Bulldogs Head To No. 19 Georgia Looking To Keep Momentum Rolling

Friday, April 14

Athens, Ga.

5:00 PM

Mississippi State

#19 Georgia

MSU coach Vann Stuedeman and the Bulldogs return to the road for an SEC showdown against No. 19 Georgia.

Bulldogs Head To No. 19 Georgia Looking To Keep Momentum Rolling

April 13, 2017 | Softball

Game Notes SEC Network + (Friday)SEC Network + (Saturday)SEC Network + (Sunday)Live Stats

STARKVILLE, Miss. – A week removed from capturing their first SEC series victory of the season, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (29-13, 4-8 SEC) head to Athens, Ga., looking to keep their momentum rolling as they take on the No. 19 Georgia Bulldogs (28-13, 2-10 SEC).

The weekend begins on Friday, April 14 with a 5 p.m. CT first pitch. Saturday's contest is slated for 1 p.m., as well as the series finale on Sunday. All three contests will be broadcast on the SEC Network +, which fans can access through WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app.

The two sides have met 53 times prior to this weekend, with Georgia holding a slight 29-24 advantage in the series. UGA leads 14-10 in the series in Athens. MSU captured the last meeting between the two teams, an 8-7 nine-inning victory in Starkville on March 8, 2015.

State is looking to keep momentum rolling after its first SEC series victory last weekend against South Carolina for 2017 Super Bulldog Weekend. USC took the series opener, but the Bulldog offense went off in the final two contests to take the series.

The Bulldogs' success has been heavily fueled by their strong play in the circle. As a staff, MSU sports a 1.58 ERA, which ranks fifth in the SEC and 13^th in the NCAA. Holly Ward leads the Dogs with a 1.34 ERA (12^th SEC, 34^th NCAA), while Alexis Silkwood is close behind with a 1.48 ERA (14^th SEC, 45^th NCAA).

Cassady Knudsen has also been a stud for the Dogs, shining when it comes to hits allowed and strikeouts. Knudsen leads the SEC and is second in the NCAA with 2.79 hits allowed per seven innings, while her 10.0 strikeouts per seven frames is fourth in the conference and 12^th on the national scale.

Offensively, Reggie Harrison continues to lead the squad in batting average (.389), slugging percentage (.611), on-base percentage (.500), hits (42), doubles (10) and is tied for the team lead in home runs with four.

Spearheading MSU's offense in SEC play has been junior Calyn Adams, who has been a force at the plate against conference foes. Adams paces the team with a scorching .406 average and is coming off an impressive weekend against South Carolina. Adams went 5-for-8 against the Gamecocks, driving in four runs, scoring three of her own and tallying one double. She also earned the first stolen base of her career in the series finale.

After a weekend in Athens, the Bulldogs will take on Alcorn State on Tuesday, April 18 in their final non-conference matchup of the 2017 regular season. First pitch from Lorman, Miss., is set for 3 p.m. CT.

Series Schedule Against Georgia…
Friday, April 14 – Mississippi State at Georgia (5 p.m. CT)
Saturday, April 15 – Mississippi State at Georgia (1 p.m. CT)
Sunday, April 16 – Mississippi State at Georgia (1 p.m. CT)

Last Time Out…
The Bulldogs captured their first SEC series victory of the 2017 season last weekend, as MSU took down South Carolina in the final two games of the weekend. After falling in Friday's series opener, the Dogs turned on the jets offensively to take down the Gamecocks.

Highlighting the weekend was Saturday's victory, where senior Alexis Silkwood became MSU's all-time winningest pitcher with her 56^th-career victory.

Friday, April 7
South Carolina def. Mississippi State, 3-0 (Recap, Box Score)

Saturday, April 8
Mississippi State def. South Carolina, 6-4 (Recap, Box Score)

Sunday, April 9
Mississippi State def. South Carolina, 5-2 (Recap, Box Score)

Series History…

Against Georgia
Overall: Georgia leads, 29-24
In Athens: Georgia leads, 14-10
Last Meeting: Mississippi State def. Georgia, 8-7 (9) (March 8, 2015 in Starkville)
Current Streak: Mississippi State, +1

Leading The Bulldogs…

Batting Average: Reggie Harrison (.379)
Slugging Percentage: Reggie Harrison (.612)
On-Base Percentage: Reggie Harrison (.493)
Runs: Bevia Robinson (28)
Hits: Reggie Harrison (44)
RBI: Olivia Golden & Caroline Seitz (20)
Doubles: Reggie Harrison (11)
Triples: Katie Anne Bailey, Reggie Harrison & Bevia Robinson (2)
Home Runs: Olivia Golden & Reggie Harrison (4)
Stolen Bases: Bevia Robinson (23)
ERA: Holly Ward (1.34)
Opposing Batting Average: Cassady Knudsen (.125)
Innings Pitched: Alexis Silkwood (118.0)
Strikeouts: Alexis Silkwood (87)

MSU In The RPI…
The Bulldogs come in at No. 33 in this week's RPI rankings. So far this year, the Dogs have earned wins against Alabama (No. 4), Texas A&M (No. 12), South Carolina (No. 22) and Fresno State (No. 42). Ten of State's wins this year have come against Top 100 programs.

Dogs Got That Power…
The Bulldogs have tallied 16 home runs so far through the year, besting the 12 they hit in the first 42 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 42 games in 2017. The group's 1.58 ERA ranks fifth in the SEC and 13^th in the NCAA. Holly Ward leads the Dogs with a 1.34 ERA (12^th SEC, 34^th NCAA), while Alexis Silkwood is close behind with a 1.48 ERA (14^th SEC, 45^th NCAA).

Adding to State's pitching dominance has been Cassady Knudsen's impressive performance from the circle this year. The junior has allowed just 2.79 hits per seven innings, which leads the SEC and is second nationally. Her 10.0 strikeouts per seven frames stands fourth in the league and 12^th nationally.

Adams Dominating SEC Play For The Dogs…
Junior Calyn Adams has been nearly unstoppable in SEC play so far this season. She paces the Bulldogs with a .406 clip, which is sixth in the conference. Last weekend against the South Carolina Gamecocks, Adams went 5-for-8, driving in four runs, scoring three of her own and tallying one double. She also earned the first stolen base of her career in the series finale.

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, became the first pitcher in Bulldog history to record over 500 strikeouts and 600.0 innings pitched. Last weekend, she captured her 56^th-career victory, making her the all-time winningest pitcher in MSU history.

- 1st in wins (56)
- 1st in strikeouts (534)
- 1st in complete games (48)
- 1st in innings pitched (624.1)
- 2nd in starts (89)
- 2nd in appearances (134)
- 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 70 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 12 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 rallied from two down against Southern Miss on March 28, scoring three in the seventh to take the lead and the win.

The Dogs are also 21-0 when leading after five and 18-0 when leading after six frames. In games tied after five and six innings, State is 2-1.

Weather…
Friday's Forecast (April 14) – Mostly Sunny, 84 Degrees (20%)
Saturday's Forecast (April 15) – Partly Cloudy, 82 Degrees (20%)
Sunday's Forecast (April 16) – Isolated Thunderstorms, 83 Degrees (30%)

Live Stream…
All three of this weekend's contests will live streamed through the SEC Network +. Fans can access the games through WatchESPN.com, the ESPN app or clicking the links below.

Mississippi State at Georgia SEC Network + Broadcast (Friday)
Mississippi State at Georgia SEC Network + Broadcast (Saturday)
Mississippi State at Georgia SEC Network + Broadcast (Sunday)

Live Stats…
Mississippi State will provide live stats for all three games this weekend. They can be found in the link below.

Mississippi State at Georgia Live Stats (Friday)
Mississippi State at Georgia Live Stats (Saturday)
Mississippi State at Georgia Live Stats (Sunday)

Admission…
Admission to this weekend's games at Jack Turner Softball Stadium are free.

Up Next…
The Bulldogs will take on Alcorn State on Tuesday, April 18 in their final non-conference matchup of the 2017 regular season. First pitch from Lorman, Miss., is set for 3 p.m. CT.

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".