Softball Begins Postseason At SEC Tournament

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Mississippi State is one of the hottest teams in the conference as it begins SEC Tournament play on Wednesday, May 12. The Bulldogs, winners of seven straight and eight of their last 10 conference games, will meet Ole Miss at 11 a.m. CT in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Wednesday.

State (32-22, 8-15 SEC) is set up for a second chance at their conference schedule. The Bulldogs opened SEC play in Oxford, Mississippi, against the Rebels. With a win on Wednesday, MSU would be set to face No. 1-seed Florida, their second SEC opponent of the year, on Thursday morning.

Only host Alabama brings a longer winning streak into the tournament. The Crimson Tide has won ten straight. MSU has averaged 4.7 runs per game over its winning streak, while the pitching staff has excelled, posting a 1.71 ERA.

Mia Davidson and Jackie McKenna have been hot lately. Davidson has hit at a .421 clip in the last seven games with six RBIs. Meanwhile, McKenna is second on the team with a .308 average in that span with four RBIs.

Two Bulldogs picked up awards from the SEC coaches, the league office announced on Tuesday. Chloe Malau'ulu was chosen to the SEC All-Defensive Team after leading all nominated right fielders in assists (3) and total chances (49) in league play. No other nominated right fielder had more than 20 total chances.

Paige Cook was selected to the All-SEC Newcomer Team after locking down a role as MSU's everyday second baseman this season. She is among the top five Bulldogs in batting average (.268), slugging percentage (.389), on-base percentage (.350), hits (42), runs (27) and total bases (61).

Game Coverage

Leading Off

SEC Surge: MSU has won seven straight SEC games and eight of its last 10. State's pitchers boast a 1.71 ERA over the seven-game winning streak while the offense has scored 4.7 runs per game.

Let's Go Streaking: The Bulldogs finished the regular season on the second-longest SEC winning streak in program history. MSU's five-game winning streak against NFCA-ranked opponents is the second-longest in program history behind the 2004 season (7).

Lockdown Loza: Alyssa Loza has made four appearances over State's seven-game winning streak while pitching to a 0.54 ERA, allowing just one run. She has posted three 3.0-inning saves in her last three appearances and now ranks eighth in the nation with four saves.

Win The Late Innings: The Bulldogs are 25-1 when leading after four innings and 19-0 when leading after five. In the sixth inning alone, MSU has outscored opponents, 38-13.

Thunder Rolling In: Mia Davidson has broken MSU baseball legend Rafael Palmeiro's career home run record for the most in MSU baseball and softball history (68). She is tied for third in SEC softball history and three shy of Florida's Lauren Haeger for the SEC record.

Worth A Second Look: The Bulldogs are 10-4 this year in the second game of a series or doubleheader or when playing a team for the second straight day in a tournament. They have outscored opponents 81-51 in such games.

Lineup Log: Samantha Ricketts has used 31 different batting orders and 16 different fielding alignments.

Lulu Leading Off: When Chloe Malau'ulu reaches base to open the game, State is 19-6 this season. She has reached base in 40 of the 90 innings she's led off and scored in 19 of those innings.

On Deck

The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT on Sunday, May 16. The 64-team bracket will be revealed live on ESPN2.

Follow the Bulldogs

For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."

Softball Begins Postseason At SEC Tournament

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Paige Cook

Mia Davidson

Alyssa Loza

Chloe Malau'ulu

Jackie McKenna

Mississippi State University Athletics

Softball Begins Postseason At SEC Tournament

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Paige Cook

Mia Davidson

Alyssa Loza

Chloe Malau'ulu

Jackie McKenna

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