Softball Rounds Out Home Slate Against Missouri

Friday, April 26

Starkville

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

Missouri

Emily Williams set a career-high with 14.2 consecutive scoreless innings tossed against Ole Miss last weekend.

Photo by: Trevor Birchett/MSU Athletics

Softball Rounds Out Home Slate Against Missouri

April 25, 2019 | Softball

Game Notes Live Stats Watch Live

by Taylor Shirey, Assistant Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Rounding out the home slate at Nusz Park, Mississippi State softball (27-19, 4-14 SEC) hosts Missouri (29-18, 10-8 SEC) in a three-game series to wrap up regular-season action in Starkville.

The series marks the first time this season that the Bulldogs have not faced a ranked opponent in Southeastern Conference play. The Tiger are receiving votes in both the NFCA/USA Today Coaches Poll and espn.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25.

The series begins on Friday, April 26 with a 6 p.m. CT first pitch on the SEC Network. Anthony Craven (play-by-play) and Mississippi State softball alumna Morgan Bell (analyst) on the call.

Saturday and Sunday's contests will receive national attention with broadcasts on the SEC Network. First pitch on Saturday is set for 3 p.m. CT with Sunday's finale scheduled for 12 p.m. CT. Tiffany Greene (play-by-play) and Kayla Braud (analyst) will be in the booth.

Last weekend, Mississippi State faced off against in-state rival Ole Miss in a three-game series at Nusz Park. Bounding back from the worst loss in program history, the Bulldog brought the pressure behind sophomore Emily Williams in the circle to pick up a 6-0 shutout victory.

Sophomore Mia Davidson was tabbed as one of 26 finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year on Wednesday. Davidson leads the NCAA in both home runs (23) and slugging percentage (1.008).

Davidson also leads the SEC with 133 total bases, while ranking second with 55 RBI, the most ever recorded by a Bulldog sophomore. She also ranks third in the league in batting average (.424) and fourth in hits (56), seventh in runs scored (44) and ninth in on-base percentage (.524)

She is the lone student-athlete in the conference with to record at least 50 RBI, 55 hits and score 40 runs.

Sophomore Emily Williams leads the Mississippi State pitching staff with a 2.39 earned run average. She holds an 9-7 record with three saves this season. Williams ranks seventh in the SEC with 119 total strikeouts.

MISSOURI SERIES SCHEDULE
Friday, April 26
Mississippi State vs. Missouri – 6 p.m. CT

Saturday, April 27
Mississippi State vs. Missouri – 3 p.m. CT

Sunday, April 28
Mississippi State vs. Missouri – 12 p.m. CT

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Overall: Missouri leads, 4-11
In Starkville: Missouri leads, 6-1
Last Meeting: Mississippi State def. Missouri, 6-3 (March 18, 2018 in Columbia, Mo.)
Current Streak: Mississippi State, +1

LEADING OFF

Mississippi State rounds out its home schedule this weekend with a three-game series against Missouri. This marks this first time all season that the Bulldogs have not faced a ranked squad in conference play.
The Tigers lead the all-time series with a 11-4 record, which includes a 1-6 mark in games played at Nusz Park. Mississippi State is looking to win back-to-back series against Missouri for the first time in program history.
In the sixth RPI release of the 2019 season, Mississippi State comes in at No. 33. Twelve SEC programs currently rank within the top 35 in the latest RPI standings.
In her eighth season at the helm of the Bulldogs, head coach Vann Stuedeman has collected 268 career wins and is now just 27 shy from tying the program record for most victories by a MSU head coach.
Slugging her 23rd home run of the season on April 20 against No. 17/16 Ole Miss, sophomore Mia Davidson holds Mississippi State's single-season record and stands in a tied for fourth in SEC single-season history for total home runs.
Through the first 46 games of the season, Mississippi State has knocked 60 total home runs, setting a new single-season record for the program.
Junior Fa Leilua slugged her 20th home run of the season at UAB (April 14) and holds MSU's junior home run record. In just her first season at MSU, Leilua already ranks tied for ninth in program history in career bombs.
Senior Sarai Niu enters the week with 1,126 career putouts to her credit. She is just the fourth Bulldog in program history to record 1,100 or more putouts over a career. She is now 304 putouts shy of MSU's career record held by Cheri Smith (1998-01).
Arizona and Mississippi State are the lone programs in all of Division I softball to have two student-athletes with 20+ home runs this season as both sophomore Mia Davidson (23) and junior Fa Leilua (20) rank first and fourth, respectively, in all of Division I softball.
Striking out only eight times in 125 at bats, redshirt sophomore Montana Davidson ranks as the eighth toughest batter in the SEC to strike out, only doing so once every 15.6 at bats.

WATCH LIVE
Friday's series opener will be streamed on the SEC Network + with Anthony Craven (play-by-play) and Mississippi State softball alumna Morgan Bell on the call. The final two games of the series will be aired nationally on the SEC Network with Tiffany Greene (play-by-play) and Kayla Braud (analyst) in the booth.

Friday, April 26 – Mississippi State vs. Missouri (SEC Network +)
Saturday, April 27 – Mississippi State vs. Missouri (SEC Network)
Sunday, April 28 – Mississippi State vs. Missouri (SEC Network)

LIVE STATS
Mississippi State will provide live stats for all three games of the weekend series. Live stats may be accessed by visiting www.msu.statbroadcast.com.

ADMISSION
Admission to all regular-season home contests at Nusz Park is FREE.

PROMOTIONS
Friday, April 26

Friday Night Bingo
FREE Gift Cards & Prizes Throughout the Games
Bully's Kids Zone for Kids with Inflatables
Up to 225 HSR Points
150 BKC Points

Friday, April 27

BYOG [Bring Your Own Grill] – Hot Dogs provided for those with a Grill
Starkville Parks and Rec Day
Tennis Ball Toss Post-Game for various prizes including a YETI Coolers
Bully's Kids Zone for Kids with Inflatables
Up to 225 HSR Points
150 BKC Points

Friday, April 28

Bark in the Park presented by Dog Pound Printing
Bandanas for Dogs // Dogs get to run on the field post-game
Bully's Kids Zone for Kids with Inflatables
Up to 225 HSR Points
150 BKC Points

WEATHER
Friday: 73 Degrees – Partly Cloudy (10%)
Saturday: 78 Degrees – Mostly Sunny (10%)
Sunday: 77 Degrees – Cloudy (0%)
ON DECK
Mississippi State closes out the regular season next weekend as the Bulldogs trek to Gainesville for a three-game series versus No. 7/10 Florida. The finale weekend of the regular season begins on Friday, May 3 at 5 p.m. CT.

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".