State Opens Road Trip At Middle Tennessee Wednesday

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State softball is hitting the road. The Bulldogs open a five-day road trip through the state of Tennessee with a midweek matchup at Middle Tennessee on Wednesday, March 30.

First pitch against the Blue Raiders (15-18, 2-4 C-USA) is set for 4 p.m. CT on C-USA.tv. The game was originally scheduled for a 6 p.m. start, but with inclement weather expected, the game was moved up two hours.

The Bulldogs (22-10, 4-2 SEC) enter the matchup as winners of six straight and 12 of their last 15 contests. MSU is among the top 30 teams nationally in doubles, home runs, homers per game, slugging percentage, looking strikeouts and stolen bases allowed.

MSU's defense has been much improved over their recent hot streak. After averaging 1.24 errors per game in their first 17 contests, the Bulldogs have cleaned things up. They have committed 0.67 errors per game in the last 15 games and allowed just four unearned runs as opposed to 17 in the first 17 games.

State is now among the top five teams in the SEC in runs allowed, hits allowed, ERA and strikeouts. In SEC play only, the Bulldogs are a top-three team in runs allowed, hits allowed and walks allowed.

Leading Off

SEC Leaders: Chloe Malau'ulu is tied for second in the SEC in batting average and fifth in on-base percentage in conference play. Mia Davidson is tied for eighth in on-base percentage and leads the league in hit-by-pitches.

Another Jewel In Her Crown: Davidson has now hit 82 career homers, which is the most in SEC baseball or softball history and is tied for No. 12 in NCAA softball history.

Purvis Picked As Player Of The Week: Addison Purvis batted .750 (6-for-8) last week across three starts and posted a 1.875 slugging percentage. She drove in seven runs with three doubles and a pair of homers.

Don't Try It: The Bulldogs are tied for eighth in the NCAA and second in the SEC with just 11 stolen bases allowed this season.

Starting Strong: State is 7-2 this season when its leadoff batter reaches base to open the game.

First Runs First: The Bulldogs have outscored opponents, 84-19, in the first two innings. MSU is 20-0 when leading after the second and 19-1 when scoring first this season.

Helping Her Own Cause: Matalasi Faapito has won four games as a pitcher and has homered in three of those. She also has nine RBIs and seven walks when she pitches.

Power Pitchers: Kenley Hawk is currently pitching to a 1.50 ERA, which is fourth in the SEC and No. 40 in the nation. She and Annie Willis both average more than 8.0 strikeouts per game.

Keeping It Clean: MSU has a .973 fielding percentage over its last 15 games (93 innings, 368 chances) and has allowed just four unearned runs.

Tough Slate: State's strength of schedule is No. 11 in the latest RPI. MSU's opponents have combined for fourth-highest winning percentage (.670) in the nation.

About Middle Tennessee (15-18, 2-4 C-USA)

Rankings: NFCA Coaches - NR | USA Softball - NR | Softball America – NR | D1Softball - NR
Head Coach: Jeff Breeden | Record at MT: 205-287 (10th Year) | Career Record: 205-287 (10th Year)
Batting Average: .245 | Runs Per Game: 2.9 | Hits Per Game: 6.3 | Slugging Pct: .325
ERA: 3.54 | K/7: 4.3 | K/BB Ratio: 1.6 | Opp. Batting Avg: .258

Series History
Overall: 6-1 | Home: 4-0 | Away: 1-1 | Neutral: 1-0
Current Streak: Won 5 | Last Meeting: Feb. 8, 2019 in Starkville, Miss. (MSU 8, MT 2)

About the Blue Raiders
The Blue Raiders' Anyce Harvey leads C-USA and ranks No. 28 nationally with 10 doubles. In the circle, Corrina Dodd is third in the conference in hits per seven innings (5.03), and Claire Woods is second in saves (2). Middle Tennessee opened conference play by winning two of three games against Southern Miss, a team MSU will play in its next midweek contest, but was then swept by Marshall in C-USA play. The Blue Raiders are 3-3 against teams MSU will face later this year and 0-2 against SEC teams.

On Deck

Mississippi State resumes conference play at No. 11 Tennessee on April 1-3. The Friday series opener is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT, and the Saturday game is set for 1 p.m. Both games will air on SEC Network+. The series finale on Sunday will be broadcast nationally on SEC Network at 11 a.m.

Follow the Bulldogs

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

State Opens Road Trip At Middle Tennessee Wednesday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mia Davidson

Matalasi Faapito

Kenley Hawk

Chloe Malau'ulu

Addison Purvis

Annie Willis

Mississippi State University Athletics

State Opens Road Trip At Middle Tennessee Wednesday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mia Davidson

Matalasi Faapito

Kenley Hawk

Chloe Malau'ulu

Addison Purvis

Annie Willis

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