Six Mississippi State softball alums will compete professionally over the summer of 2018
Six MSU Softball Alumni to Compete Professionally in 2018
June 07, 2018 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. – With opportunities to compete on the next level continuing to expand, six Mississippi State softball alumni will spend their summer competing professionally as part of Scrap Yard Fast Pitch and the American Softball Association.
In total, 18 softball alumni have reached professional ranks with head coach Vann Stuedeman seeing seven former student-athletes reach the next level of play.
Scrap Yard Fast Pitch, formerly a member National Pro Fastpitch organization, begins its third season of competition this summer and its first as an independent women's professional team. The 2018 roster features three Bulldogs: Kayla Winkfield, Alexis Silkwood and Holly Ward.
Winkfield enters the third season of her professional career and her second with SYFP after helping the program to the 2017 Cowles Cup. Over her two seasons of professional play, Winkfield holds a .282 average with 67 hits, 41 runs scored and 18 RBIs. The shortstop's name still decorates the MSU record book as she ranks tied for seventh in stolen bases (75) and tied for ninth in career triples (10).
Signing with SYFP over the offseason, Silkwood enters her second season in professional softball after a strong rookie campaign with the NPF's Akron Racers. She led the Racers with 23 appearances and tossed 52.0 innings over her debut season. Silkwood recorded 31 strikeouts and held a 2.96 ERA. One of the most decorated pitchers in MSU history, the righty still holds program records for wins (59), innings pitched (665.0), complete games (50) and strikeouts (555).
After wrapping up one of the best senior seasons in program history, Ward signed with SYFP last month. The right-hander left Mississippi State ranked tied for first in shutouts (14), fifth in strikeouts (372), innings pitched (467.1) and saves (7) and sixth in opponent batting average (.231) and solo no-hitters (1).
Over her senior campaign, Ward tossed the program's second perfect game and broke Autumn Anderson's (1998) single-season record with nine shutouts. She held a 1.43 ERA in the circle, the fourth-lowest ERA in single-season history and the lowest by a Bulldogs since 1998. Ward's efforts earned a spot on the 2018 NFCA All-Southeast Region Second Team.
SYFP begins its season on Friday, June 8, kicking off a three-game series against USA Nationals at 7:05 p.m. CT from the Scrap Yard Sports Complex in Conroe, Texas. Extra Inning Softball will provide a free live stream on media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube for 22 of SYFP's contests over the 2018 seasons.
The American Softball Association, which was founded earlier this year, begins its first season of competition later this month. The organization, comprised of four teams, is based out of Mobile, Ala. On Wednesday, June 6 the ASBA held its inaugural Summer League Draft with three Bulldogs earning selections, highlighted by Cassady Knudsen being selected as the overall first pick of the draft by moh-BEEL! USA.
Knudsen appeared in 90 games over her MSU and held a 28-13 overall record with a 3.05 ERA. The right-hander ranks tied for 10th in career shutouts with seven and tied the program record with two no-hitters. Knudsen racked up 277 strikeouts over just 264.1 innings of work to average 7.34 strikeouts per seven innings over her career, the second-highest mark in school history. She closed her senior season ranked 23rd nationally with an 8.8 strikeouts per seven innings average.
Two Bulldog were drafted to Outkast as Caroline Seitz was selected in the third round as the 10th overall pick. She was later joined by Calyn Adams, who went in the sixth round of the draft as the 23rd overall selection.
Seitz was one of the mostly lethal sluggers at the plate over her career as she earned All-SEC First Team honors and was twice selected to the NFCA All-Southeast Region Team. Offensively, Seitz ranks in the Top 10 in a total of 12 MSU career records. As a Bulldog, Seitz recorded 230 hits, 53 doubles, 37 home runs, 112 runs scored and 166 RBIS, while slugging at a .554 clip.
A utility player that can hold her own both in the infield and behind the dish, Adams is a student of the game. Over her career at MSU, she recorded 100 hits, including 21 doubles and three home runs, with 44 runs scored and 55 RBIs. One of the top fielder's in school history, Adams committed just three errors over her 2017 season to hold a .990 fielding percentage, which tied for ninth in single-season history.
The ASBA beings its inaugural summer season on Friday, June 15 as moh-BEEL! USA takes on Outkast at 5 p.m. CT, pitting the Bulldog alumni against each other. Fans can stream every contest on the ASBA Network, which required a monthly subscription.
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".
In total, 18 softball alumni have reached professional ranks with head coach Vann Stuedeman seeing seven former student-athletes reach the next level of play.
Scrap Yard Fast Pitch, formerly a member National Pro Fastpitch organization, begins its third season of competition this summer and its first as an independent women's professional team. The 2018 roster features three Bulldogs: Kayla Winkfield, Alexis Silkwood and Holly Ward.
Winkfield enters the third season of her professional career and her second with SYFP after helping the program to the 2017 Cowles Cup. Over her two seasons of professional play, Winkfield holds a .282 average with 67 hits, 41 runs scored and 18 RBIs. The shortstop's name still decorates the MSU record book as she ranks tied for seventh in stolen bases (75) and tied for ninth in career triples (10).
Signing with SYFP over the offseason, Silkwood enters her second season in professional softball after a strong rookie campaign with the NPF's Akron Racers. She led the Racers with 23 appearances and tossed 52.0 innings over her debut season. Silkwood recorded 31 strikeouts and held a 2.96 ERA. One of the most decorated pitchers in MSU history, the righty still holds program records for wins (59), innings pitched (665.0), complete games (50) and strikeouts (555).
After wrapping up one of the best senior seasons in program history, Ward signed with SYFP last month. The right-hander left Mississippi State ranked tied for first in shutouts (14), fifth in strikeouts (372), innings pitched (467.1) and saves (7) and sixth in opponent batting average (.231) and solo no-hitters (1).
Over her senior campaign, Ward tossed the program's second perfect game and broke Autumn Anderson's (1998) single-season record with nine shutouts. She held a 1.43 ERA in the circle, the fourth-lowest ERA in single-season history and the lowest by a Bulldogs since 1998. Ward's efforts earned a spot on the 2018 NFCA All-Southeast Region Second Team.
SYFP begins its season on Friday, June 8, kicking off a three-game series against USA Nationals at 7:05 p.m. CT from the Scrap Yard Sports Complex in Conroe, Texas. Extra Inning Softball will provide a free live stream on media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube for 22 of SYFP's contests over the 2018 seasons.
The American Softball Association, which was founded earlier this year, begins its first season of competition later this month. The organization, comprised of four teams, is based out of Mobile, Ala. On Wednesday, June 6 the ASBA held its inaugural Summer League Draft with three Bulldogs earning selections, highlighted by Cassady Knudsen being selected as the overall first pick of the draft by moh-BEEL! USA.
Knudsen appeared in 90 games over her MSU and held a 28-13 overall record with a 3.05 ERA. The right-hander ranks tied for 10th in career shutouts with seven and tied the program record with two no-hitters. Knudsen racked up 277 strikeouts over just 264.1 innings of work to average 7.34 strikeouts per seven innings over her career, the second-highest mark in school history. She closed her senior season ranked 23rd nationally with an 8.8 strikeouts per seven innings average.
Two Bulldog were drafted to Outkast as Caroline Seitz was selected in the third round as the 10th overall pick. She was later joined by Calyn Adams, who went in the sixth round of the draft as the 23rd overall selection.
Seitz was one of the mostly lethal sluggers at the plate over her career as she earned All-SEC First Team honors and was twice selected to the NFCA All-Southeast Region Team. Offensively, Seitz ranks in the Top 10 in a total of 12 MSU career records. As a Bulldog, Seitz recorded 230 hits, 53 doubles, 37 home runs, 112 runs scored and 166 RBIS, while slugging at a .554 clip.
A utility player that can hold her own both in the infield and behind the dish, Adams is a student of the game. Over her career at MSU, she recorded 100 hits, including 21 doubles and three home runs, with 44 runs scored and 55 RBIs. One of the top fielder's in school history, Adams committed just three errors over her 2017 season to hold a .990 fielding percentage, which tied for ninth in single-season history.
The ASBA beings its inaugural summer season on Friday, June 15 as moh-BEEL! USA takes on Outkast at 5 p.m. CT, pitting the Bulldog alumni against each other. Fans can stream every contest on the ASBA Network, which required a monthly subscription.
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".
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