Softball Travels to West Coast for First Road Trip of 2018 Season

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State softball (9-1) hits the road for the first time this season as the Bulldogs travel to Palm Springs, Calif. for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. MSU will tangle with three ranked squads over the three-day tournament.

The Bulldogs will open play on Thursday, Feb. 22, with a doubleheader against two ranked squads. MSU will face No. 15 Arizona State at 3 p.m. CT before taking on No. 23 Nebraska at 10 p.m. CT. State will face its third straight ranked team on Friday, Feb. 23 with a 3 p.m. CT contest versus No. 16 Oklahoma State. MSU closes the tournament on Saturday, Feb. 24 with contests against San Jose State (7 p.m. CT) and Cal State Fullerton (9:30 p.m. CT).

All five games will be streamed by FloSoftball, which requires a paid subscription.

This is the first time in program history that Mississippi State has competed in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, one of the primer yearly tournaments in NCAA Softball.

ON DECK
MSU will return home next weekend to host the Bulldog Slamboree, the third of four nonconference tournaments at Nusz Park this season. MSU will open the tournament on Friday, March 2 with a 3:30 p.m. contest versus Lamar. The tournament also feature Mercer and Sam Houston State.

LAST TIME OUT
Last night the Bulldogs notched an extra-inning victory over Southeastern Louisiana to improve to 9-1 on the season. MSU held a 2-0 lead after the first inning, but the Lions locked the game in the top of the sixth with a two-RBI double. Senior Morgan Bell lifted State to victory in the eighth inning with a single down the left field line to score junior Kat Moore.

2018 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Schedule

Thursday, Feb. 22
Game 1 – Mississippi State vs. No. 15 Arizona State – 3 p.m. CT
Game 2 – Mississippi State vs. No. 23 Nebraska – 10 p.m. CT

Friday, Feb. 23
Game 3 – Mississippi State vs. No. 16 Oklahoma State – 3 p.m. CT

Saturday, Feb. 24
Game 4 – Mississippi State vs. San Jose State – 7 p.m. CT
Game 5 – Mississippi State vs. Cal State Fullerton – 9:30 p.m. CT

Series History
Against Arizona State
Overall: Arizona State leads 2-1
At Neutral Site: Series tied 1-1
Last Meeting: Arizona State def. Mississippi State, 4-5 (Feb. 8, 2003 in Phoenix, Ariz.)
Current Streak: Arizona State, +2

Against Nebraska
Overall: Nebraska leads 3-0
At Neutral Site: Nebraska leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Nebraska def. Mississippi State, 6-7 [9 inn.] (Feb. 24, 2007 in Columbus, Ga.)
Current Streak: Nebraska, +3

Against Oklahoma State
Overall: Oklahoma State leads 3-0
At Neutral Site: Oklahoma State leads 3-0
Last Meeting: Oklahoma State def. Mississippi State, 2-3 (Feb. 14, 2004 in San Diego, Calif.)
Current Streak: Oklahoma State, +3

Against San Jose State
Overall: First Meeting
At Neutral Site: First Meeting
Last Meeting: First Meeting
Current Streak: First Meeting

Against Cal State Fullerton
Overall: Cal State Fullerton leads 5-1
At Neutral Site: Cal State Fullerton leads 5-1
Last Meeting: Cal State Fullerton def. Mississippi State, 6-1 (Feb. 17, 2017 on Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)
Current Streak: Cal State Fullerton, +3

ROAD DAWGS
Over the Vann Stuedeman era, Mississippi State is 16-3 all-time over its first road trips of the season. Last season, the Bulldogs went 3-1 at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge to open their road slate. MSU's lone last year came at the hands of Cal State Fullerton, 6-1.

STAYING ALIVE
With her first-inning double versus the Lion, Mia Davidson has now recorded a hit in all 10 of MSU's contests to open the 2018 season. She leads the Bulldogs with 15 hits and a .484 average at the plate. After only recording one hit over opening weekend, Reggie Harrison has now extended her hit streak to seven consecutive games, raising her average to .321.

LATE INNINGS = OUR INNINGS
Last night's victory with the 12^th extra-inning win under the Vann Stuedeman era. It was the first extra-inning win for MSU since defeating Samford, 6-5, in 12 innings on March 4, 2017.

MISSISSIPPI QUEEN
Head coach Vann Stuedeman recorded her 212^th victory at the helm of Mississippi State softball. She is now just seven wins shy from tying Kathy Arendsen (1997-2002) for the second-most wins in program history. Jay Miller (2003-2011) holds the program record with 295 victories.

WATCH LIVE
All five contests will be streamed via FloSoftball, which requires a paid subscription to stream.

LIVE STATS
Live stats can be found HERE or by visiting msu.statbroadcast.com. Links will be updated throughout the weekend.

WEATHER
Thursday, Feb. 22 – Partly Cloudy; 65 degrees; winds S at 11 mph
Friday, Feb. 23 – Partly Cloudy; 63 degrees; winds NNW at 15 mph
Saturday, Feb. 24 – Sunny; 68 degrees; winds SSE at 6 mph

ADMISSION
Tickets are available online at MaryNutterClassic.com or available at the park. Fans may purchase single-game tickets at $32 for adults, $12 for seniors and $6 for children. Tournament passes are available for $80.

FOLLOW THE DAWGS
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".

Softball Travels to West Coast for First Road Trip of 2018 Season

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Players Mentioned

Morgan Bell

Mia Davidson

Reggie Harrison

Kat Moore

Mississippi State University Athletics