (No. 7), Texas A&M (No. 9) and Fresno State (No. 33). Nine of State's wins this year have come against Top 100 programs.

State is 11^th 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.

Dogs Got That Power…
The Bulldogs have tallied 15 home runs so far through the year, besting the 10 they hit in the first 33 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 three away from tying last year's season total 18 bombs.

Pitching Staff On Fire…
State's pitching staff has been stellar through 33 games in 2017. The group's 1.45 ERA ranks fifth in the SEC and 13th in the NCAA. Alexis Silkwood stands fifth in the league and 15th in the nation with a 0.93 ERA.

Stuedeman's In-State Success…
Vann Stuedeman is looking to continue her Mississippi domination this week, as she holds a 26-5 record against opponents in the state of Mississippi, including going 5-0 against Southern Miss and 8-0 against MVSU.

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 (514)
- 1st in complete games (47)
- 1st in innings pitched (596.1)
- 2nd in wins (53)
- 3rd in starts (85)
- 3rd in appearances (126)
- T-3rd in shutouts (13)
- T-3rd in saves (8)

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 69 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 nine come-from-behind victories so far in 2017, including walk-off victories against Stephen F. Austin on Feb. 11, Samford on March 4 and Louisiana Tech on March 24.

The Dogs are 18-0 when leading after five and 16-0 when leading after six frames. In games tied after five and six innings, State is 2-1.

Weather…
Tuesday's Forecast (March 28) – Mostly Cloudy, 86 Degrees (20%)
Wednesday's Forecast (March 29) – Partly Cloudy, 83 Degrees (10%)

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.

Southern Miss will also provide video for Tuesday night's contest, which requires a subscription to view.

Mississippi State at Southern Miss Live Video
Mississippi State vs. Mississippi Valley State SEC Network + Broadcast

Live Stats…
Live stats will be provided for both midweek games. They can be found in the links below.

Mississippi State at Southern Miss Live Stats
Mississippi State vs. Mississippi Valley State Live Stats

Admission…
Tickets for Tuesday's contest at the Southern Miss Softball Complex are $10 for general admission and $12 for chairback seating. As it is for all games this season, admission to Nusz Park is free.

On Deck…
The Bulldogs will get back to SEC play this weekend, heading to Baton Rouge to take on the 12^th-ranked LSU Tigers (27-7, 4-2 SEC). The series begins Friday, March 31 with a 6 p.m. CT first pitch. Saturday's contest is also set for 6 p.m., while Sunday's first pitch will be 1 p.m. All three games will be streamed on the SEC Network +.

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".