State Resumes SEC Play At No. 11 Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Two teams each a half-game back in the SEC standings will meet in Knoxville this weekend (April 1-3) when Mississippi State faces No. 11 Tennessee.

The Bulldogs have won 10 of their last 12 games and four of their last five SEC series, dating back to last season. State (23-10, 4-2 SEC) is 11-3 in it last five regular-season SEC series dating back to 2021.

Tennessee (23-9, 5-3 SEC) is coming off a series win at then-No. 6 Florida last weekend. This weekend marks the midpoint of the SEC schedule for the Lady Vols, but they've had once conference game rained out at Missouri in their first series.

MSU hit a school-record-tying six homers in its last game at Middle Tennessee on Wednesday. The Bulldogs scored a season-high 19 runs in the game. Mia Davidson hit her 83rd career homer to crack the all-time NCAA top 10.

In last year's meeting, the Bulldogs swept a doubleheader against then-No. 17 Tennessee, claiming 2-1 and 6-2 victories in Starkville.

Saturday is All for Alex Day, and all 13 teams in the conference will be wearing teal or teal accents.

Game Coverage

Leading Off

Success In SEC Series: State has won four of its last five SEC series dating back to last season with three sweeps including then-No. 17 Tennessee last year. The Bulldogs are 11-3 in their last five regular-season SEC series dating back to 2021.

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 83 career homers, which is the most in SEC baseball or softball history and is tied for No. 10 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.

Cooking Up a Record: Paige Cook collected a career-high four hits and seven RBIs at Middle Tennessee (3/30). Her seven RBIs are tied for the fourth-most in a game the NCAA this season and tied school record. She reached base in every plate appearance.

First Runs First: The Bulldogs have outscored opponents, 91-20, in the first two innings. MSU is 21-0 when leading after the second and 20-1 when scoring first this season.

Loving The Long Ball: The Bulldogs have hit a school-record six homers in a game twice this season.

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

Lineup Log: Samantha Ricketts has used 25 different batting orders and 19 different defensive alignments to start the game through 33 contests.

About Tennessee (23-9, 5-3 SEC)

Rankings: NFCA Coaches – 13 | USA Softball – 11 | D1Softball – 11 | Softball America – 12
Head Coach: Karen Weekly | Record at TENN: 972-309-2 (21st Year) | Career Record: 1,195-406-2 (26th Year)
Batting Average: .281 | Runs Per Game: 6.3 | Hits Per Game: 7.4 | Slugging Pct: .519
ERA: 2.50 | K/7: 5.8 | K/BB Ratio: 2.5 | Opp. Batting Avg: .200

Series History
Overall: 20-42 | Home: 9-19 | Away: 10-21 | Neutral: 1-2
Current Streak: Won 2 | Last Meeting: May 5, 2021 in Starkville, Miss. (MSU 6, TENN 2)

About the Lady Vols
Tennessee is coming off a top-10 SEC series win on the road, taking the first two games of a three-game set at then-No. 6 Florida. The Lady Vols shut out the Gators, 6-0, in the opener before taking Game 2 by a score of 7-2. Senior ace Ashley Rogers returned from injury to start Saturday's game at UF and retired nine-straight batters, tallying five strikeouts in limited action. In SEC play, Zaida Puni leads the squad with four home runs and 14 RBIs, while Erin Edmoundson touts a 4-2 record with four complete games and 26 strikeouts.

On Deck

Mississippi State will make a quick midweek road trip to Southern Miss on Wednesday, April 6 for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch in Hattiesburg. The game will be available on C-USA.tv.

Follow the Bulldogs

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

State Resumes SEC Play At No. 11 Tennessee

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Paige Cook

Mia Davidson

Chloe Malau'ulu

Addison Purvis

Mississippi State University Athletics

State Resumes SEC Play At No. 11 Tennessee

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Paige Cook

Mia Davidson

Chloe Malau'ulu

Addison Purvis

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