Bulldogs Host Memphis in Home Midweek Finale

Wednesday, April 10

Starkville

6:00 PM

Mississippi State

Memphis

Fa Leilua and Mia Davidson rank fourth nationally with 18 home runs each this season.

Bulldogs Host Memphis in Home Midweek Finale

April 09, 2019 | Softball

Watch Live Live Stats Game Notes

by Taylor Shirey, Assistant Director/Communications

STARKVILLE – Rounding out its home non-conference slate, Mississippi State softball (24-14, 3-9 SEC) hosts Memphis (21-19, 3-6 AAC) on Wednesday in the final midweek contest at Nusz Park this season.

First pitch against the Tigers is slated for 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network + with Anthony Craven (play-by-play) and Mississippi State softball alumna Morgan Bell (analyst) on the call.

Wednesday marks the second time this season the Bulldogs have met Memphis on the diamond after MSU used grand slams from sophomore Mia Davidson and junior Fa Leilua to earn a 10-7 victory in Memphis.

Over the weekend, Mississippi State hosted No. 7/5 LSU for a three-game series at Nusz Parking, picking up a 6-0 win over the Tigers on Friday, April 5. Sophomore Emily Williams turned in the complete-game performance delivering LSU its first shutout loss of the season and Mississippi State's first shutout triumph over the Tigers in program history.

Davidson and Leilua enter the weekend ranking fourth nationally with 18 home runs each. The duo is now one away from tying Davidson's single-season record of 19 set last season. Leilua is currently tied with Iyhia McMichael for Mississippi State's junior record.

Williams leads Mississippi State's pitching staff with a 2.46 earned run average and holds a 7-4 record in the circle. Williams ranks seventh in the SEC with 94 total strikeouts this season.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Overall: Mississippi State leads, 9-0
In Starkville: Mississippi State leads, 4-0
Last Meeting: Mississippi State def. Memphis, 10-7 (Feb. 27, 2019 in Memphis)
Current Streak: Mississippi State, +9

LEADING OFF

Mississippi State rounds out its home non-conference schedule on Wednesday with its final midweek contest of the season, hosting Memphis at Nusz Park.
The Bulldogs are meeting the Tigers for the second time this season, picking up a 10-7 road win at Memphis. MSU leads the all-time series 9-0.
After dropping out of both polls last week, the Bulldogs are receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25.
In the fourth RPI release of the 2019 season, Mississippi State dropped one spot to No. 25. Nine SEC programs currently rank within the Top 25 in the latest RPI standings.
In her eighth season at the helm of the Bulldogs, head coach Vann Stuedeman has collected 265 career wins and is now just 30 shy from tying the program record for most victories by a MSU head coach.
Sophomore Emily Williams delivered No. 7/5 LSU its first shutout loss of season with a 6-0 victory on April 5. It marked the first time in program history that MSU has shut out the Tigers.
Knocking her 16th home run of the season at No. 4/4 Alabama, Mia Davidson has set Mississippi State's sophomore home run record, surpassing Caroline Seitz (2015). Davidson set MSU's freshman home run record last season with 19.
Through the first 38 games of the season, Mississippi State has knocked 50 total home runs and is just five shy from tying the program record of 55 set in 2018.
Striking out only three times in 79 at bats, sophomore Carter Spexarth ranks as the second toughest batter in the SEC to strike out, only doing so once every 26.3 at bats. The mark ranks 26th nationally.
Mississippi State is the lone program in all of Division I softball to have two student-athletes with 18+ home runs this season as both sophomore Mia Davidson and junior Fa Leilua are tied for fourth nationally with 18.
Senior Sarai Niu enters the week with 1,087 career putouts to her credit. She is just the fifth Bulldog in program history to record 1,000 or more putouts over a career. She is just 343 putouts shy of MSU's career record held by Cheri Smith (1998-01).

WATCH LIVE
Wednesday's midweek contest will be streamed on the SEC Network + with Anthony Craven (play-by-play) and Mississippi State softball alumna Morgan Bell (analyst) on the call.

Mississippi State vs. Memphis (SEC Network +)

WATCH LIVE
Mississippi State will provide live stats for Wednesday's midweek contest. Live stats can be accessed by visiting www.mst.statbroadcast.com.

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

PROMOTIONS

Greek Night at Nusz Park
Crawfish Boil
Midweek Trivia: Game of Thrones

WEATHER
Wednesday: 81 Degrees – Sunny (10%)

ON DECK
Mississippi State returns to conference play this weekend with a three-game series in Knoxville. The series against No. 9/8 Tennessee begins on Friday, April 12 at 5 p.m. CT on the SEC Network +.

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".